Page 36 of Fool Me Twice

“Not too soon, I hope?”

The way his face fell, I almost felt guilty. Mostly, though, it felt nice to think he might miss me.

“It depends. If I can get my flight moved, then I’ll go.”

His lips twitched. “My father was a fisherman. I didn’t come from much, but it wasn’t until I came to Rio for school that I felt insignificant. Everyone in my classes seemed to come from money. I felt… less than.”

He cringed at the memory, and even though I couldn’t relate exactly, the pain he was recalling was palpable.

“When people asked what my family did, I was vague,” he said. “It started out innocent enough. As time went by, though, the lies grew.”

“Everyone thought you were from big money. Everyone.”

“I know. Turned out I was better at lying than I could have predicted.”

“So you didn’t work for your family business.” My hands curled in my lap. I’d suspected that had been a lie.

“No. I worked at a bar in a neighborhood where I didn’t think I would run into anyone I knew.” He snorted. “One time, someone from school did come in. I ducked out the back, right in the middle of making a drink. I faked having stomach pains and even went to the hospital so I wouldn’t need to go back in the rest of the night.”

“That’s really going all the way,” I said dryly.

The full weight of what he was telling me finally hit, and I dropped my head forward into my hands. Rodrigo had been living a lie, and I’d been none the wiser. In fact, I’d be a fool.

“I don’t know you at all,” I whispered.

He winced. “Georgia. You do know me. You… did know me. The things that I said about you, about us… they were true.”

“Were they? Because one night you were telling me you wanted to move in with me—heck, move around the world for me. And then fifteen minutes later you broke up with me. Do you see how those two things don’t add up?”

“Yes. I do see.”

The waitress arrived with our wine, forcing us to take a break in the conversation. The pause did nothing to calm me down, though. The simmering anger only turned into a boil.

“You lived like you were rich,” I said. “What about the yacht?”

“That was a rental. I went into debt renting it out those few weekends.”

“Wow,” I breathed. Shaking my head, I stared at the floor.

“I understand if you don’t forgive me. I needed to tell you the truth, regardless.” His voice cracked at the end, and it did something to me. Pulled on a heartstring I didn’t know I had.

“Did it work?” I whispered. “Did you get everything you wanted by lying?”

A deep sadness entered his eyes. “I didn’t get the girl.”

A vast hole opened inside of me, and it was all I could do to not fall into it. “Rodrigo…”

He broke eye contact, shaking his head. “I was afraid of how close we were getting, and I pushed you away because I thought you would not accept me if you knew the truth.”

“That’s crazy.” I laughed humorlessly. “I loved you for who you were inside, Rodrigo. I didn’t care one bit about how rich or famous your family might have been.”

“I was an idiot.” He shook his head in disgust.

“You were young. We both were.” I smiled gently. “Things have worked out, right? You’re very successful now. You have an amazing kid.”

At the mention of Sebastián, a proud smile came to his face. It didn’t take long for it to turn into a frown, though.

“I fear I have failed him.”