Page 8 of Unbroken

“We haven’t been super open about it yet,” she said in a conspiratorial tone as she leaned closer to Charlotte. “I had to make sure my big brother was okay with it, you know? We knew our relationship would be public once everyone saw us together at the wedding, but I guess now is as good a time as any to spread the good news. Right, hon?” She bumped against me again a little harder as if to kick-start my brain.

No, no,no! It wasn’t right. It wasn’t close to being right. I could barely stand the thought of working with the woman, and now she’d started a charade with Charlotte of all people. I didn’t need this type of stress in my life. I was prepared to say exactly that, but then I looked over and got a good look at Fiona’s face. And … damn, I knew that expression. I hadn’t seen it since we were sixteen, but ten years weren’t nearly long enough to rid me of the dread I felt at the sight of it. This was a Fiona Cafferty who had the bit between her teeth. And. Would. Not. Back. Down. She’d nearly gotten suspended from school the last time—had nearly gottenmesuspended along with her whenallI’dbeen doing was trying to talk her out of her harebrained scheme—but she’d stuck to the course even when any person with sense would have let the whole thing go.

Fiona on the warpath didn’t have the sense of a lemming. She had seen a wrong in the world and she was going to fix it, come hell or high water. Woe betide anyone who got in her way.

I could try to explain to Charlotte that she was just joking. I could deny that I was with Fiona. I could pretend I’d never even met her. I could set the street on fire and attempt to escape in the chaos. None of it would do any good. Fiona would still stand there, brushing bits of ash out of her hair, carrying on with this outlandish lie, undeterred. So fine, this was what I’d have to deal with now. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to compound it by participating in her made-up story. If she wanted to sell us as a couple, she was on her own.

“Ugh, how adorable,” Charlotte said. “Well, we’re off. Let’s go, Colt.” She grabbed him by the hand so forcefully that he stumbled, then she pulled out her phone.

We watched them walk away and the second they were out of earshot, I turned to Fiona.

“Why the hell did you go and dothat?”

FOUR

FIONA

Istared at Eli with open-mouthed shock. He’d stomped off to stand beneath the shade of a poplar tree, out of earshot of the few people passing by on the sidewalk, and I slowly followed after him.

“… What? I thought you’d appreciate it!” My heart pounded at his unexpected reaction.

One look at Eli’s scrunched-up face made it clear he wasn’t even close to happy that I’d helped him save face in front of his ex.

“You’ve been back for less than two days and you’ve already managed to complicateeverything, Fiona!” He started pacing, bumping up his hat to rub his hand along his forehead. “When it gets out that you lied about being with me, this whole damn town is going to think the only way I can get a woman is to make up a relationship. And that I did it because I’m not overheryet.”

“Eli, no … no one will think that.” I was tempted to get closer to him, to reach out and try to comfort him, but it looked like that was the last thing he wanted from me.

“You have no idea how bad it got for me after the divorce. The way everyone looked at me as if I was some sort of sad sack loser.” He clenched his hands into fists and glowered at the thought of it. “Ijustgot rid of the last pity casserole from my freezer. Once this gets out, it’ll all start up again.”

There was humiliation and pain in his eyes, and it made my heart hurt. I’d really screwed things up this time by acting without knowing the whole story.

No, not just this time … I’d screwed things upagain. Just like in Denver. My last mistake was the reason why I was back at the ranch and not sitting behind a desk, enjoying the promotion I’d earned.

My job had fallen apart so fast, and I hadn’t been given the chance to explain, to make it right. I wouldn’t let that happen here. This was my chance to prove to myself that I didn’t set fire to everything I touched.

I took a deep breath, then engaged my big mouth before I could talk myself out of it. “There’s an easy fix for this. We simply have topretenddate. A fake relationship. I’ll go to the wedding with you, and we can fake date for a few more weeks afterwards, then we can end things however you want. We can make it public, too. That way you can frame it however you want so that no one would dream of pitying you.”

Eli rolled his eyes and shook his head. “That sounds like a terrible idea. It’s ridiculous. No, the best way to deal with this is to tell the truth. I’ll call Charlotte and say it was all your idea and you were joking.” He paused. “I hope it’s not too late. She was probably calling her friends to tell them as she walked away.”

I considered it and frowned. “Probably. And if she hasn’t yet, she definitely will after you talk to her. What story do you want her to spread? That you are totally over her and have a gorgeous new girlfriend? Or that you’re alone and making up stories to cover it up?”

“ButI’mnot the one who opened their big mouth,” Eli tried to argue.

Ouch.

“Sure, but how do you thinkshe’lltell it?”

Eli crossed his arms and stared off into the distance as if rehearsing the conversation he’d have with his ex. The furrow between his brows deepened as he realized I was right.

“Shaping public opinion is my job, Eli,” I said. My cheeks went hot when I realized that itusedto be my job. “Wasmy job. Either way. If you want people to think you’ve moved on, then let’s fake it until they do. We’ll agree to the rules beforehand. We’ll plan everything out. And we’ll make it lookgood, so that no one doubts that you’ve moved on.” I gave him a half grin. “You know I’m a great actress. Remember?”

Eli paused, then the corner of his mouth kicked up. “The campaign posters?”

“Yeah, the posters. I’ll never forget your catchphrase: ‘Fiona Forever.’ Sounded like a porno.” He laughed and I lifted my chin triumphantly. “No one believed me when I said it was you, because you had everyone fooled with your good student act. I had to pull out the big guns.”

“Big guns? You went to Principal Thompson and cried all those crocodile tears about how embarrassing it was,” he said, shaking his head.

“They weren’t crocodile tears. Not entirely,” I answered. “I was crying because I was so mad at you. It was a phenomenal prank, and I wished that I’d thought of it to try onyou.”

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