Page 7 of Lie With Me

That’s all she says before she goes to try the last dress on. Pushing to my feet, I look around for theassociate so I can have her ring up the dress. As I’m scanning the store, however, my eyes catch the icy blue orbs of the last person in the world I want to see.

Emily.

My ex-fiancée.

“Tripp, what are you doing here?” she asks with a breathy laugh as she walks over to me.

As if we’re old friends who haven’t seen each other in years.

As if she didn’t rip my heart out of my chest and crush it in her perfectly manicured hand.

Vaguely, I register that Bianca might have heard her call me by my real name. But as Emily stands there staring at me, waiting for an answer to her question, I find I can’t focus enough to string together a coherent sentence.

We haven’t seen each other since I found out she’d lied about seeing someone else while we were still engaged. What do you say to someone who did that to you?

Other thanfuck you, you lying bitch.

Seeming to realize I’m uncomfortable, Emily looks around before asking, “How are you? How is everything? I’ve been meaning to call you–”

“Why? There’s nothing we need to say to each other.” Her face falls at my words, and she looks genuinely sorry, which only pisses me off more.

Don’t you dare fucking pity me.

“Darling? Who do we have here?” Bianca asks behind me, clearing the rage that’s brewing a storm in my brain. Her voice makes me think of soft rain,candlelight, and velvety rose petals. Entirely transformed from the playful lilt it was just a few minutes ago to something dark and possessive.

Emily's eyes dart over my shoulder, widening in surprise as she drags her gaze up and down Bianca’s body. Turning, my mouth goes dry as I do the same. She’s wearing a red satin dress resembling a cross between lingerie and formal wear. It molds to her body as she floats our way, eyes sparkling with mischief as she looks at Emily.

She looks like sin personified.

When she reaches us, she wraps her arm around my waist, pushing up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, babe?”

This beautiful stranger reads the room faster than a gunshot and, for whatever reason, is helping me save face even though she has no idea what the history is here.

Now that she’s so close I breathe in her scent. She smells like smoky vanilla and rich coffee, and something tells me it isn’t from the drink I spilled on her earlier. My arm winds around her waist, tucking her into my side where she fits perfectly. “Bianca, this is Emily. Emily, Bianca.”

“Hmm, you’ve never mentioned an Emily before. Do you two know each other from work?” Bianca asks brightly before resting her head on my shoulder.

I could kiss this woman for the way Emily bristles as she stares at her. My ex clears her throat, lifting a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

My blood runs cold at the sight of the large diamond on her ring finger. “You’re engaged?”

Emily’s eyes slowly drift to mine as a saccharine smile crosses her face. “Yes, Neil proposed just a few weeks ago.”

The news is like a sucker punch to my gut. She lied to me about seeing him while we were together, so to hear that they’re now engaged enrages me.

Bianca’s fingers spread over my side where her hand rests, gently squeezing before she unwraps herself from me and reaches for Emily’s hand. “Wow, it’s so big.”

Emily looks smug as she wiggles her fingers in Bianca’s grip. As she’s about to respond, Bianca lets go of her hand and steps back into my side. “See, baby. I told you that size was way too gaudy. I really think something more delicate is the way to go. My hands are so petite. You’d need such large fingers to support the weight of that.”

A snort leaves me, and I hurry to disguise it behind a cough. Bianca reaches up to smooth my tie before looking back at Emily with fake horror. “Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry. I hope that wasn’t offensive. He’s been trying to buy me something that tells the whole world he’s locked me down, but I keep telling him I just can’t pull the big rocks off.”

Her charade is Oscar-worthy. My chest swells with gratitude that this woman I’ve only met an hour ago has picked up on the tension and is running with her crazy story. There might be repercussions later, but at the moment, I don’t give adamn about the consequences of her sugar-spun white lies.

“You two are engaged?” Emily asks in a stupor, looking between us both like we just said her grandma died.

“Yes! We haven’t officially announced it yet, but we have been for a while now. I knew from the moment I saw him that he was the guy I’d marry. I mean, how could younotwant to snatch him up?”

“Babe,you’rethe catch in this relationship. I’m just the mere mortal who was struck by Cupid’s arrow.” I look down at her, pretending I’m utterly besotted instead of laughing on the inside at how well we’re improvising.

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