She steps through the door, and the light from my small lantern catches her curves, giving Team “Peel Her Clothes Off” a solid two-point lead.
I can’t help being attracted to her, but that doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it. I’ve already made an utter fool of myself with Sabrina Rochat. She can say whatever she came here to say, but she won’t be getting any further entertainment from me.
I stay slumped against the wall on my old sleeping bag, my arms resting on my bent knees, and watch her with what I hope is a bored expression as she takes another step closer.
“I know you’re probably expecting me to say how sorry I am.” Her voice is so soft I can barely hear her over the rain. “But I’m not sorry. Because if I hadn’t come here in my sister’s place, I never would have gotten to know you the way I know you know.”
I grunt. “That’s all you’ve got to say for yourself?’
“No, of course not.” She tangles her fingers in front of her as she shivers harder. “I have so much I want to say, so much I want you to know, but…” She swallows audibly before rushing on. “But you’re looking at me like you want to carve out of my liver. It’s making it hard to think.”
I narrow my eyes. “I don’t want your liver. I don’t want anything to do with any part of you.”
Her eyes flash. “You don’t mean that.”
I don’t, but I want to mean it, and that’s going to have to be good enough for now. “Go back to the castle and pack your things,” I say. “I’ll arrange for your trip home as soon as it’s safe to travel.”
A pained expression tightens her sweet face, that face I’m going to miss so much it’s fucking pathetic. I’m going to miss her smile and the way she bites her lip when she’s thinking and the thoughtful gleam in her eyes when she’s working to find the best, least harmful thing to say.
How have I become so attached to her in such a short amount of time? She’s beautiful and clever and funny, but she’s just another girl. Nothing special, really, when you get right down to it.
Something deep in my bones growls in protest to the thought, but I ignore it.
She’s not special. She’s a liar, and I can’t trust that anything about her is real.
“All right.” Her chin trembles, but the look in her eyes is as stubborn as ever. “I’ll go, but first, I want you to know…” Her tongue slips out to wet her lips, making me think of how hot it was to kiss her in the sunset, to go down on her while the wind whipped her hair around her face, carrying every soft moan and sigh straight to my ears. “I was going to tell you the truth tonight. I tried to tell you several times after we left the picnic, in fact, but you kept interrupting me.”
“I was horny. Sue me.”
She flinches but doesn’t back down. “Stop it. You’re not that guy.”
“What ‘guy’ is that? The angry guy?”
“No, the guy with an ego so small he can’t handle being wrong once in a while. There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of. I’m the one who tricked you and took advantage of your trust. I’m the one who should be ashamed. And I am.”
“Good,” I snap.
“But I did it because I didn’t think I had another choice, Andrew. Elizabeth told me our family was in trouble and that her staying home to work while I took her place was the only way we could pay off a debt and save our home.” She glances down at her fingers as her shoulders inch closer to her ears and she continues to shiver. “Turns out she was lying about that, but…”
“Must run in the family,” I say, though I can’t help being intrigued. “So, she wanted you to be stuck with me instead?” I laugh sharply. “Some sister. With relatives like that, who needs enemies, right?”
Sabrina’s head snaps up, a frown bunching the skin between her brows. “She didn’t do it to be cruel. She did it because she thought we would be good together but knew this was the only way she’d ever get either of us to realize it.”
My lips part on another snarky comeback, but Sabrina cuts me off.
“Put your pride on pause for just a second and think about it, all right? After years of talking to you on the phone, Lizzy knows you. And she knows me better than anyone on earth. I think she truly thinks we’re a good match. And as much as I hate that she lied to me and that I lied to you, I think she’s right.” She takes another cautious step closer, until the lamplight reaches her face, caressing every beautiful angle. “I may have bent the truth about some things, but my feelings aren’t a lie, Andrew. I care about you. So much. I’m… I…”