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“Is there what?”
“Someone in your life?”
“You’re asking if I’m single?”
“Yes. Not that it matters, but, well, if your person—”
“I don’t do relationships.”
“Says the man about to marry a stranger.”
“It’s a marriage, not a relationship. Two equally different things.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “But don’t you kind of wonder why Kevin chose to put us together? I mean, I know there’s a reason, but I’m unable to connect the dots.”
“I have no desire to know his reasoning. I’m only in this to get the money. After the six months, I’ll be on my way.”
She lightly snickered as if I said something amusing. “Come on. You have to be somewhat curious about why he did this.”
“Not in the least.”
“But—”
“Why do you keep talking to me?” I snapped. “It’s clear as day that I don’t want to engage in conversation.”
“You’re so rude.”
“And a jerk and an asshole, yes. How many times are you going to echo your thoughts on me before you take a hint and let me be?” Her mouth parted, and I tilted my head, cutting her off before she could reply. “Good night.”
I was cruel to her. I couldn’t help it. Whenever I looked at her, I was reminded of how my father chose to raise another instead of me. She stood for the life I could’ve had, and that pissed me off. She was so happy and well put together. Approachable, kind, sunshine, and happiness. It wasn’t fair.
I never had the chance to feel the love she received from a man who owed it to me. It wasn’t her fault, but I was bitter. Bitterness had a way of shooting off a person and hitting innocent bystanders. Stella was just in the crossfire of my hatred for Kevin Michaels.
The later the night grew, the odder and more uncomfortable the whole situation began to feel. I’d been in my fair share of foster homes growing up, and those first nights were always the hardest. I’d always overthink how long the arrangement would last before the family chose to give me up. I hated that a feeling I thought I’d never have to experience again was returning in such an odd way.
When I headed to my bedroom, I lay wide awake until the sun came up, and I went into work, exhausted beyond compare.
I bet Stella slept better than I had inside the home that raised her. Unfortunately for me, I was left wide awake with my nightmares.
The workday was mundane, as all workdays had been. I felt emotionally exhausted from being an introvert who needed to pretend to be an extrovert while selling homes to filthy rich snobs all day. The moment I could relax my face after fake smiles and over-the-top kindness, I felt a bit better. Resting bitch face was my default after a full day of work.
Plus, when one had a resting bitch face, most people didn’t find the need to approach you for conversation. Stella was still unable to read the room, but she’d learn quickly.
After work, I dreaded going back to the house to live yet another day in the make-believe world that Kevin had crafted. The wedding was in the morning, and I had yet to wrap my head around that fact.
When the driver pulled up to the property, I saw a random car parked in the driveway.
Well, I’ll be damned.
The asshole came.
Connor brought Aaliyah with him, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thankful for their presence. Since I’d arrived in California, everything felt foreign to me. I felt as if I were in a place where I didn’t belong and where no one understood me. So, seeing their familiar faces brought me a comfort I didn’t even know I was missing.
“How did you find out where I was staying?” I asked Connor as he climbed out of his rental car. Aaliyah wasn’t far behind him, and he waited until she was right beside him to start approaching. He never walked ahead of her, always side by side. If they were walking through a door, he’d hold it open for her. If she coughed, he already had a glass of water ready for her to sip. I bet most people didn’t notice the little things that Connor did for his wife, but they always stood out to me. I didn’t believe in love until I saw how it worked for them. They made it look easy.
“You don’t think you’re the only one who’s a good detective, do you?” he joked, walking over to me. He patted me on the shoulder because he knew how I felt about hugs.
Aaliyah already looked as if she was seconds away from bursting into tears. Her kind heart always lived in the viewpoint of her brown eyes. Kind of like Stella’s. Not that I was learning anything about her heart or kindness. It was just something I noticed.
