Page 108 of Devious Love
I nod.
“And even a beard.”
“Yeah. Needed a change.”
Remi tilts her head to the side, observing me. “What’s all this about?”
“I need your help.” I swallow my nerves. “And honestly, there’s no one more suited for this.”
“And what isthis?” she asks softly.
“I need to make sure Mia forgets about me. Forever.” I hold Remi’s gaze as nausea swirls in my stomach. “If she hates me, even better.”
She chews on her bottom lip, looking up at me from beneath her lashes. “You sure about this?”
No. “Yes.”
With a sigh, she takes a step back.
“Please, Remi.” I grasp her arm. “I need you.”
Her posture eases, and she lets me guide her to my car. In the passenger seat, she watches me warily, her hands clasped in her lap. “If your stepsister sees you with me, you two are done for good?”
That’s the only way. One day, Mia will understand, though I’ll spend the rest of my life loving her from a distance.
“I’m counting on it,” I say. My stomach churns so hard, I’m close to vomiting.
Remi shifts in her seat, crossing one leg over the other, her lips curling slightly. “You want us to pretend to be together?”
“Yes.”
With a laugh, she shakes her head. “Damn, this is cold, Dom. What did she do to piss you off so badly?”
Nothing.
Mia looks at me like I’m her whole world, just like she is for me.
But it’s not right.
Our love has been wrong from the very beginning.
CHAPTER 30
he broke my heart
MIA
Age 19
February
I sing along to “Circles”by Post Malone as I glide my Apple Pencil across the screen of my iPad, blending and deepening shadows. Working on projects like this brings me so much joy that, for now, my exhaustion has all but evaporated.
Losing myself in my art allows me to forget my worries, and considering my grades, I’m desperate for a distraction.
Lips pressed together, I lean back to study the drawing. It’s a scene from a fantasy novel I just read, one full of dragons, witches, and fairies. The heroine is wearing a stunning red gown that glitters under the ballroom lights. Her long, blonde hair cascades down her shoulders as she looks up. Her face is hidden behind a mask, but her eyes are perfectly visible. The man cradling her waist smiles in return. They’ve infiltrated their enemy’s lair, but the danger can’t dull their attraction. The moment is filled with so much love, it makes my heart beat faster. They’re two people who belong together, no matter the storm raging around them.
It instantly makes me think of Dominic.
