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Ice slides through my veins. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means Hazel deserves more than someone who will take care of her,” Cooper says. “She deserves arealhusband. Who willloveher. Not someone who will drag her into a sham marriage because family threatens her.”
His accusations hit me in the chest. Because the truth is, he’s right.
I might be giving Hazel a hell of a lot more than she had before. But it’s woefully short of what she deserves.
The hopes I hadn’t dared to verbalize, even to myself, die a swift death.
I clench my jaw. Force myself to smile. “Understood. It will be over in five months. After that, we both sign the divorce papers, and walk away better than we were before.”
Cooper blows out a sigh. “I guess that’s all I can ask of you at this point. I know Hazel’s an adult. But she’s still my baby sister, you know?”
Guilt laces through me. I nod.
Cooper stands and heads back toward the door. “Well. I should go find a hotel. But we could all grab dinner tonight. Since I don’t have to kill you after all.”
I force a laugh, the sound wooden and hollow. Cooper departs, and I shut the door behind him.
Seeing myself through Hazel’s eyes, I’d started to think...
But no. The real world just came crashing back down on me, in the form of my best friend’s opinion. I needed someone to remind me who I really am, for both my sake and Hazel’s.
Even if that reminder feels like a knife to the ribs.
“Luke?”
I jerk my head up to see Hazel coming toward me from the kitchen.
“Hazel.” My mouth feels dry.
She crosses her arms. “What the hell was that?”
27
HAZEL
Iwait for Luke to give me an explanation for everything I just heard.
I want him to say,The thing about the paparazzi photos was just a lie to get Cooper off my back.
Or maybe,I don’t really want it to be over in five months. Not anymore. I realized the truth as soon as the words were out of my mouth.
But Luke doesn’t say any of that. Instead, he says, “I thought you were supposed to be with Sarah.”
“She canceled. A work thing came up.” I brush it aside with a flick of my hand. “Why did you tell Cooper someone took photographs of us at the restaurant?”
I want to believe it’s a lie, or a misunderstanding. That Luke didn’t keep something so important about mycareerfrom me...But now that I think about that night, I remember someone with a phone camera a few tables over. The flashes that kept going off.
Luke winces. “You weren’t supposed to ever know about that.”
For a second I stare at him. Then the rage fills me hot and fast. “I wasn’t supposed to know? Luke, that affectedme. Your dad threatening to destroy my career affectedme.”
Luke takes a step toward me. “It’s like I told Cooper. I didn’t want you to feel forced into faking a relationship with me. I wanted you to—”
“What, choose it? Luke, I told you this was a crazy idea. I told you we shouldn’t do it.” I’m breathing fast now. “But you kept pressing. Kept offering more and more, until I’d be a fool to turn it down. What kind of choice is that?”
His face hardens. “You’re saying I forced you.”
