Page 10 of Broken Promises

“We both know I only have until I’m thirty at most. My knees aren’t going to hang on much longer. Willa has been my best friend for most of my life. This isn’t going to change anything.”

“Sure it’s not,” he says. He turns and leaves without saying anything else.

“Nothing can ruin our friendship!” I call after him.

Because nothing has and nothing ever will.

FIVE

willa

“Sorry!”I yell over my shoulder to the person I just practically shoved out of the way. The yellow strands of the itchy wig I’m wearing slap me in the face as I run. The wig is the easiest way for me to be out in public with no one recognizing me.

Declan’s plane landed half an hour ago, but I was stuck in traffic. He texted to say he’s waiting for me by baggage claim. I slow down my pace when I see him surrounded by women. I can’t blame them. The man is six foot two and all muscle. His light brown hair does that perfectly disheveled thing that people pay a lot of money in hair products to get. His green eyes sparkle as he signs autographs for anyone who asks. Declan is sex wrapped up in a sweet package. I’ve always known that but have done a pretty good job avoiding it so far. Rolling my eyes, I elbow my way through the crowd and throw myself in Dec’s arms. He startles and drops the sharpie he was using to sign something so he can catch me.

“Uh. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I’m happily engaged,” he says, trying to remove me from the koala hold I have on him.

“Are you sure about that hockey boy?” I ask teasingly, pulling back so he can see my face.

It takes him a moment before I see the recognition in his eyes. A heart-stopping smile breaks out on his face. “Hey Princess,” he says, hugging me tightly. I squeeze him as tightly as I can with both my arms and legs, but he’s so broad and muscular, I doubt he feels it.

“You’re engaged?To her?” someone says from behind me. I lift my head from Declan’s shoulder to see who’s speaking. A curvy brunette with an angry scowl on her face zeroed in on me. I get the jealousy. I know Declan is attractive. I’m not blind. We’ve just never had any sort of romantic feelings between us. At least not any that I would let go anywhere.

“I don’t see a ring,” someone else says.

“It’s such a big diamond I was afraid it would get stolen if I wore it to the airport,” I say, ignoring the rest of the angry stares. “Can we go now? This is weird,” I whisper in Dec’s ear.

He lowers me to the floor, an amused expression on his face. “Sorry everyone. I need to take my future wife home and get her boulder back on her finger.” His hand finds my waist as he leads me away from the angry estrogen mob and towards the parking lot. “What’s with the wig?”

“I was trying to go unnoticed, but then someone had a harem of women trying to get in his pants in the middle of baggage claim.”

“It’s more likely they wanted in my wallet, which is going to be significantly lighter after I buy you a diamond that can be seen from space,” he teases.

I shrug. “I’m worth it.”

Declan laughs and kisses my temple. “That you are, Princess.” I don’t have this with any of my other friends, the easy affection I have with Dec. Not even Belle.

“What’s the plan?” I ask when we get to my car. Declan tosses his bag in the trunk and shuts it before turning to me.

“Can we talk about it over a burger? I’m starving.”

“You’re literally always starving. I meant, where am I taking you?” He looks confused, apparently thinking asking for burgers was enough direction. “Your apartment or do you have to report right to the Bruisers? We can get burgers on the way.”

“My apartment, which we also need to add to the list of things to talk about. I report to the Bruisers in the morning,” he says, giving me a knowing look. We can’t be married and live separately if we want people to buy the ruse. I made him get his own apartment for now. He wasn’t thrilled but did as I asked. “Diego suggested you come with me to that,” he adds.

“To your hockey meeting?”

“I think he wants me to prove to him and the Bruisers’ management that I didn’t make you up,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck and getting in my car.

I roll my eyes before getting in the driver’s seat. “Burgers and planning it is.”

“I think it would be easiest to just stick to the truth as much as we can,” Declan says around a mouthful of cheeseburger. We’re sitting on his uncomfortable gray couch in his barely furnished apartment. The plan is for him to move in with me when we get married, since I already have a house here. So he didn’t bother to get more than he needed for the short term.

“Says the man who is going to fake marry his best friend,” I mutter.

“Hey! It’s going to be real! At least in the legal sense,” he argues.

“Fine. We met as kids, became best friends, and fell in love.” I pause. “When did we decide we were more?”

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