Chapter 11

Chapter 11

-MILLI

“Say something.” I said, preparing for Candice to preach about my behavior. Needing to get everything out of my system, 1 spilled my guts on my best friend play-by-play, excluding Damian’s reason for offering me his deal. Now she was silent. Thick lashes framed her probing green eyes.

“I think you should say yes, she murmured, lifting a shoulder in a lazy shrug.

My mouth parted and closed, gaping like a fish out of the sea. Her comment came out of the left field. I expected her to oppose the idea of fake dating her step brother and tell me how st upid I was for even considering his offer.

“What?” The glass of wine I’m holding almost sl*pped off my hands. “You were supposed to be my voice of thought not the devil on my shoulder.

In the wake of the storm, Palawan’s white sand beach was still a picturesque view in the background. Candice lifts her coffee canister to her l*ps, the soft morning pastel glow bouncing on her face.

“The world must be ending coz I agree with Draco,” she grimacel, her statement leaving a foul taste on her tongue. She nicknamed-Damian after one Harry Potter character because he’s narrow-minded and could be a bit of an idiot, her words, not mine. “It’s the sweetest revenge, M.

She pr ods the phone on the sand and leaned back on her palms, soaking in the sunrise before they leave for Roslin City in a few hours.

“I’ll kill you if you tell a soul about this, but being with Draco is definitely an upgrade from Hunter.” She curled an eyebrow, expecting me to oppose her statement.

She was right, and I’m afraid Damian was truly saving me with this deal. So why was I hesitating to accept it? Being with him will basically solve a lot of my problems. No public apology is needed.

1 pouted, tipping my head back on the backrest of the couch. I’d been sitting here since Damian left, nursing one glass of wine, sipping unhurriedly. Before calling Candice, 1 opened my email and was surprised to see a few endorsement offers. And the comments on our photo, I can’t even begin describing what I feel. Confused, shocked, disbelief, or a bit of those three combined. Encouragement for this blooming relationship between Damian and me had shunned the issue with Natalie. “I don’t know, Can. Lying never ends well. Besides, do you even ship us together?”

She made a pif sound under her throat, waving off my hesitation. “You saw your followers’ reaction. And please, don’t tell me you haven’t imagined what it would be like to be his girlfriend. You’ve been crushing on him back in high school.” She sounded scandalized and fascinated at the same time.

Stunned, I blinked at her. “I did not.”

I had to put my

out my flute glass on the table because I swear I would drop it if I didn’t. How did she know about my crush on- Damian? All those years, I thought my diary was the only one that knew my secret.

She narrowed her eyes at me, taking an Indian sitting position; grains of sand clung onto her legs. Her yellow bikini top and tiny white denim shorts complimented her tanned skin. She’s glowing. “If you thought I’d get in between you and my st upid step brother, you were wrong, I was actually waiting for you to tell me about it.”

I caved, hugging my knees close to my chest. If Candice knew, it meant I wasn’t as good as I thought at hiding my feelings. “Was I that obvious?”

`“Ha! I knew it!” She melodramatically punched her fist in the air “I suspected, and you just plead guilty,” she giggled

heartily.

I dropped my face to my knees. Da mn. She could be annoyingly tricky at times, but I still love her.

“I knew you were only using me to get close to him!” she feigned hurt, but the laughter in her eyes was so da mn irritating I wanted to pluck her raven dark hair.

III

09:19 Sat, Feb 10 M

Chapter 11

“You know me better than that, and Damian was a player. Even if I had a crush on him, I would never act on it: that’s why I’ be declining his offer.”

“That’s what she says.” She wiggled her brows.

“Watch me.” I sat taller, chest puffed out as I jutted my chin, defiance burning in my system. But on a scale of one to ten, seven against three. I’ll say yes to Damian. He was practically offering me a way out of a wreck I caused myself.

“Oh, I will watch, alright.” I wanted to wipe that knowing grin on her face. She looked up at the sky, closing her eyes for dramatic effect. Pouty l*ps stretched into a wide grin as she glanced back at me. “We’re gonna be sisters. finally

“Hey! If I agreed, it would be fake. FAKE! And we’re already sisters.” I insisted.

She giggled. “This is probably the first time something good came out from you being so drunk, M,” she said as though she had won the lottery. “I can’t wait to see this show on the road.”

“Millie!” Andrea perched up from her table as I entered the office, surprise and hesitation written all over her face.

“I don’t appreciate your tone,” I said, rolling my eyes as I headed for my desk.

Andrea cleared her throat, eyes following me as I set my bag on my table. I pressed the computer’s power button. As it was loading. I went to the pantry to make coffee.

Andrea’s table was by the door. She acts as our secretary, personal assistant, and liaison when Candice and I are swamped with work. On the far wall of the office was Candice and I’s a workstation. A small glass room was in the corner where we pitched proposals or held meetings with suppliers.

Effortless Events’ interior was meant to offer an airy, open space where we could see each other. We didn’t need walls since only three of us were in this office. Hence, avoiding each other wasn’t an option. Consequently, I cannot evade the questions written on Andrea’s face.

“You haven’t answered my calls and emails,” she pointed and ambled to my side. She pulled the bread rolls from the brown paper bag, and my mouth watered at the delicious aroma. “I got bagels,” she chirped.

I narrowed my eyes at her. She knew I was a su cker for the bagels. A bakeshop around the corner makes fantastic bagels. “You’re waiting for me.”

“I wasn’t.” Like a petulant child, she stuck out her lower l*p, folding her arms in her middle.

1 faced her; my gaze was searing.

Andrea, wearing three-inch stilettos, was almost at eye level with me. Waist-length red hair pulled back in a high ponytail, minimal makeup, and sporting a white polka dot top and high-waist jeans. She threw her hands in the air. “Fine! I was hoping you’d come in. I was worried.”

“I’m still breathing,” I grumbled and sn atched the bread from the plate, taking a huge bite. The coffee machine purred behind us.

Shifting from one red high heel to another, Andrea tested the waters. “So, how true is it?”

Andrea was a good friend, but until I figure out my next move, I’ll keep things to myself and Candice. If I agree, the fewer people who know about Damian’s offer, the safer our secret will be.

“How true is what?” I feigned innocence.

She pouted. “Come on. What happened to Hunter and Natalie?”

I told her how I found Hunter and Natalie in his bed. She was seething, breathing fire through her nose. Even offered to have her biker boyfriend f uck Hunter over. It’s nice to have friends who’d want to fight my battles for me. Plus, I appreciate their

offer to murder Hunter.

<

09:19 Sat, Feb 10

Chapter 11

“And Damian?” she pressed. What was that all about?” She tried and failed to make this appear like an interrogation.

Once upon a time, when she was still single, she’d been crushing on Damian, too. I mean, who wouldn’t? That guy is every woman’s

we t dre am..

“It’s nothing-” before I could spill more lies, the door to our office opened, and a delivery guy wearing a red baseball cap peeked his head inside.

“Millicent Alejandro?”

“That’s me.” I left my coffee. The guy let himself in, holding the biggest basket of red roses 1 had ever seen.

I stopped in my tracks. Delivery guy met me halfway, holding out a small cl*pboard, a pen attached to the top. “Just sign

here”

On autopilot. I signed where he was pointing at. “Where do you want this?” he asked, looking around the office.

“On my desk, right there.”

The base of the basket hadn’t touched my table when my phone rang. Damian’s face flashed on the screen. I almost dropped my phone, accepting the video call button.

“Hi. His smile made my knees buckle.

“Hey.” My breath caught in my throat. As I savored the view the camera allowed, my chest tightened and my head spun. Strands of his ash gray hair clung to his forehead, and beads of sweat glistened on his skin.

He must’ve come from a run or morning workout, perhaps. Damian, sweaty and rippling muscles? Da mn. My mouth goes dry.

“Did you get the flowers?” he murmured, lifting a glass of water to his l*ps. He settled in his kitchen; everything I could see through the glass wall behind him was green. Thick forest line in the distance, perched tall, reaching the clear blue sky.

“Y.. yeah.” I glanced at the flowers taking up a huge portion of my desk. The delivery guy silently sl*pped out of the office. and Andrea’s brows pointed at the ceiling, eyes dancing with mischief. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The tips of his l*ps curling into a smirk. “I’ll see you on Wednesday. He wasn’t asking, but there was an edge in his tone that said I needed to confirm.

“Okay.”

He grinned, baring bleach-white teeth, liking my response. For the life of me, I can’t take my eyes off his l*ps. I dreamt about our k*ss, and I’ve gotten myself off thinking about him.

“I’ll pick you up at seven, beautiful,” he said, and the line went dead.

I was too busy processing his words to give a response, anyway.

Beautiful? Did he really mean that? Heat blazed from my chest to my cheeks.

Maybe he calls all his flings beautiful. Whatever Damian was doing was part of this deal he wanted me to agree with

I filled my chest with much-needed oxygen. There was a strange sensation in my belly, as though a thousand butterflies wanted to escape from their cage.

“Ugh! Gather yourself together, Millicent! Work Focus on something not related to Damian”

I need my coffee to get my feet on the ground.

Andrea was still where I had left her. She pinned ine with an accusing gaze. “Nothing, huh?”