Page 83 of The Spark Between Us

Sweeping into the room and plopping on the bed, Becca grinned. “Yes, this is the wine welcoming committee. Here to talk about your hot, sexy boyfriend who you haven’t told anyone about. Why?”

I opened my mouth, hoping something intelligent and halfway believable would come out, but after the cooking and cleaning, I was too exhausted to get creative. I slumped against the bureau of drawers and took a sip of wine.

My sisters took that as confirmation.

Cherry ran up and hugged me. “Sweetie, he’s darling. And he’s crazy about you.”

Isla piped in, “He was always gorgeous. Don’t you guys remember when Finn was in high school and Braden used to come over?” Most of us shrugged. “Maybe you were too young, but I had a serious crush on him.”

I waved my hands at them. “Okay, hold the parade. He’s my roommate. And, it’s been...fun while I’ve been here, but that’s all it is. Temporary fun. But seriously, what did I do that made you all so sure I’m having sex with him?”

My sisters looked at each other, and I watched them exchange glances for a moment before they all burst into hysterics. I looked at Tatum, my one voice of reason in the bunch, for help. She put a hand on my shoulder. “You didn’t do anything. You just seem really happy, and he looks at you like you hung the stars. That’s it.”

“But I’m a generally happy person. I like my job. I have a good life. What’s different now?” I still wasn’t seeing what they were seeing.

“Love. That’s a different kind of happiness,” Becca said. “And it’s plain as day with you two.”

“It’s not love. We’re just having fun,” I said. I’d been saying it in my head for months, and it rolled out automatically now.

“Okay, well, fun is good too. Here’s to fun with a hot firefighter,” Cherry said, raising her glass. There was the clinking of glasses and discussion of firefighters, and someone may have even mentioned a firefighter calendar.

But I was still stuck in my head.

My sisters were right. It wasn’t just fun—I did love Braden. And instead of having the guts to tell him, I let him believe I was still fine with our arrangement of sex with no strings. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t fine at all.

I’d promised not to lie to him—that was one of our rules at the outset.

Then I’d fallen for him and broken that rule too.

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