Page 28 of Fighting Happily Ever After

He definitely hadn’t won.

Not yet.

Not ever!

“It’s not important.” She shook her head. “He won’t.”

“Well, it looks to me like there’s a bit more than a bet going on here.” Hope reached for her sister’s hair that was trying and failing to cover the love bite on her neck. “Don’t tell me that sleeping together was all part of the elaborate lie.” Her face shifted briefly. “Which, by the way, I’m not totally on board with. Stephanie seems like a total sweetheart and you know how I feel about lying.”

“I know. I know. I hate it too. It just kind of escalated. We’ll tell her the truth.” It was a decision she’d just made, but it felt right.

Hope dipped her head and rolled her shoulders before looking up again. “Do you think we should?”

“What?” Her sister was thegoodone. Hope didn’t lie. It wasn’t her style. Faith had known she would be upset about the whole thing with Stephanie. She’d expected it. She hadn’t expected this. “You don’t think we should tell her?”

“Well…do you think sometimes it’s kinder not to tell the truth?”

Faith sat back and gave her head a shake. “What are you talking about?”

“Clearly, she’s kind of a lost soul. I get the impression that she doesn’t have a lot of friends and she just seems…lonely.” Her sister shrugged. “I guess I don’t see the harm in keeping up the act for a little bit if it gives her a good experience. I mean, it’s not really atotallie.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You two clearly have something going on.”

Faith had to hold back the urge to toss a pillow at her sister. Despite the fact that it was true. She had something going on with Logan, although for the life of her, she had no idea what it was. Not really. Never in her life had she been so conflicted. Especially over a man. Whenever he was near, her entire body went on full alert in anticipation of what would happen next.

And what shewantedto happen next. Because despite her protests, and what herbrainmight want from Logan, it wasverydifferent from what herbodywanted.

More and more, she couldn’t be sure of what herheartwanted. And that was the whole problem.

“Hello?” Hope waved her hand in front of her face. “Earth to Faith. I was just saying how maybe we should go easy with Stephanie for a few more days and show her a good time.”

Faith nodded. “I agree.”

She didn’t bother mentioning how doing so would mean that Logan would be once again in her bed, because then she might have to admit that shewantedhim in her bed.

And what was so wrong with that?

“Seriously, Faith. I feel like even though you’re sitting here, you’re a million miles away. What is going on? Is this about Logan?”

Of course it was.But she couldn’t say that to her sister. She couldn’t tell her twin, whom she’d always told everything to, that despite spending a lifetime railing against the idea of love or falling for anyone, she might actually—

“You’re falling for him.”

What the—

Faith blinked hard and stared at her twin.

“You are,” Hope said with a self-assured nod. “You totally are. And what’s so wrong with that?”

“It’s not…I’m not…what are you even talking about?”

Hope crossed her arms, looking very sure of herself. “What areyoutalking about?” She chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with falling in love, Faith. In fact, it’s pretty freaking awesome. I never did understand your whole aversion to it.”

Right.Faith’s thoughts shot back to the envelope she’d just hidden in her room. That envelope contained the secrets of why she’d never let herself believe in love. Hope and Faith had grown up with the perfect parents. They were loving and supportive and more importantly, they loved each other more than anything in the world. At least, that’s what they told the world. But the day that Faith had come down the stairs and heard them arguing, saying terrible things to each other, the image of their perfection had changed for her. She’d been fifteen when she’d discovered that loving someone, and letting them love you in return, meant that they would have the power to destroy you with only a few words.

No thank-you.

“Talk to me, Faith.” Hope’s voice had shifted. Her eyes were full of worry as she reached for her sister’s hand. “Tell me why you’ve spent so long fighting this. What was so terrible that you turned your back for so long?”

The urge to confide in her sister was so strong it was almost a physical ache. But at the same time, she’d always protected Hope. The truth would hurt, and what was the point of that?

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