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“Thetwins? What kind of genetics does your family have?” Chase asks.
“Chase!”
“What? I’m just asking!”
I cross my arms over my chest. Now all my panicking is feelingverypetulant.
There’s a rustling in the trees over us. A pair of squirrels chasing each other.
“So, life didn’t go the way you wanted it to is what I’m hearing.”
With a long sigh, I drop my arms. “No, Chase. It’s that your life shouldn’t go this way. With me. And my screwed-up anatomy.”
“That’s a ridiculous thing to say,” he says.
“It’s true.”
Chase shakes his head. “It’s ridiculous because you’re assuming how I feel about the situation. Have I ever been anything but supportive of what you’re going through?”
“No…”
“So, what right do you have to say you don’t deserve me? When in reality, I’m inclined to sayIdon’t deserveyou.”
Pause. Rewind.What?Chase Gladstone feels like he doesn’t deserveme? “Why?” I ask.
“Because you’re a good person. Who cares about things that actually matter while all I care about is fulfilling my grandmother’s wishes and running my law firm and –“ He shrugs. “Why would you want to make a life with me when I don’t really have a life at all?”
I laugh. Loud. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I could say the same for everything you just said.”
“But you’re – you’re –“
Chase sneaks up to me and slides his hands around my waist. “I’m what?”
I melt under his touch, leaning my chin up against his chest. “We’re doing this backward.”
“Oh, Jude.” He slings an arm over my shoulder and kisses the crown of my head. “Yeah, we got the order all fucked up.”
Snuggling into his chest, I take a deep breath. Everything is starting to settle.
That panic… I’m not sure where it came from.
“We’re in it together, though, right?”
“Yeah, of course,” I say, hugging him tightly.
Chase chuckles. “Between the two of us, I thought I’d be the one with cold feet.”
“This isn’t cold feet, it’s…”
“Uh-huh.”
“Fine. You’re right.”
How is it that this pretend relationship I’ve gotten myself into feels this good? And so real? Like we’ve skipped all the perfunctory getting-to-know-you bits and cut right to the climax.
Chase’s hand wraps around my cheek, guiding my face up. Our eyes meet. “You’re more than enough for me, Jude.”
