Page 30 of The Replacement Fiance

I sigh. "Fine."

"I've seen them disappointed before, Logan, and this will disappoint them. More than you know, and I don't want to burst that bubble. Not when there's one more day and we get to go home."

"But it's never going to be the same between us, Mariah. You do know that, right?"

She doesn't answer. She draws the curtains close and heads outside, waiting for me to follow her. As soon as I step out, she locks the door behind me.

"So you don't think they'll be disappointed when you tell them we broke up?" I ask. "What will you tell them, that I cheated on you just like Elliot did?"

"Is that all you're worried about? Your reputation?"

I shake my head. "You can ruin my reputation all you want, Mariah, I don't care. But it'll never change the fact that you refuse to move on after what Elliot and Minerva did two years ago. And I'm sorry that they did what they did. But while what they did was wrong, there are better things to do than wallow in the past."

Mariah clenches her jaw, her nostrils flaring. I almost apologize, but what the heck would I be apologizing for? I told her the truth.

"I'm heading back to the main house. If you want to come along, fine. If you don't, fine," she announces coldly as she walks ahead of me.

My phone rings again. It's Chad. This time I answer the call. I hate how things turned out between Mariah and me but I also know I can't keep on with the pretense any longer.

12

Mariah

How didthe fairy tale end so quickly? One minute everything was perfect and the next, it all fell apart. But even though Logan's right—that the charade is wrong—why quit now when there's less than twenty-four hours left before we leave? By this time tomorrow, we'll be on our way back to LA and a week from now, I'll let everyone know that we broke up.

He doesn't have to do anything. It's all on me.

"I'm going to spend a few hours with Chad," he says when he catches up with me just before we reach the gravel driveway. "I'll be back tonight."

"Fine," I snap, still walking.

"Mariah, stop. Please. Let's talk."

I stop and turn to face him. While I'm almost out of breath, he's barely broken a sweat, handsome in his jacket and jeans, his hair hidden underneath a wool cap. Still, I can't believe I agreed to let him take Cooper's place. I should have known better. I should have simply come up here and showed everyone my ring and leave it at that.

"What exactly is there to talk about, Logan? You said everything you wanted to say back there."

"I meant what I said at the cabin, Mariah," he says. "I want us to start over from the beginning. I want to see you again but not like this, not with a lie hanging over our heads."

"I think all that's off the table now, Logan."

He frowns. "All because I refuse to go on with this lie?"

I shake my head. "The things you said back there... about Elliot and Minerva, they weren't exactly nice."

"I think we're past being nice, Mariah. We need to start being honest with each other."

"By telling me I'm stuck in the past?" I scoff. "That's not being honest, Logan. That's being cruel."

"That's because the truth can be cruel. It's not all fun and games and right now, that's what this is for you. Fun and games. But for what? So that guy and his wife over there can see that you're not alone two years after he did what he did to you?" He shakes his head. "What do you want me to do, Mariah? Would you rather I lie to you just to make you feel better?"

I cross my arms in front of my chest. "You were fine lying to my family the whole weekend."

He laughs dryly. "We were both lying to your family, Mariah, about us. But you know what? I never lied about the way I felt about you."

I hear his words but my anger refuses to let me take it in. "Yeah, right. Anyway, I'm going inside."

I head toward the direction of the house, not waiting for Logan to catch up. Let him hang out with his friend, Chad or whatever his name is. Let him do whatever it is he wants to do, I don't care. I just want to get this visit over with before Mom and Dad start making arrangements for a wedding that will never happen.

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