“Relationships aren’t easy, Son,” he says. “You just make them work because you can’t live without the person who owns your heart. When you can’t stop thinking about her; those little things that drive you crazy eventually become the same things you love the most.”

“Love?” I chuckle.

Well, Claire Solis, you did your job well. You convinced them that we’re madly in love. Maybe not madly, but either way they think we’re in love.

“I wouldn’t say that,” I say, signaling to the waiter for the check.

“You two are crazy about each other, I watched you,” he says firmly. “Look, what happened with Delany is in the past. Take it as a learning experience, but don’t let it define your future. It’s time to move forward with your life. We haven’t seen you happy in a long time.”

“Happy?”

“Every time you look at Claire, you smile as if the sun’s just come out. I think there’s something important brewing there. You shouldn’t lose it just because you’re afraid.”

“She drives me crazy,” I blurt, thinking about her smart mouth.

“But can you live without her by your side?” he asks and continues without waiting for an answer. “That’s how it was between your mother and me. Now, I’m used to her quirks, and she’s learned to live with mine. Trust your heart.”

He pauses and looks around. “It’s scary but have faith. Love is a dare. A gamble. You have to put everything you are in and wait to see if she reciprocates.”

I leave a hundred-dollar bill on the table and say, “I have to go.”

Fifteen

Claire

As I arrive at the hotel where I was supposed to stay since Thursday, I drop my bags, change, and head to the beach. I need some time alone to regroup. The plan had a few holes. I didn’t realize how much I was going to enjoy my time with Miller Archer, or that I would fall in love with him.

I was so taken by the man, I almost let him fuck me without a condom. I needed him to fill me, to claim me, to tell me I was his—just like he was mine. Because at some point during the weekend, I forgot this was make-believe and just a temporary fantasy.

Where do I go from here?

Next week, I’m going to have to face him, and my heart will skip at the sound of his voice, but my mind will know the truth. I don’t stand a chance with him. There’s no way I can convince myself that he’s just a fucking asshole. I’ve met the real Miller Archer, and God if I didn’t fall hopelessly in love with him.

Should I have come clean to him?