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“Come on, Alex. My sister told me you haven’t dated since. I know that’s not—”
Before she could finish, Feliz and Yara came darting our way. Feliz collapsed at my feet, completely exhausted. So exhausted that he didn’t even realize it was my shoe that he was resting against, which meant he wasn’t trying to destroy it.
Yara smiled and laughed loudly because that was what Yara always did. If I could’ve recorded that sound for my morning alarm clock, I probably would’ve woken up in a better mood. That was if Feliz allowed me to actually sleep.
Yara paused beside me, out of breath. “I swear, if that dog doesn’t sleep through the night after that workout, then I don’t know what will work.”
Catie cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry, and you are?” she asked.
“This is Yara,” I cut in. I wrapped my arm around Yara’s waist and pulled her to my side. “My girlfriend.” Yara stared at me as if I’d grown three heads. I then cleared my throat. “Yara, this is my ex, Catie.”
Lucky for me, it didn’t take much more for Yara to catch up with what was going on. To my surprise, she leaned closer to my side, pressing her body to mine as if we were always meant to be molded with one another. It was almost ridiculous how well she fit against me.
“Nice to meet you, Catie. I’m Yara. Alex’s girlfriend,” she echoed, holding a hand toward Catie.
“Girlfriend,” Catie echoed before she reluctantly shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.” She didn’t mean that. Her grimace proved Yara’s existence bothered her.
Good.
“So you’re bringing a plus-one to the wedding, too?” Catie asked, warily.
“I am. We’re both looking forward to it,” I said as I dug a deeper and deeper hole for myself.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Yara chimed in, going along with my madness. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“We have to get going,” I said as I looked over at Yara, and for a moment, I couldn’t even understand why I was lucky enough to have her by my side. Sure, perhaps the situation at that moment was fake, but her touch, her warmth, her commitment to my lie… That felt real to me.
As we walked away, Yara on one side of me and Feliz on the other, I felt no pull of my heartstrings toward Catie. Oddly enough, that felt like closure. I was stepping into something new.
“It wasn’t a good breakup, was it?” Yara asked.
“No. She’s the one who cheated with an acquaintance of mine.”
“I hate her,” she replied, matter-of-factly.
I snickered. “You don’t know how to hate people, Goldie.”
“I can learn for you. Besides, even golden retrievers know how to bite,” she said, echoing my words.
“Touché.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “You do know what this means, though, right?”
“What’s that?”
“If you’re posing as my fake girlfriend, it’s only right that I pose as your fake boyfriend in town. Fair is fair.”
Her eyes lit up as if I’d just given her the winning lottery numbers. “You’ll do it?”
“I owe you that much.”
She snuggled into my side a little more. “I guess that makes me yours,” she said with a smile that had been slowly defrosting the same heart Catie froze over a year ago.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “You are mine.”
CHAPTER 23
Alex
One Year Ago
A small, hinged box sat atop my nightstand. It was made of lush black leather that was soft to my touch. It was the first day it sat on top of the nightstand instead of within one of the drawers. The edges were curved, and the box textured. Within the box was an emerald-cut diamond that I never thought I could afford fifteen years ago. Within a few moments, that ring would be released from the box that held it for the past six months and placed on the finger of the woman who held my heart.
I wasn’t an emotional man. The only person to ever witness me cry was probably my mother on the day I was born. That wasn’t to say I didn’t have emotions. I was just much more of an analytic person than a feelings guy. Some called me rough around the edges. Others called me a closed-off recluse. A select few called me a jerk—rightfully so. To be fair, I didn’t call those individuals the nicest of names, either. But still, regardless of my downfalls, another was able to get ahold of my grumpy heart and claim it as hers.
I didn’t know much about life, but I knew I loved her.
That seemed to be enough for me to take our relationship to the next stage. I’d been with Catie for the past five years, and she’d been through every up and down of my life in that time.
We met at one of my restaurants. She was at dinner with her four girlfriends, celebrating graduation from their master’s program, and I was in the back overseeing their meals. I’d never forget when Catie had the server bring me to their table because she wanted to speak with the restaurant owner.
