Page 49 of How To Fake A Fiancé

She seems stunned by my statement at first, then forms a half smile. Kami doesn’t need to just be treated like a princess. She needs to be taken care of like a fucking queen.

“Why don’t we start over?” I take her hand in mine. Surprisingly, she doesn’t pull away from my grasp. Her hands are warm and soft. The electricity between us as alive as ever. “You look beautiful tonight, Kami.”

She starts to speak but stops herself as she stares at me with an oh-you’re-serious look.

I don’t expect her to completely believe me. Not yet. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“Thank you,” she mutters.

I start making small talk. “Have you been here before? I heard a lot of great things about this place from Jonathan and thought we’d try it out together.”

She shakes her head. “No, but Kiera tells me they have great mushroom ravioli.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Do you like Italian?”

She shrugs. “I do get a craving for some spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread every once in a while. You?”

I chuckle. “I don’t have it all that often, but when I do, fettuccine alfredo is my number one comfort dish.”

She laughs. “You and my sister would be the best of pals, then. She loves fettuccine alfredo.”

“Really? Then I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I made her a bowl at some point when we get to Abilene.”

Right at that moment, a server walks over to us and takes our orders. Kami and I both agree on a white wine, and the waiter quickly walks away.

I switch the subject ever so subtly. “Are you and your sister close?”

Her smile somewhat falters. “Not as much as we used to be. When we got older, and especially after I moved to Dallas, we started doing our own thing and didn’t keep in touch as much.”

“How often do you check in with each other?”

“I call a few times a month, but usually the only time we talk is if there’s news in the family or an emergency.”

My mind goes back to the Halloween party. “Like when your sister called about her eloping.”

She nods. “An unexpected moment, for sure.”

“Agreed.”

“I swear, my mom and her just don’t think things through when it comes to relationships.” Kami pauses, as though debating whether to continue or stop, before shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I’m starting to rant.”

“No worries. Tell me how you feel.” I want her to understand that I’m a safe space for her to vent her frustrations.

She sighs. “It’s just that my mom and sister always have had their heads in the clouds. And because of that, it’s always been up to me to pick up the pieces when their fantasies come crashing down.”

“I’m sorry. That must be tough for you,” I sympathize.

“Let’s talk about something else. Do you have other siblings, or is it just Matt?” Her change of subject is sudden, but I immediately see this is something she’d rather not talk about. I get the vibe that this is a painful subject for her.

Definitely something to talk about at a later time.

“Nope, just Matt. My kid brother.”

“He’s your younger brother?”

“By a few years, yeah.”

“Must have been fun growing up together.”

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