Page 126 of Fauxmance

"No!" she said. "I think you should totally go for it. Although, to be honest, it already looks like you two are serious to me."

It should, I thought. Hayden and I were playing our parts well—or I guess Hayden was, and I was just letting my honest emotions spill out. He'd driven us here in his car, and ever since we walked through the door, he'd been the perfect date, getting us both drinks, asking if I needed anything, chatting amicably with me and his family. It was so nice, and the only thing that marred the experience was knowing we were lying to all of them.

And that I was lying to Hayden.

I had to tell him my true intentions.

Even if that meant I might lose him.

"It's just" Annabelle said, "I know it's not my place. But I really do like my cousin, and I think he likes you. He even introduced me to Nathan, and now look at us. We're here at my engagement party. I feel like I owe Hayden this much."

I nodded. "Go on."

"Has he told you about Rachel?" she said in hushed tones.

"Not really," I said, "but I met her the other night."

Her eyes widened. "You met her?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"At one of Hayden's shows," I said as she closed her eyes.

Annabelle shook her head. "I can't believe she did that. But then again, I can. She wasalways so selfish. She just hid it well."

"I know she's Hayden's ex, if that's what you were going to tell me."

"It's more complicated than that," she said.

"How do you mean?"

"Rachel is Hayden ex-fiancée."

My mind refused to believe what she'd just said. I must've heard her wrong.

"Excuse me?" I said. "Did you just say…?"

Annabelle nodded. "Fiancée."

Again, the word just did not compute. "But I thought Hayden was only 19."

"He is," Annabelle said. "Rachel was actually my friend first. I introduced them."

She winced as if the words pained her.

"They immediately hit it off. They got engaged when Hayden was 18. Rachel was 21. He thought they were in love, and maybe they were at one point. They set a date and everything."

"Then what happened?" I asked, unable to help myself.

Annabelle shook her head sadly. "She didn't show up."

"What?"

"The wedding date came, and she just left him there at the altar," she said. "No note, no phone call, nothing."

I gasped, couldn't help it. My mind was blown, my heart shattered for Hayden, thinking of him standing there waiting for a girl, a happily ever after that never came.

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