Page 52 of Red Flags Only

Hm. “She’ll probably fall for me then,” I mutter, soothing the sour in my gut at the thought of her with someone who does not know the fullness of her wonder. “Then I can take care of her and not have to worry about some moron trying to love her and doing it wrong. She can have someone who knows her inside and out. Someonewho prioritizes her above anything else. Someone who can afford anything she’d ever want and is willing to get it for her. Someone like me.”

Mars regards me, dryly, as he presses the start button and clicks the machine closed. “I wonder if the readers will know the difference if I market things as he falls first anyway. Since you’re absolutely acting in love.”

I frown. “Notinlove, but the love I have for her is definitely better than what some random schmuck could give her. All she has to do is follow trope conventions.” I straighten. “And why wouldn’t she? Like I told her, I’m tall, rich, and handsome. And I give great gifts. She loved the butterfly I made her.” I grab Mars’ shoulders, ignoring the way he flinches at the contact. “You’d fall in love with me, wouldn’t you? I’m a catch, right?”

Tension twists in the muscles beneath my grip, and when he can’t seem to stand it anymore, he removes my hands from his person. “Definitely a catch. Definitely not my type.” He frees a breath and smooths out his leather jacket. “On account of this not being Alabama and all.”

My heart falls.

“However, since Lyra isn’t your brother, and this is the sick day episode, I’d say the odds are pretty good that she’ll fall for you, which is devastating for me.” Reaching, he pats my head. “Try to fall in love even a fraction of a second before she does. For our poor book’s visibility.”

“I think I’m more of a she-falls-first, he-falls-never kind of guy,” I reply, poking him on the nose. “How’s that doing visibility wise?”

“Abysmal,” he answers, unamused as he scrubs his nose. “Do you hate me or something?”

Accused of hatred, again and again, when I have only love in my heart. How mean of my loved ones.

“About as much as you hate me.”

Mars smiles. “Glad to hear it. Now, please get back to your wife before she dies of dehydration.”

My heart lurches, a bolt of lightning firing through my veins.

Mywife.

Whatgloriousbook fodder.

Chapter Twenty-Six

We call this character growth.

Lyra

In my feverish state last week, I made the mistake of giving Jove my cell phone number, which he – in proof of our best friend compatibility – had also not saved.

“In case I have to cancel again,” I had said, as if the kidnapping lunatic had shown any sign at all that he would let me cancel. Even near death, he dragged me to his house to languish in his bed. So what if it was restorative? And comfortable. And actually incredibly nice. It was all of those things under a big, flying banner of red.

Jupiter:Have you written me back yet?

Lyra:You can’t rush perfection.

Jupiter:So you haven’t even started, then?

Lyra:<.< Mind your business.

Jupiter:Don’t you know by now? Youaremy business.

Whydid I give him my number? Andwhydo I keepresponding to his text messages?

Because you’re a chronic people pleaser, Lyra, that’s why.

What an idiot.

Jupiter:If you don’t have it done tonight, you can write it during our date. I’ll bring my laptop and get some words in. Work date!

Work date… does he think that’s a thing?

Lyra:Work date is an oxymoron.

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