Page 48 of Resist Me (Forget the Past 3)

“Yeah?”

“This can be a good thing.” A smile plumps his cheeks. “A fun thing. I don’t want you to approach this marriage as a job.” He nudges my hip with his elbow. “We’re becoming friends, in some of the strangest circumstances possible. But I’m being honest when I say I’m looking forward to this next year. You know what…”

The way he trails off ratchets up my anxiety, but then he reaches for the paper and I calm a bit. More rules. More clarity. This is good.

Then I read the five words he pens down.

Have fun with each other.

“What does that mean?”

“It means what I wrote.” In the face of my scowl, Charlie only laughs. “I want us to do fun things together. Show me what you love about Nashville. I’ll come up with stuff too. We’re partners. Let’s be partners in fun!”

“Oh god. You’re, like, super-dorky, aren’t you?” The question came out drier than I meant, and I want to stuff it back in my mouth, hating that I might have hurt Charlie’s feelings.

But he just stands from his chair, towering a good foot over me, and grins down at my upturned face.

“Hell yeah I am. What do you say, Luna Lamont? Do you agree to my rule? Will you have fun with your dorky husband?”

There’s a whole range of sarcastic answers that pop into my mind. But every one of them borders on cruel. Even if I’m not a nice person, I don’t want Charlie thinking I’m an asshole.

Besides, there’s a simpler, easier answer.

“Yes. I’ll have fun with you. Not sure I’ll be any good at it.”

“All I ask is that you try.” He’s still smiling at me, the expression sinking into something comfortable on his face. And there’s a subtle heat to it that has me snatching the pen back.

“As two single people living in close proximity, I believe it is important we keep this completely platonic. An agreement between friends, which means no fooling around.” I can’t meet Charlie’s eyes when I make this declaration, instead focusing on where the point of the pen meets the paper. “Agreed?”

A pause. Then, “Agreed.”

“Good.”Good, I repeat to my brain silently, to make sure it’s on the same page.

Yes, Charlie is an attractive, kind man. But the end goal of this is more important than any brief pleasure we’d get from a hookup that would just end up destroying our carefully created partnership. We have to get through this year with our sham of a marriage intact if I want any hope of freeing my brother.

“Might as well add for clarification that this all lasts until May 11th of next year. Then you’ll be free of me, off to live the new life you’ve decided you want.”

When I glance up from the paper, having finished writing that sixth rule, I’m met with the sight of Charlie’s back. Instead of facing me, he stares out the window into my backyard, seeming lost in thought.

“A year,” Charlie murmurs. “Probably be over before we know it.”

ChapterSeventeen

LUNA

“I’m here!” Charlie strides down the hallway of the courthouse toward me. I brace myself for when he gets an eyeful.

I’m not wearing white. Or a dress.

For maybe five minutes, I considered it. Getting something lacy with a bunch of frills. And I’d probably look good. But I wouldn’t look like me, and there’s enough insincerity in this ceremony already that I decided to dress up, but in the way I prefer.

Which is why I have on a suit. The cut fits me perfectly, and the ensemble is my favorite piece of clothing in my closet. I treated myself to a custom-tailored suit after I got my first official client. Probably should have put that initial paycheck in my savings, but for the first time in a long time, I gave myself permission to buy something completely impractical that made me happy.

And I don’t realize until this moment how much it would crush me to see disappointment on Charlie’s face. To watch him scan my outfit and twist his lips to hide a dissatisfied grimace. Because I’m not the model bride.

No matter that this is all fake anyway.

But now the real Charlie is in front of me, with his eyes consuming me, three-piece and all.

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