Page 59 of Imperfect Arrangement
Nori laughs. “He’s definitely not a puppy, and he’ll love you in a way you’ve always deserved, Violet. It’s going to be…magical. But…” She hesitates. “You’ll have to almost lose yourself to find that love.”
We all hold our breath for a second, feeling this odd mix of hope and worry for her. But Vi squeals, leans across the table, and wraps Nori in a quick hug.
“I can’t wait to meet him.” Only Violet could get a future full of upheaval and turn it into a fairy-tale ending in her mind. And honestly, I can’t help but love her for it.
After Nori leaves,Violet is practically glowing with curiosity. “So, what did you think of her?”
Daisy shrugs, giving a half-hearted smile. “I mean, I want to believe in what she said about Dad, but after El’s reading, I’m not putting too much stock in it.”
“I don’t know about you all, but I’m actually looking forward to this new ‘version’ of me.” Violet flops into Nori’s recently vacated spot.
I tilt my head. “Did you forget the part where she said you’d have to go through hell and back to meet this mysterious, life-altering love?”
“No pain, no gain, baby. If I have to completely lose myself to meet my soulmate, then so be it. Just don’t you guys dare forget me, okay?”
Elodie snorts, nudging Vi with her shoulder. “Forget you? I think you’d hunt us down if we even tried.”
“Damn right, I would,” Violet shoots back with a laugh.
My friends continue the back-and-forth while I’m biting the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out how to break my own news. It was going to be hard enough before, and now, with Nori’s prophecy about my “big life change,” it’s like I’ve been derailed before I even got on track.
“Wills.” Violet’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “What did Nori mean about that big change?”
I shake my head, trying to keep my tone casual. “Something did happen, but it’s…not as monumental as she made it sound.”
Daisy gives me a suspicious look. “What is it?”
I don’t give myself a second to chicken out. “I’m staying at Raymond Teager’s house. As Quill’s nanny.”
The collective “What?” from all three of them is loud enough to shatter glass, but I push forward.
“There’s more.” I look away because the shock on their faces is a bit too much. “Today, I agreed to be his fake fiancée.”
Daisy gasps. “Holy crap!”
“Are you freaking serious?” Violet practically rockets out of her spot.
“I’m worried about Raymond’s place,” Elodie says quietly, and we all whip around to stare at her, stunned. She shrugs. “Whenever you and Raymond are in the same zip code, it feels like a countdown to some epic explosion.”
“But how did this even happen? And why didn’t Charles tell me?” Daisy’s brow furrows as she tries to piece it together.
“It wasn’t planned, Daze. I was trying to pitch my idea for the wedding estate, then suddenly…I was…receiving congratulations for my engagement.” I recount every detail of the whirlwind week, watching their faces go from shocked to utterly floored.
Violet’s jaw drops. “I’m so stunned I can’t even be mad that you waited to tell us!”
“I…still can’t believe it,” Daisy murmurs. “In all my time working with Elixir, I have never heard of Raymond breaking a single rule in business. Not one.”
“He’s doing it for Quill,” I say quietly.
Daisy gives me a look that pierces straight through me. “You sure that’s all?”
“They say there’s a thin line between love and hate,” Elodie murmurs, her voice all serious, and suddenly, all three of them are staring at me like this is the most important conversation we’ll ever have.
“Yeah,” Violet chimes in, nodding. “And that line can get smudged real quick.”
Goose bumps race across my skin, and it’s definitely not from the temperature. Sure, I don’t hate Raymond anymore—but not hating him isn’t the same thing as being in love.
“Then, in this case, that line is in permanent marker. I feel nothing for Raymond.”
