Page 34 of Accidentally Falling for My Fake Wife

Everything in my life is currently drama-filled. I feel like the main character in my romance novel.

Would he want to meet up if he wasn’t real?

“If he wanted to kill you, sure,” I say to no one, lifting up one shoulder to my ear. “I mean, that’s what serial killers do, right? Arrange clandestine meetings with unsuspecting victims…”

Wait a second! When did I step out of a romance novel and into a horror book?

J Anthony would find this quite humorous, especially since one of his ideas was to have my happily married couple tortured in one of his books—a type of crossover idea.

I wouldneverdo that, of course. I can’t even imagine something so sinister happening to my characters! Just the thought of it gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Bruno Mars’Just The Way You Areblasts from the phone, dragging me from my morbid thoughts. I plop onto the couch, answering the phone.

“Brie, he. Said. What should I do?” I rub my hand up and down my face.

“For one, you could try speaking English.” Brie chuckles. “Want to try that again, please?”

“Chase,” I push from my dry mouth, stomach whirling. “He said he wants to meet up.”

“Isn’t that what you want?” I sit chewing on my fingernail, but I'm not sure how to respond. Confusion is teeming over me in waves. I have no clue what I want. “I think you should.”

The phone falls with a thud, and my mouth drops to the floor.

“Susie?” Brie, calling my name, snaps me from the shock filling me. “Are you still there?”

“I’m sorry, but I think I heard you say Ishouldmeet up with him?” Disbelief floods my voice, and I stare at the name on the screen, making sure it isindeedBrie calling. Because the person suggesting that I take a risk and meet some strange guy from the internet doesnotsound like my play-it-safe best friend. “What if he’s a serial killer pretending to be a sports fanatic?!”

“Come on! A serial killer wouldn’t live in Pleasant Hollow!” It’s Brie. Only she would think that crime never happens in small towns—especially our small town. I won’t tell her about the true crime series featuring small towns and horrible murders. “What do you have to lose? Live a little!”

My eyes nearly pop out of my head. The fact that Brie is saying all of this has my entire world reeling. “What has my brother done to you? You haven’t even been fake dating for a week, and you’re completely corrupted. First, we don’t know that he lives in Pleasant Hollow; second, that statement is untrue. Serial killers live everywhere!”

“How do you know it’s not from reading your books?” Her laughter rings through the phone, skipping over my small-town serial killer comment, and I’m rendered completely speechless. She has me there. How many times have I had my main characters meet and immediately fall in love? Every reader and author knows that Insta-Love is an extremely popular trope. “It wouldn’t be the first time strangers met and fell in love.”

What parallel universe am I living in, where Brie encouragesmeto do something daring, and I’m the one hesitating?

“You know what to do,” she continues like she’s an expert. “Meet somewhere public and make sure that someone knows where you are.”

“I’m finding it ironic that we’re in this position—” A snort escapes me, and a rumble moves through my body. I’m overcome with a bout of hysteria. Before I know it, I’m doubled over, laughing at this entire situation. “You…me…how?”

Brie joins in, and I laugh even harder. I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath, just as Brie does. The laughter starts all over again, and I grab hold of my stomach.

After a few minutes of this I pull myself together.

“Suse,” Brie’s voice still has a chuckle, but it’s also serious. “Do this. Who knows, you just may meet the man of your dreams. Again, I’ll ask…what do you have to lose?”

I suck in a deep breath and slowly blow it out. She’s right! What do I have to lose?

“Okay. I’m gonna do it!” I say, rubbing my hands together.

“You are?” She sounds surprised. Why does she sound surprised? “I mean, yay. You are!”

“Are you sure?” I rub the side of my neck. “You don’t sound so sure. Do you really think I should do this?”

“I do! I surprised myself for a second.” She chuckles. “We both know this is really out of character for me. I’m not the daring one…you are!”

“Okay. I’ll do it!” Before I can second-guess myself, I open Chase’s message and respond.

NotJOsSis:Sure. I’d like that.

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