Page 86 of If You Say So

“We have to tell Gabe and Ember,” I said. “And your sister will be sharing a beach house with us

in two days.”

He didn’t say anything to that for so long that I expected him not to reply to it at all.

Sitting up, I wiped my eyes and tried to get control of myself.

“I want to wait until I can tell Gabe and Ember first.” He paused. “My mom and dad.”

I felt my heart kick at his words.

“Cora we can tell,” he said. “But we’ll have to tell her and ask her to keep quiet until we get

home. I just… I need time. I need to think about it. And I know that I’m not going to be able to stay away from you like a man who’s not dating you should.”

I completely understood.

“I turned over Malachi’s credentials,” he said. “They gave me a military ID. I should be able to

get everything that I need with it from there. But I couldn’t keep using Malachi’s life.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but he continued.

“They did a DNA test. I’m really me.”

That was nice.

But I didn’t need a DNA test to tell me what was in my heart.

Chapter 11

The boobs are real. The smile is fake.

-Frankie’s secret thoughts

Frankie

I was doing pretty well, considering.

“Have you ever ridden in a helicopter before?” I asked curiously, watching him as if he was on

auto-pilot, putting clasps into the buckles and tightening me into the seat.

“I think so,” he said. “I’m doing things that I probably wouldn’t know how to do otherwise.”

That made sense.

What also made sense was nothing.

Nothing made sense anymore.

I was an emotional mess.

They did a DNA test. I’m really me.

His words from earlier were the last ones that he’d spoken to me in over an hour. Until I’d asked

him if he’d ridden in a helicopter before.

---