Page 91 of A Little Twist
I continue hiding from my sucky reality.
“Cass?” Britt pokes me through the blankets. “Paging Cassidy Dixon.”
“No.” My voice is as pitiful as my insides.
The covers rustle and lift, and Britt’s light hair and bright blue eyes appear beside me on the pillow. “Why are you hiding under the covers in my old apartment?”
“I didn’t want to go to Aunt Carol’s.” I sound pouty.
“Are you and Alex fighting?” She makes a sad face. “Aiden told me he didn’t talk to you about Jessica. You know, sometimes it takes men a minute to realize they have to share things with us—even after you’re married.”
“He didn’t do anything wrong.” My voice is quiet. “He was good to me from the beginning all the way to the end.”
Saying the words makes my eyes heat again. Can I call it the end if there was never a real beginning?
Her brow furrows, and she props on her elbow. “You broke up?”
“No.” Sliding my hands over my face, I can’t look at her when I confess. “We didn’t break up because we were never together.”
“I’m confused.” Cool hands wrap around my wrists, moving my hands off my face.
“It was all a lie.”
“What was a lie?”
“All of it.”
“I can’t breathe under here.” Britt pulls the covers off us and sits with her back to the headboard. “Explain to me what you’re talking about. The nanny job?”
“The engagement. We were never engaged. I lied, and he covered for me.”
Her nose scrunches, and she tilts her head to the side. “You lied about being engaged to Alex? But why?”
“Ugggh!” I climb out of bed and stomp around the room. “It was at your wedding. Everyone was dancing and having a good time, and stupid Drake Redford showed up. I told you he was going to ruin the night.”
“What does Drake Redford have to do with you and Alex?”
“Drake is obsessed with Alex. He thinks he’s some kind of business genius, and he wouldn’t stop talking about how much luck had to do with it. He was practically drooling all over himself.”
“Gross.” Britt’s lip curls. “But I still don’t see the connection.”
“I said I personally knew it wasn’t luck, that Alex worked very hard, and somehow Drake jumped to the conclusion we were a couple… and I didn’t correct him.” I cover my face with my hands again. “Then Alex appeared, and Drake congratulated him on our engagement. So Alex played along. It was only supposed to be that one night—just until Drake left.”
“But he didn’t leave.” Britt’s voice is quiet.
“So we kept pretending.”
“Were you even Pinky’s nanny?”
“Yes.” I look down at my hand still wearing his ring. “That part was real.”
Britt blows air through her lips. “I don’t know, but italllooked pretty damn real to me. I’ve never seen Alex that way with anyone.”
“He did it because he doesn’t like Drake.”
“Nobody likes Drake, but that doesn’t make a man call you his future wife. Men don’t play games like that, not even for friends.”
The friend zone is not my lane.Alex’s hazel eyes burning with desire sear through my memory, and I cross my arms, sliding my hands over my skin.