Page 33 of Tell Me All Your Lies

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” he responds.

I take the bag and start to head out the front door, with Ruby following behind.

Putting my sunglasses on, we walk toward my car to head back to my house. It’s time for me to get ready for my wedding.

“You haven’t answered me,” she says as we both get into my car.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel about it if he does. I’ll do it if he wants me to.”

“That simple?”

“Anything to keep this plain and simple, Ruby. It’s just part of the job.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

I rev the engine and pull onto the highway. I may be trying to come across as calm and collected about all of this, but she’s right. There’s a pit in my stomach that I know means I’ll look at Grant differently if he asks me for one. I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do.

The smart decision is to sign more contracts to protect our respective assets. I know that. I just can’t help it that part of me wants to believe in something bigger than reality.

Deep down, because I only wanted to be married one time, there’s just something unsettling about it all.

My bags are packedand waiting in the trunk of the car. After the ceremony, Grant and I are heading to San Diego for a pretend honeymoon. It’s a one-night stay at a nice hotel in case anyone goes digging into our situation.

Really, our plane leaves at 0600 hours tomorrow, so it’s only practical that we both head out that way from Los Angeles.

When Grant’s assistant, Rob, talked to Ruby about the idea, it made sense to me despite not wanting to be trapped in a hotel with the man overnight. If we’re getting married and flying out of San Diego, it’s practical to pretend like we’re on a brief honeymoon before leaving for our new home in Charlotte.

It all makes sense, and that’s part of the problem I have.

All this playing pretend feels real somehow. I have to keep reminding myself of why Grant and I are even doing this ahead of the mission. The truth of the matter is I keep getting confused because of the relationship that Grant and I have with one another.

All this time, I’ve thought of him as my rival, someone who gets on my last nerve and drives me to the brink of madness. In actuality, it feels almost right that this is who I’m marrying.

My mind needs to play catch-up with what’s really happening here.

I’m a professional.

This is my job. None of it is real.

Yet… it’s Grant. My dad’s friend. The person who chases me around the world. The one who gets under my skin like no other and, in some way, has consistently been there for me.

As I conflate the two sides of Grant Sinclair, I have to come to terms with the fact that both of those versions of him are the man I’m marrying in ten minutes.

Standing before the courthouse, I know I have to put one foot in front of the other. My future husband is waiting behind those double doors for me to arrive and say, “I do.”

I take a series of calming breaths and smooth out my short white lace dress. It has delicate sleeves, and the same lace pattern is against my chest area. It’s a dress I would have picked out for myself for my actual wedding.

Even though my mother would want me to have an over-the-top wedding, if I were to marry anyone, it would still be like this. Something personal just between him and me.

I decided my high heels would be mysomething blue—pale blue with a hint of faux diamonds on the top near the toe area.

I walk up the steep steps with a bouquet in hand, knowing that I’m the soon-to-be Mrs. Sinclair, even if it’s only on paper.

My long brown hair is straightened, and I look like I always imagined I would. Now, I wonder how seriously Grant will take this.

Is he behind those doors wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a fishing T-shirt?

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