Best Fake Fiance (Loveless Brothers 2)

“Because that’s a long way from decided.”

She gives me one of her you must be the dumbest person on earth looks.

“She’ll be there some of the time,” Crystal scoffs. “The court’s not going to revoke my visitation rights. Hell, I think I’ve got a pretty good chance of getting custody back.”

My entire body flashes cold, then hot.

“Baby!” she calls, opening the door. “Mommy’s gotta go, come say goodbye.”

Whirlwind footsteps come clomping through the house, and I see Rusty’s arms wrap around Crystal’s legs.

“Careful there,” Crystal says. “Okay. Mommy loves you.”

“Bye,” Rusty says, suddenly serious.

“Bye, honey,” Crystal says, patting Rusty’s head. Then Rusty detaches and Crystal smiles at her, distantly, walks back through the door, comes down the steps.

“Crystal, we need to talk about this,” I say. “We can’t each be telling her different things, she’s seven years old and she doesn’t understand—”

“It’s fine, she’s smart,” Crystal says, walking past me. “I have to go.”

I follow her.

“It’s not fine just because she’s smart,” I say, my voice lowering to a growl. “She’s sensitive. She notices more than you think, and I don’t want her to feel like this is because of anything she—"

“Seriously, it’s fine,” Crystal says, opening her car door and dropping herself in.

I’m at the end of my fucking rope with this woman.

“Don’t just drive away,” I threaten, even though I know I’ve got nothing to back it up with.

Crystal closes the door. The car starts. I’m itching to wrench the door open, turn the thing off, get in her face until she listens to me, but I can only imagine how that would go over in court.

“I fucking hate you so much,” I whisper under my breath.

The window slides down, noiselessly, and for one thrilling moment I think she heard me. Good. I’ve been nice to her for years.

“I know you’re not really getting married,” she says. “Nice try.”

Then she stomps on the gas pedal and gravel goes flying as she backs up, nearly hits a tree, executes a sloppy three-point turn, and drives back down the driveway.

I’m left standing there like an asshole, stomach churning, fury burning right through me.Chapter Twenty-FiveCharlie“Piranhas are like sharks,” Rusty is telling me. “They have infinity teeth, but they have to replace them a quarter-mouth at a time, so it’s like if—”

She opens her mouth and points at the lower right half of her jaw.

“—ahh eez eef were missing but then they came back even sharper.”

“What do they do while their teeth are missing?” I ask. “Do they get dentures?”

Rusty giggles, still waving her new stuffed piranha around the living room. I think Crystal must have injected sugar straight into her veins or something, because this kid is hyped up beyond hyped.

“They just use the other side,” she says. “A school of piranhas can eat a whole person in one minute.”

“Well, I’d imagine that depends on the size of the school and the size of the person,” Seth says from a couch. “It might take them two minutes if it’s a big person and a small school. There’s probably some sort of linear regression—"

“AHHHHH CHOMP!” Rusty shouts, ramming the fish’s mouth into Seth’s leg.

“Nooooooo my knee!” he yells, flailing both arms.

“OM NOM NOM MUNCH MUNCH—"

“—Not my leg, my beautiful leg—”

“—CRUNCH CRUNCH CHOMP—”

“That’s my foot, I need that to walk!”

“GULP. Ahhhhhh.”

Seth’s now slumped over sideways on the couch, moaning softly but dramatically as Rusty grins and giggles, two feet away.

“Best not to question piranhas,” I tell Seth, laughing on the other couch.

“I regret everything,” he says.

“He’s still hungry,” Rusty announces, waving the fish again.

“Your uncle Seth has another leg,” I point out, just as the front door opens again and Daniel comes inside.

He looks pissed, his mouth a straight line, his cheeks flushed the faintest pink, the line of his body rigid and controlled, like he wants to slam the door but closes it gently instead.

“Dad!” Rusty yelps, then skips over to him. “This is Sparkles, he just ate Uncle Seth’s leg.”

She throws both arms around Daniel, stuffed fish flopping in one hand, her face turned against his middle, and I can see his body relax as he hugs her back.

“That wasn’t very nice of him,” Daniel points out.

“I’ll get better,” Seth calls from the couch.

“Well, he’s just a fish and he was hungry,” Rusty says.

“I still think that Sparkles should apologize,” Daniel says, and shoots me a quick, meaningful glance.

My stomach tightens right away, because that was a something has gone awry glance.

“Piranhas have very primitive brains,” Rusty says, detaching from her dad. He ruffles her hair with one hand, not letting go just yet.

“My leg,” Seth moans, and Rusty sighs. Then she pulls away from Daniel and sticks her head over the back of the couch, looking down at Seth.

“Sparkles says he’s sorry,” she informs him.

“Tell Sparkles thank you,” Seth says graciously.