Page 120 of The Princess and the Fraud

“Caroline wants to stay on the east coast, near the city.” There was something unspoken there.Aaron won’t be in California; he’ll be here with her.“Come with me. Stay with me. Even if it’s just for a month or two—or if it’s for a year or two. Start an adventure with me.”

My pulse quickened at the thought of staying on the east coast, of running into Aaron. One of the condolences I’d had was that once Aaron and Caroline married, they’d go back to California. But if they were staying here… I knew I couldn’t.

I couldn’t help but tease her a little. “Are you just saying that so I can help out with childcare?”

“No!” She gasped, expression earnest. “It is me being selfish, though. I just want you close, Lovey. I want to be with you as you start over. I want to cheer you on, and not just from the sidelines.”

“I want to cheer you on, too,” I told her, and this time, I was the one to pull her into another hug. I patted her back, smiling at the wall. “And lucky for you, I’m great with kids.”

She screeched. “So that’s a yes?”

“Even if it’s just a month or two.”

“Or a year or two.” She squeezed me tighter. “It’s going to be so good, Lovey. Life is going to be so good. Just you wait.”

I let myself feel the optimism in her words, and even though my last week had been one from hell, I found myself smiling. “It’s already getting a lot better.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

On the day of the auction of my mother’s dream house, it rained. My windshield wipers were on full blast as I drove down Everview Road, which had quickly become mud as the rain mixed with the dirt road. Water pooled in the potholes, making each bump a mud-slinging splash, no doubt painting my car in a layer of grime.

This would’ve been an annoying drive if I had to do it every day.

I’d been expecting several cars parked, but as I pulled into 1442’s drive, I only found two. I frowned as I bumped along the drive. Had they delayed the auction because of the rain? Surely more than two people would’ve shown up to the auction—or, really,oneperson, if one of the cars would’ve been the auctioneer.

I flipped my wipers to a lower setting, sitting still as heat pumped through the vents. The front door of the house was open, and whoever was inside didn’t care about the rainwater that dripped in. Now I felt awkward—it wasn’t like I could just blend in with a small crowd. My presence was obvious now, a girl who’d come to an auction to shed a few tears in the back with no intention of bidding.

This was the house I was supposed to have, and now would no longer be mine. I had a feeling that if I called Aaron and told him to buy it, he still would’ve. Heck, I might’ve been able to convince Grant, too. But despite everything falling apart with Aaron, I never once regretted letting go of Mom’s dream house. Not even a little. And that was when I realized I’d strayed so far from who I was—and who my mom would’ve wanted me to be. She’d never wanted me to have this house; she’d wanted me to have the cello.

There’s always tomorrow.

I just came to see who the highest bidder would be. I wanted to imagine their life on this property, to imagine them living out my mother’s dream, even if it was just a fantasy I could cling to in my head. It’d make me feel better to see who would replace me in the life I’d envisioned—to see someone else carry the weight I’d been holding for so long. Except to them, it wouldn’t be weight. It would be something exhilarating. The start of a new dream.

A part of me thought I’d be more conflicted. That the idea of someone taking over would’ve induced a panicked sort of dread within me. Instead, it left me with nothing but hope. Hope for a bright future, for them and me.

It wasn’t too late to turn around now. Whoever was inside hadn’t seen me yet. I found myself looking at the two cars, making sure no one was inside either—and then squinting. The red car was the realtor’s car, I was pretty sure—the same one that had been waiting for us when Aaron and I had toured. But the black one on the other side was also familiar. As if I’d seen it before.

No way, I thought with narrowed eyes, shoving open my door, hopping out straight into a mud puddle. I barely noticed, and barely noticed the heavy rain, either, gaze now laser-focused on the door.

And so I saw the exact moment someone stepped into the doorway after hearing my car door slam shut.

Aaron Astor walked out onto the porch of 1442 Everview Road as if stepping out of a dream. His cream-colored quarter-zip jacket was half-hidden by a navy coat, and, almost unbelievably, with a baggy pair of jeans to finish it off.Jeans. The stupid thought ofI didn’t even know he owned jeansflitted across my mind before realization sank in.

“You didn’t.” Aaron and I were dozens of feet apart, with him on the covered porch and me out in the rain, but the low fury in my voice still carried. “Tell me you didnotbuy my mother’s dream home to be yournewlywed house.”

Aaron’s eyes were wide as he looked down at me, lips parted as if it’d been years since we’d last seen each other, not just a week. Maybe to him, it’d felt like years. It definitely felt like a whole other life.

“You talked me out of buying it, but for Caroline, you’ll do it?” I demanded, staring up at him despite the rain beating down into my face, bangs plastering into my eyes. But still, I didn’t flinch. “You’ll take it out from under me? Was that your plan all along, to talk me out of wanting it so you could buy it?”

Inexplicably, Aaron’s parted lips curved into a wide smile.

The sight of it was so jarring, partly because it didn’t make any sense and partly because, despite everything, my first thought was that it was beautiful. And I hated that. “You’resmiling?” I curled my hands into fists. “In a situation like this, you’resmiling?”

“Is it twisted that I’m happy to hear you yell at me?” Aaron asked as he took another step forward on the porch, and then another, until he came to the top step. “Probably. But I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear it again. I’m… relieved.”

“My angerrelieves you?” I lifted a fist. “Come closer, then. I’ll show you howrelievingmy anger can be.”

Aaron obeyed, stepping out from underneath the covered porch and into the rain. Rain threaded through his locks, droplets beading up and seeping in. His gaze never wavered from mine throughout it, even as water flicked into his lashes. He came to a stop three feet from me, blinking as if he were mesmerized.

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