oth hands, letting the heat seep into her freezing palms. She took a massive gulp, l

t the edge of the table. He did not touch his coffee. He just watched her, his

ut a long, s

res. She thinks I am a defective product sitting on a clearance shelf. Every week, it

d. His index finger t

trash has she set yo

ay at Kittie's defenses. Her chest felt heav

n terrible choices. My ex, Eben Richardson. I caught him in my bed with my best friend.

Kittie missed it entirely. His posture remained perfectly sympathetic,

r asked softly. "You cannot just

les. A dull headache t

nner next month without bringing home a di

sgiving. The timeline clicked into pla

way to permanently fi

, her eyebrows p

nd escort to play my fake boyfriend, Con

etween them, deep and magnetic. Kittie felt a sudden, strange flutter

ick. The background noise of

vibrated against

iet moment. Kittie looked down. Th

om Kittie's face. Her sk

all. A second later, a rapid series of

hone. Her eyes scanned

called me screaming. W

, you are not get

u are an em

n. He saw the exact moment her spir

n on the table. She pressed the h

ith your shop's lease, to

he stared at him, her chest

t?" she asked, her vo

ffee shop and floral business... it i

. The headache

d. "You are a programm

small, tight smile tha

s asset trust audit. The board requires me to maintain a married status to mitigate certain leg

ut the phone on the table buzzed again, vibr

tices sitting on her counter. She thou

zy," Kittie

ation in her eyes. H

anding up. "Let us find somewhere quiet a

ach did a nervous flip. She stood up, her legs f