Page 24 of Love You, Mean It

“I’m your fiancée, Theo. Don’t I have therightto know?” I gave him a simpering, eyelash-fluttering look. He sniffed out a laugh.

“Fine. I’d like to preserve the architectural beauty of the space. Initially I was thinking luxury condos, but honestly, residential development isn’t something I’m interested in pursuing, and it’s outside the company’s current purview. Lately I’ve been thinking…” He inhaled deeply, as though steeling himself. “Mixed use. First floor commercial, and a private renovation to turn the rest of the building into a single-family home. It’s still in the ideas phase.”

“I mean…obviously I don’t know what you’re imagining, but whywouldTed agree to that?” I tried to keep my incredulity off my face but failed. There was no way it would be as profitable. Plus, who in Milborough could even afford a home on that scale?

“Trust me, there are very good reasons he should at least consider it. Especially when his remaining—” Theo swallowed hard, eyes clouding over with something that almost looked like pain. “That is, since I’m the one asking. But family never has meant muchto him, he’s proven thatverydefinitively.” Bitterness curled Theo’s lip.

I frowned, unsure how to respond. Clearly something else was swirling beneath the waters of Theo’s “preserve the architectural details” plan, but we barely knew each other, and it felt uncomfortably personal.

“As is, he refuses to bring my idea to the board for a vote,” Theo said brusquely, his tone a definitive door slam on any deeper motives. “But that was when my idea was battling unarmed against a Mangia-sized payday. Even he would have a hard time driving my fiancée out of business.”

“You sure about that?”

“No, but it’s our best shot.” He sat up, pushing away self-doubt through force of posture. He was near enough that I could smell him, a deep note of leather mixed with the slightest hint of pine needles and a whiff of fresh laundry. “Here’s what I’m proposing. You and Istayengaged for the time being. It won’t be easy, obviously. Getting the word out through Mike was a good start, but we’ll have an uphill battle convincing…well,anyone,really.”

“True. Everyone I know is aware of what I think of people likeyou,” I said between gritted teeth. Theo’s eyebrow shot up in mute agreement.

“Still, if we play this smart, and we have a tiny bit of luck, I think we can both get what we want out of the arrangement.”

“Play it smart?”

“Well for one thing, we can’t go around saying we’ve been togethera fewyears. I mean…come on, Ellie.”

“I’m sorry, next time I’m panicking about you getting knocked out on my watch, I’ll make sure to work out our fake-dating timeline more clearly in advance.”

“No need, I’ve already thought it through. If we lock down a few major details—a six-month dating timelinetops,for example—I think we’ll be able to convince people.” He scooped up the coffee jauntily. “So? Are you in?”

“No. Hard no. I’m gonna chalk it up to the head injury, but this is aterribleidea,” I said. We had nothing in common.I didn’t evenlikehim. There was no way it could work…right?

“Why?” Theo gazed at me over the rim of his coffee cup.

“For one thing, we don’t know each other, like…atall.”

“How well do people everreallyknow each other?”

“Name one TV show I’ve binged recently. Hell, name literally anything I’ve liked ever.”

“Studded black leather chokers.”

“What?” I squinted, genuinely confused. “Is that supposed to be like…a bondage reference? Because I havezerointention of telling you what I like in bed, with or without this asinine setup.”

“Honestly? I’d probably have an easier time guessing what you like in bed than what you binge-watch.” Theo flashed a startlingly intimate smile. A warmth flared between my legs, which was frankly traitorous, but those lips were objectivelyperfect.“But as it happens, I was referring to your fashion sense. You used to wear them in high school. The chokers. They were part of your whole…look.”

“Wow, okay. Unfortunately all my chokers got sent to Goodwill around the time I packed for college.”

Theo waved a hand, in what I was starting to realize was a very characteristic—and maddening—gesture.

“You’re missing the point. No one’s going to quiz us on what we’re watching. And anyway, we’ll iron out enough of those details to fake it. Anything we forget to cover…well, one of us gets to create the canon. Like you did with that awful engagement story.” His face twisted with disgust. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not sure it’s that simple,” I said slowly. Meanwhile, a tiny bud was shooting out of the soil in the very darkest, most tucked-away region of my mind.Whycouldn’tit be?After all, we didn’t need to make it down the aisle, we just needed to make it through a few weeks.

“I say it is. Any mix-ups from the last couple days we chalk upto the lingering effects of the accident. My hospital discharge papers specificallymentionamnesia, who could argue with that?”

I pinched my eyes closed, shaking my head rapidly to clear the haze of some part of me actually starting to agree with him.

“Okay, but it’s not just anyone we have to convince, right? Don’t you think your dad will see through us?”

The corner of his lips twitched at the “us” that had slipped in when I wasn’t paying attention.

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