Page 122 of The Fake Dating War

“Working hard isn’t a bad thing,” says Gurinder, throwing me a rope.

“Moderation is also nice,” rebukes Esha.

“Reema is an achiever in all senses of that word,” says Leo. “It’s part of her personality and isn’t going to change. Though, I agree that, in this case, peeing in a bottle in your car while you work in an empty parking lot is pushing it too far.”

“There was no peeing in a bottle!”

“Allegedly.”

Everyone laughs.

“Do you know who else is an achiever?” says Leo. “Jake Coleman.”

My abdomen tenses.

Now that’s a topic switch that makes Esha sit up. “Was itreallyfake? I’m not convinced.”

Leo looks at me. “You should have seen him with Mr.Davies.”

I feel everything inside me bend to listen. A static buzzing rises in my ears. “What do you mean?”

“When he found out you weren’t getting the bonus, he lost it. I’ve never seen that side of him. It was impressive, terrifying, and very caveman-like.”

My hands don’t know what to do. There’s a confused shrillness to my voice as I speak. “He… didn’t take the bonus?”

Leo winces. “No, he did. Only because Mr.Davies refused to give it to you. And because he threatened to buy a football thing for the office if Jake didn’t accept.”

“How was he today?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Leo shrugs. “He stopped showing up to work after that.”

It takes a moment for my brain to figure it out.The house. He must be busy with that. With the bonus, he has enough money to buy it for his mother, so that’s probably taking him away from work.

My sister snaps her fingers. “Let’s get into this. Do we think he faked everything at my wedding just to win this bonus? That none of it was real? I mean, doesn’t his reaction in the office tell us differently? What we need is a deep dive. Reema, start from the beginning. We’re going moment-by-moment to analyzeeverything. We’ll make arguments for it being real, and opposing arguments that he faked it all along.”

“No one can fake being in love with Reema. She’s annoyingly lovable.” Leo points at me. “Not a compliment. Don’t get happy. I’m complaining.”

No, he’s trying to keep this easy for me. Trying to soften my sister’s hard-hitting journalistic approach.

Gurinder, on the other hand, asks a simpler question. “Did you believe it? In him?”

My hands twist together. “I took Harry to Vegas. Clearly, I don’t make great judgement calls.”

“That’s the problem right there,” says Esha. “You’re scared of going backwards.”

“You know what backwards means for me.”

“Yes, but it’s time you trust yourself again, instead of suffering about your past or suffering to make a future happen where it’s all better suddenly. What about the present, Reema? Don’t you think it’s time you live for the person you are and have become today? Don’t you think that person deserves some enjoyment?”

Leo nods. “Is what you know about him worth putting yourself out there? For you to put down your weapons and shields, knowing that you can find them again if you need to use them? To give the relationship a fair chance of being safe, good, and fucking lovely for you? Either answer is okay, becauseyouget to decide. Just make sure it is a decision for yourself and not because you’re scared of a future that hasn’t even happened.”

“You should find out,” adds Gurinder. “Read his messages.”

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