Page 83 of The Purest Fake

Fuck me. Cassie is the definition of persistent, and she’s not going to let this drop. I might as well be honest and get it over with.

“I already know why, Cass. But that doesn’t mean I want to talk about it with you.”

“That’s too bad. We’re twins and have been sharing things since conception. You can’t stop now.” She sticks her tongue out at me.

“You want me to say it? Fine. I will. I like Scarlett as more than a friend.” I pause, expecting her to shout about already knowing this.

“What?” she asks.

“Don’t you want to say you knew it?”

“I figured after twenty-three years of me being right, you must be sick of hearing that.”

“That never stopped you before,” I say.

“And it probably never will again.”

I laugh. “Well, thanks for sparing me this one time.”

“I won’t make a habit of it,” she quips. Her expression becomes contemplative. “What are you going to do about your feelings for Scarlett?”

“I’ll deal with them like a man. A timer’s been running on us since the start, so why complicate things?”

“Guys are so dumb sometimes,” she says with an eye roll.

“Guys or me?” I ask, humoring her.

“Both. But right now, specifically you.” She shoots me a look of disgust. “You finally found a woman you’re romantically interested in and you’re going to let the situation play out like you’re some helpless passenger.”

“Cassie, she and I agreed to the rules up front, and I’m trying to abide by them.”

“Did you sign a legally binding document?”

“No.”

“Did you make a blood oath between you and if one of you breaks it, you’ll be sentenced to the pits of hell?”

I look at the ceiling and sigh before I answer. “No. And FYI, you might want to take a break from reading paranormal romance.”

“Never. Gonna. Happen. And as far as the rules you two agreed to, all I can say is rules are meant to be broken or renegotiated when they’re not working anymore.”

“I’ve thought about that, but if she doesn’t have romantic feelings toward me, this could make things awkward between us. And part of why I like her so much is that we fit so comfortably when we’re together.”

“Look, it’s October now. You still have the next few months to make it through. Wouldn’t you rather find out now if she reciprocates your feelings than wonder for the next couple of months?”

“Yes. No. Maybe.” Damn, why do feelings have to be so difficult?

“Cooper, don’t be an idiot. Have a discussion with her like an adult and find out where you stand. Or you can keep falling deeper and get your heart broken when the season ends. Seems like a no brainer to me.”

“When did you become an expert on romance? You’ve never even had a boyfriend.”

“That you know of,” she throws back at me.

I’m momentarily stunned by her admission. “When did you have a boyfriend?”

“In college.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, trying to keep the hurt from my voice.

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