Page 110 of Fixing to Be Mine

“I haven’t told anyone. I won’t,” she says. “I just thought you should know that you’re not alone. People think they know everything. But they don’t. Sometimes, it’s the ones who stay quiet that understand the most.”

I nod slowly, and the pressure in my chest loosens just enough to breathe. “Thank you.”

She doesn’t smile, but her expression softens. “Your secret’s safe.”

“So is yours,” I tell her.

She slips past me, and I stand there for a second, staring at the space where she just was, knowing full well she didn’t name him.

Some heartbreaks don’t need names to leave scars.

If Colt finds out, Jace Tucker is a dead man.

I move to the bathroom and wash my hands, needing something to do. I look in the mirror, seeing my lips are swollen and cheeks pink, probably from the incredible sex Colt and I had before we arrived. After a deep breath, I return outside.

“Great! Everyone is back. Let’s eat!” Remi tells me, and I move to the chair next to Colt.

We exchange a look and he’s curious, but I give him a smile, interlocking my fingers with his.

We pass around paper plates and napkins as Cash begins sliding burgers onto buns, stacking them high with sharp cheddar and grilled onions. The conversation lifts again—light, easy, filled with laughter and teasing.

Colt hands me a plate like it’s second nature. His fingers brush mine for a beat too long, his thumb dragging gently across my skin before he pulls away. It’s subtle, but it steadies me. He’s watching me. He knows something isn’t okay. He won’t push, but he knows.

Fenix stays quiet. She returns to the table and takes her spot beside Remi, picking at her food more than eating it, but no one presses her either. We fall into that familiar rhythm that comes with small-town dinners—stories retold, inside jokes traded like currency, another round of beers passed around before anyone finishes the first.

I’m halfway through my burger when Remi stands and disappears into the house. A minute later, she returns, waving a folded-up newspaper in the air.

“Y’all seen this yet?” she says, half laughing as she fans herself dramatically. “Colt, you’re famous again. You and Sunny made the front page.”

My stomach knots.

She unfolds the paper and lays it down in the center of the table like she’s just tossed a royal flush. It takes me a second to understand what I’m looking at. A full-color photo—me and Colt, mid-kiss at the bachelor auction. My face is angled slightly, but not enough to stay hidden. Colt’s smiling like he’s already won. I’m mid-step, caught between motion and surrender, hand in his.

VALENTINE GAZETTE

Record-Breaking Bachelor Auction Raises Over $30,000 for Shelter

The table eruptsinto light teasing. Cash whistles low. Fenix’s brow twitches. Colt glances down at the photo with a proud sort of smirk—until he looks at me.

I don’t say anything. I don’t move. I don’t breathe.

He watches the way I go still and how my smile drops a fraction of a second too soon.

Colt’s jaw tightens. Not with embarrassment, but recognition. He’s starting to understand what this means.

“Sunny?” Remi asks. “You okay?”

I force a laugh, folding the paper in half like it’s nothing. “Yeah. Just … wow. Didn’t expect that photo on the front page.”

Colt doesn’t speak, but he’s still watching me. He’s piecing it together.

Remi shrugs. “Small town. That kiss and the fundraiser—it’s all anyone is talking about in town. Every single conversation is about Sunny and Colt.”

“Of course,” I say, trying to keep my voice light. “It was one hell of a kiss.”

That earns a few whoops from around the table, but I can feel Colt’s hand slide to my thigh beneath the table. His fingers squeeze gently, grounding me.

I keep my smile on like armor and eat my chips one by one. I nod and sip my drink and pretend everything is perfect.

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