Page 49 of On the Double

“For my fake fiancée.”

“Dude, it was necessary. No biggie.” He slapped me on the shoulder and started to walk away, but I grabbed him by the sleeve and hauled him back.

“No biggie? You bought an actual fucking diamond ring for me to put on a woman’s hand.”

“Well, I think it would look bad if the ring was a fake. We can’t have you looking bad.”

“Right, we wouldn’t want me to look bad by putting a fake ring on my fake fiancée’s finger!”

He grinned widely at me. “See, if you say it enough, it doesn’t make you want to puke anymore. Am I right?”

He was right, but not because I was getting used to the words. More like I was falling into the delusion and accepting my fate. Soon, this would be over and I could go back to my normal world wherenone of this craziness existed. I would never date another woman so long as I lived. This just wasn’t worth all the hassle.

“Ooh, look! I think that’s her.”

I turned around, searching for my bride-to-be. At first, I didn’t see anything, but then it was like the crowd parted and her smile was all I saw. Gleaming bright, her hair stood out amongst the crowd. I could swear I even saw her eyes from all the way over here. They were just so damn vibrant. And those lips…so kissable. Fuck, she was gorgeous.

Not that I was paying attention.

“Grams!” Fox shouted, waving his hands at the woman who walked in behind her. Fox tugged me along beside him, over to the woman who would one day be my relative if I let this charade go on.

Ignoring the older woman, my gaze settled on her granddaughter. She was smiling at something Brock was saying to her, and I found myself insanely jealous that she was laughing and smiling at him.

I was her fake soon-to-be-husband. Those looks should be reserved for me. I stomped over to her and grabbed her by the elbow, dragging her away from him without a word. I didn’t stop until we were far from prying ears.

“Edu, what are you doing? Can you slow down? I lost my shoe!”

I stopped suddenly, spinning on her angrily. “Why were you laughing with him?”

Her jaw dropped open and she stared at me like I was crazy. “What?”

“Just now. You were laughing with Brock. Why?”

“Uh…” She shook her head slightly. “I imagine he said something funny.”

“Oh, you can’t remember?” I snapped.

“Well, not when you pull me away and accuse me of…I’m not sure what you’re accusing me of, actually.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, thrusting my hand into my pocket. There was no time like the present to get this over with. I opened the pouch and took her left hand, about to put the ring on it, but I found I just couldn’t.

“Here,” I said, thrusting it into her palm. “It’s…to make it look good.”

“You…you got me a ring?”

And just like I expected, stars filled her eyes and I watched her drift off to dreamland. If Prince Charming was there, I’d fucking kill him. I didn’t have the time for this shit. I was doing a job, pure and simple, and she was ruining it with her starry eyes.

“It’s just for show. And I didn’t get it for you,” I said, snapping her out of her delusions. “Fox picked it up. I’m just delivering it.”

But that did nothing to stop the way she was staring at it so lovingly. “I’ve never had anything as beautiful as this.”

I wanted to tell her that she was ten times as beautiful as that damn ring, but that would only make the stars explode in her eyes, and I couldn’t have that.

“Anyway, you can’t be laughing at what other men say.”

I was giving her whiplash and I knew it. “What?”

“Earlier. You were laughing at something Brock said. You can’t do that. I’m your soon-to-be-husband. Fakely speaking.”

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