Page 86 of Undone

My thumb hovers over all the messages. More keep coming as I contemplate.

ME:I’m fine. Nice that you care after months of shacking up with Rog. P.S. Roque is hot AF.

ME:Close all the blinds. Meet me at our diner I’ll text you a time. Love you, Mom!

Me:I’m a bridesmaid not a victim. Although this dress is hideous… so that is debatable. Who is this?

A text pings back before I can continue down the list of messages:

UNKNOWN:You have my coat.

Me:Mystery Man?

UNKNOWN:Dare a.k.a Darren

Me:Who are you?

UNKNOWN:A friend.

ME:Can you get my mother to a diner to meet me without her being hounded by press?

UNKNOWN:Piece of cake, babe.

I close out my messages and open my web browser; googling myself and Roque is weird as hell. But my whole life has felt like a novel since I moved to Springdale. Maybe this is my new normal.

“What the hell?”

Pictures of me and my hot, gangster wedding date fill my small screen. There’s some from the hotel lobby… the club…even a few from inside the church where he escorted me up the aisle a few hours ago. The Internet is buzzing; speculating we’re together. I close the app and bury my face in my hands. Until a sharp knock at the door makes me raise my head.

“Are you done hiding,tesoro?”

“I’m not hiding, I’m commiserating.”

He opens the door and quirks an eyebrow at me on the floor, surrounded by yards of sea foam tulle. “I feel fugly. This dress is hideous.”

“I’ve seen worse.”

“Have you checked your phone? Apparently…,” I break off, motioning between the two of us, “we are an item.”

He shrugs. “They did a good job.”

“Who?”

“I orchestrated the whole thing. Come. We need them to take more pictures.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Maybe.”

“Why? What’s the purpose of all this, besides embarrassing the heck out of me?”

“Are you really embarrassed?” He leans casually against the doorway. “A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.”

“For what?”

Just then, my phone buzzes in my hand. It’s him.

SMITH:Angel? Baby… still believe in us. Please. I just need more time.

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