Page 22 of Replacement

He’s not convinced. “Why have you been doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“I don’t know. Being real. Enjoying yourself. Then it’s like something goes through your mind that takes it away from you. And you get sad again.”

Shit, he’s good. Way too observant. Way too smart. He’s put a lot of very slim clues together in exactly the right way. The only thing he’s missing is that Amber has a twin.

“I’m not sad.”

“I don’t believe you.”

We stare at each other for a minute.

“What’s going on, Amber?”

Amber.

That’s what’s going on. And it’s never going to be fixed.

I shake my head.

“Tell me,” he demands. He hasn’t moved at all, but his presence has shifted. He’s intimidating now when he was so soft and relaxed and almost sweet before.

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Yes, there is. And I need to know what it is.”

I make a frustrated sound and flop over onto my back, closing my eyes and breathing deeply to calm the surge of fear that’s risen inside me.

I need an excuse. Something. Anything to tell him that might explain why my mood has been changing so quickly lately.

Sad. He believes me to be sad.

What would make Amber sad?

“I guess maybe I’ve been thinking about my dad more lately,” I say in a different tone.

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know.” Hit with a sudden brainstorm, I follow up on my tenuous excuse. “But I’ve been thinking… I’ve been wanting… Would it be okay if I start making jewelry?”

I have to turn my head to look at him since I need to see his expression.

It’s surprised but thoughtful. He’s taking me seriously. “I thought you said you don’t do that.”

Amber must have said that. She never got into the crafting aspect of the family business like I did.

“I didn’t for a long time, but… I don’t know… It’s a connection to my family. My dad. And I was thinking maybe I want to start it up again.”

“Of course you can make jewelry. You can do anything you want to do. What do you need from me?”

My heart is fluttering. For a different reason this time. “I’ll need some supplies. And maybe I can set up a little corner here where I can work.”

“Of course. Pick any space you want. You decorated the whole place except my office anyway. You can make any changes you want.”

Well, that explains who was responsible for the decor of this place.

“Why don’t you take the blue room? We don’t need a second guest room since we never have any guests. Just call Gina about the furnishings you need, and she’ll arrange for everything the way she did when you set up this place.”

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