Page 45 of Fake Engaged to the Enemy

“Now you’re frowning,” he notes. “Has something gone wrong?”

I grimace. “Oh, I started to think too much. About why I don’t like coming back to Sandburrow.”

George is quiet a moment, then asks, “Why don’t you?”

My grimace grows wider.

This isn’t exactly what I want to talk about.

On the other hand, I suppose if anyone deserves to know the truth it’s my fake fiancé.

“Everyone here knows me as June Hart’s daughter,” I say, staring into the soapy water. “And that’s even stronger to them than Lynn Hart’s granddaughter. Everyone looks at me with these looks, as though they’re expecting me to trick them into smoking pot.”

“I don’t think—”

“Your mom accused me of trying to hook you on pot,” I interrupt.

George’s eyes widen. “She did?”

“The summer before we entered high school. I brought over brownies, she said they smelled like pot.” My shoulders hunch.

George whistles. “I didn’t know that.”

“I ended up crying, trying to convince her that they were normal brownies. Finally, she ate one to prove I was trying to drug you. As it turns out, I used expired cream in the icing.”

“I’m sorry you went through that,” George says softly. “That’s terrible.”

I shrug. “She apologized for it. But it was always clear to me that she didn’t like me.”

“Is that why we stopped being friends?” George asks hesitantly.

There are no more dishes to wash, so I unplug the sink. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t remember any specific event that changed things.”

“Neither can I.” George hangs the dish towel on a hook on the wall.

“Guess it was just one of those things,” I sigh.

George folds his arms. “Maybe. But I do need to apologize. Through high school, I thought our rivalry was friendly. I had no idea that you were being affected so negatively.”

I look away quickly.

“Then, on our graduation day…” He trails off.

My heart drops. Am I really going to have to talk about that now?

Chapter thirteen

George

“We don’t have to talk about it right now,” I offer.

The clouds in Catherine’s expression make me wince. She’d been so animated when talking about the facts she learned about Sandburrow.

Have I ruined the evening by bringing this up?

Catherine shakes her head. “After that beautiful proposal? We do need to talk about it.”

She gives me a soft, teasing smile. It disappears quickly.

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