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“Correct.”
“I’m seeing the pattern,” she said, her southern drawl making the sentence sound much longer than it should have been.
“Three: no one will fall in love.”
“Not a problem, considering I don’t believe in it.”
“I suggest you tell your friends you’ve fallen madly for a sexy songwriter and can’t bear the thought of leaving. Honestly, I don’t care what you tell them as long as they believe it.” I stood, scooping the neck of the guitar into my palm and opened the door to leave.
“Oh, and my pretty little monster?” I called over my shoulder. “Starting tomorrow, you are mine.” I laid my claim to her. It was supposed to be fake, but it felt very real.
9/
fiona
I didn’t dowhat Skip Turner told me to do at all. That self-righteous asshole didn’t deserve any of my respect. If he would have asked me, I would have told him so, but I didn’t because jail time wasn’t in my five-year plan. Not that I had one, but if I was the type of person who did, jail wouldn’t have made the cut.
“Why aren’t you packing?” Trinity asked suspiciously after walking into my room. “Are you sure that Skip guy didn’t hurt you?” She walked toward me, no doubt trying to look my skin over for bruises. This wasn’t the first time she’d questioned his motives of yesterday.
“Because, uh, I’m not going.”
“You’re not what?” Her feet plated immediately.
“Skip asked me to stay, and I kind of want to,” I made myself spout the half-truth into the room, hating that I had lied to her again. What I said was true, he had asked, and I did want to, but only to keep myself out of jail. I was one hundred percent against staying in Cupid’s Cove, especially to be someone’s fake girlfriend. But when it came down to not wanting to do something or self-preservation, self-preservation won every time. Skip might have forced my hand in the matter, however, I intended to teach him a lesson. I was grateful I wasn’t sitting injail right now, yet part of me wondered if he was bluffing about calling the police. That part wasn’t big enough to test him at the time, but it didn’t mean I wouldn’t make his life a living hell every chance I got.
“You’re not staying here. He could be an ax murder, Fi, like the real kind, not the Eli kind.”
“Eli isn’t an ax murderer, and I promise if I can handle Bonnie Jane, I can protect myself from anyone. You go ahead and go home. I know you have to work the day after tomorrow and can’t miss any more days.” I pushed the lie up my throat and out of my lips with ease. She didn’t need to stick by my side through this one. I didn’t know how things would end, but if I was going down, I wasn’t taking her with me. If she got into any serious trouble, her nursing license would be revoked.
“You can’t seriously like this guy, Fiona. You said he was an asshole, and I agree.”
“I can’t help what I’m attracted to.” I blew out a frustrated puff of air, the truth of my statement really hitting home with me. Skip Turner was the sexiest man I had ever been around, but he was also one of the rudest, too. I never thought the alpha male, pushy attitude was something I was attracted to, and it wasn’t until I met him. Maybe all the years of trauma were finally resurfacing and I was on the edge of a mental breakdown. Who knew? All of these thoughts were things I refused to share with another person now or ever.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Trinity momentarily closed her eyes with a sigh. “You know, I hope you don’t regret this. I can’t stand in your way because I understand being attracted to someone you shouldn’t be all too well.” She glanced down at her engagement ring. For as long as I’d known her, I had never questioned her relationship with Eli. The two of them just made sense to me. They were perfect together in my opinion. That was just an outsider’s view, though. I didn’t know where they beganor what roads they’d traveled as a couple before I met them. I only where they were now.
“But?”
“I meant what I said about hiding his body in the bayou. They would never find it. I guess what I’m saying is, don’t stay here if that asshole doesn’t deserve you,” she said, with a nod of satisfaction.
“Thank you for always being you, Trin. You’re the best.” I smiled, pulling her against me in a tight hug.
“I know. I really am, aren’t I?” She giggled.
10/
fiona
“Ms. Dupree?”a kind female voice called, following a knock on my door.
“Just a minute.” I flipped the covers off me and opened the door to see what the stranger needed.
“My understanding is that you’re new in town, but you, my dear, are someone’s secret valentine.” The woman, who was well into her sixties, beamed, shoving large sparkly red box into my arms with an oversized silver bow.
“Uh, thanks?” I eyed her as she lifted on her tiptoes, her eyes fixated on the box.
“Aren’t you going to open it and see if there are any clues as to who it is?”
“No,” I answered her pointblank.
