28

“Nothing serious. I had chest pains for a few days, Mel, and you know how Dr. Salazar is.”

“They said your neighbor brought you in!”

“That’s true—she did. I got winded walking down to the mailbox and sat for a moment. You know Allison, she’s a worrywart.”

“But Dr. Salazar said your heart was strained. So you’re not totally fine, Aunt Jodie.” I give her a stern look, her hands in mine, and she sighs.

“Okay. Maybe I need to take it easier. But I promise, darling, I’m fine. Stable, and they’re watching everything closely. Now tell me—what’s going on with you?”

Reluctantly, I open my mouth and begin to talk. And over the next half hour, everything spills out. Not just an explanation of what’s happened with Jason, but tears. A lot of tears. A lot of fears, too. I admit to Jodie what I haven’t been able to admit to myself.

“I th-think I like him.” The last word ends on a quiet, drawn out wail, and I feel like I’m seventeen all over again. Scared of losing my best friend the first time he tried to kiss me.

When I dash the tears away, Jodie is watching me with a wicked grin. Her hand in mine feels surprisingly strong, and she squeezes it, saying, “I’m not really seeing a problem here, Mel.”

Then, when she actually laughs, I frown angrily at her.

“What do you mean, you don’t see a problem!? I’m fake-engaged to my ex-boyfriend and lying to an entire company. Plus the public, and whoever is showing up for this charity event.”

“Hmm. So, for the past month you’ve been spending time with a person you love…growing to love them more. And if I remember correctly, you did quite a bit of daydreaming about marrying Jason Shane.”

I give her a shocked expression, not quite sure how she knows that detail.

“I—that’s not the point, Jodie! It’sfake, all of it.”

“It doesn’t sound fake to me, darling.”

I groan, knowing what she’s getting at. “It doesn’t matter howIfeel.”

“I’m not talking about howyoufeel.” When I pause in confusion, she shakes her head, continuing, “Melissa, I love you, but you really can be blind as a bat sometimes. There was no way you were going to walk back into Jason Shane’s life and not win his whole heart, immediately. If you’re in love with him, I don’t doubt for a moment he’s just as—if not more—in love with you.”

My heart sinks, because as much as I want to believe it…there’s just no way. I can’t be that lucky.

I bite my lip, explanations surfacing and immediately being pushed aside.Jason is more worried about the company than whether or not he has me; Jason was anything but happy that first day we laid eyes on each other; Jason isn’t stupid enough to fall—

I shut it all down, suddenly exhausted. Outside, the day is starting to wind down. It’s not dark yet, but close to sunset, and guilt eats away at my insides.

“I’m supposed to be with him right now. At the venue, announcing our engagement.”

Jodie’s face softens into a serious expression. She can hear the worry in my voice and knows where my head is at—even if I had him, I most likely lost him tonight.

“He’ll understand,” she says comfortingly. “Even when you were kids, I always had the odd feeling that it was like you two were made for each other. Go back to him, Mel, but when you do, be ready to tell the truth. The whole truth, this time.”

Jason

Roy Dupont stands half a room away, watching me carefully over the rims of his glasses. I give him a tight smile, trying to play off the fact that Mel still isn’t here.

Even though the event started an hour ago.

Even though the silent auction begins soon, and shortly after that, dinner. And after dinner, the announcement of our engagement…

Even though I’m standing alone in a room full of several hundred people, most of whom are looking at me curiously. Aware that something,someone, is missing.

I’ve made the rounds and greeted people. I’ve stepped into quiet, dimly lit areas to text Mel, with no answer. It’s 7:30 p.m. and everyone who is going to arrive already has.

Brian, one of the investors who joined us at Jada Loraine, swings by. We shared a brief “hello” earlier. Now he holds an expensive craft beer.

“I haven’t seen your bride-to-be yet. I’m guessing she’ll be making a grand entrance of some sort?”

This, at least, I have a genuine reaction for. “She should, if there isn’t one planned already. I’m sure she’d stun everyone here.”

Brian hums a note of appreciation, sipping his beer. “A night like this, she deserves to be the center of attention. Let her take all the time she wants.” He eyes my pocket, where I’ve been obviously fidgeting for the last twenty minutes. “You’re not getting nervous, are you, Jason?”

“No, no. Well…”

My mind goes to the little box in my pocket.

Am I nervous to pull it out and show it to Mel? Yes. I’ve been nervous about it since picking the ring up this morning. And I was planning on giving it to her before things here picked up, but…she hasn’t shown.

Brian is waiting, bushy eyebrows raised. “I’m surprising her with an upgrade.”

I pull the box out and snap it open, the two of us leaning in close. I don’t really want everyone to be in on this secret, but Brian is exuding genuine giddiness and slaps me on the shoulder.

“Beautiful, man, beautiful choice. She’ll love it, no need to worry.”

I nod in thanks, feeling oddly relieved. Maybe if things were different, I would’ve asked Jodie her opinion.

But Mel was right. I dropped the ball in that area, forgetting that none of this is real. Jodie’s absence only highlights that fact.

If this was real, Jodie would be here, glowing as Mel entered in that gorgeous dress. If this was real, it would be Jodie teasing me about being nervous, nudging me.

But it’s not.

And Mel still isn’t here.

Brian gives me one last pat on the shoulder and wanders off toward someone waving him over. I’m left alone again, wondering what the heck is going on.

Am I being punished?

It’s a possibility. And what a time for it to turn out this way.

Mel’s been wearing a simple silver engagement ring for weeks, one that Brett picked up at my behest once everything was in place. Brett didn’t ask questions, under the assumption the “real” ring was just delayed in being designed.

The truth is, I hadn’t planned on buying a new ring at all. Not until I realized that I’m completely in love with Melissa Atkinson and need to keep her in my life. No matter what.

Tonight, before the announcement, I was planning on getting Mel alone and asking her to stay fake-engaged to me—so we could date.

It’s a gamble; part of me knows I might’ve pushed things too far and been too cold. I might not be the kind of man that Mel can love. But I’ll do better every single day if she gives me the chance.

“Things don’t seem to be going quite as planned.”

I turn my head to find that Roy has sidled up to me. He’s watching the crowd closely. Zach weaves through it, the snake in the grass.

“No. They’re not,” I grunt.

“Here’s the thing.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up in warning. Roy is using a tone he rarely breaks out, one only for the most dire of situations. When he has to put his foot down, when he’s meeting potential investors and clients one-on-one, or when he’s pissed.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you two. But I’m aware that everything isn’t as it seems. I know it was my idea to announce the engagement tonight, so if it falls through, that’s on me.” Roy’s eyes meet mine, flinty, more than a foot of height between our gazes. “Whatever this is, though, Jason, you better sort it out. Everything seems to be falling apart, lately, and I’d hate to see you lose a woman like Mel in the midst of it.”

And with that, he waltzes off, a look of calm content on his face.

That’s how Roy gets you.

He’s a shrewd old man, and while my anxiety has only ratcheted up, I feel oddly…reassured. He didn’t approach me to call me out on a lie or to declare that he’s leaning heavily toward Zach taking over the company.

No. He wanted to make sure I hold onto what matters.

So I’m the last one to know, I suppose.

I take one more long look around the room before someone reaches out and touches my arm tentatively. Adrian Kenny is wearing a well-tailored suit, the look on her face serious, phone in hand.

“Jason.” She leans in. “Mel isn’t coming.”

The world screeches to a stop.

I stare down at Adrian, mind completely blank except for that little voice.This was always a possibility.

Did you really expect her to stick it out?

For you?

“Why?” It’s more of a rhetorical question, but Adrian swallows and lifts her phone slightly.

“I…she had an emergency come up. I just heard from her; she can’t be here tonight. And…she’s going to need Monday and Tuesday off, too. I’m fine to step in for her, I just…”

She trails off, talk of work and business out of place in this setting.

All I can do is take a deep breath and brace myself.

I should have known that even after all this time, Mel would walk away from me without an ounce of guilt.

She already did it once, after all.

Melissa

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

With a laugh, I roll over on my side. In the dark, I can barely see Jason’s eyes, but I know he’s watching me—he always is. I just turned eighteen and I feel grown up, even though a part of me thinks that might not be true quite yet.

“I don’t know…do you?”

The comforter shifts as he shrugs. His hand trails lightly up my thigh, rests at my hip bone, and I shiver. Lately I’ve been thinking we should…or, maybe it’s my body, not my brain, doing the thinking. Because this close to him, in a bed, all I want is to press myself up against him.

I’ll never get over how good Jason Shane makes me feel.