I tugged my hand out of Miles’s grip. “That was months ago. I’m fine. We’re just doing each other a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” Sierra asked, her emerald eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“I just told you. The kind that involves being temporarily married.”
“Are you sure about this?” Miles said softly. “Last time—”
“Enough.” Piper cut in with her mom voice, which made even angels obey her. “Everyone can keep their judgmental opinions to themselves for a moment.” She pinned me with a look that was both serious and compassionate. “Are you in trouble, Danielle?”
Well, that was a loaded question. I’d been in trouble for nearly two years—ever since a certain prince of Hell entered my life. But that had nothing to do with my engagement to Hayden. I wasn’t marrying him to protectmyself. I was doing it for Miles, and I wasn’t about to tell any of my friends that.
“It’s not like that,” I said.
“Then whatisit like?” Miles asked.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I told my best friend. “It’s just for nine months.”
“And then what?” he asked.
“I guess we go back to the way things were.”
“You mean you getting quiet anytime I mention Hayden’s name and him acting like an insufferable bastard all the time?”
“You called him insufferable when we were together too.”
“That’s not the point, Dani.”
I knew that. I was just trying to subtly avoid the point he was trying to make. Thinking about what would happen after our pretend marriage ended was futile. It wouldn’t change anything about the now.
Miles grabbed my hand again and gave it a light squeeze. “You know I love you both, and I want to see you happy. I feel like this plan could either be the best thing that happened to you guys or the worst.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Let’s hope it’s the former then.”
But I had a sinking feeling it was going to be the latter.
NINE
Hayden
“What?”I growled into my phone.
“Try again,” Sierra said on the other end.
I rubbed my forehead with my free hand, trying to ward off the headache I could feel coming on. “Hello, Sierra. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Better,” she said, and I could practically hear her smirking. “Now tell me what the fuck you think you’re doing.”
“Care to be more specific? I can’t actually read minds.”
“Danielle showed up Friday with a diamond because you two are apparently engaged. Ring a bell?”
“I fail to see how my love life is your business.”
“It is when you’re marrying my sister-in-law after you were the one who broke up with her last spring. She has a heart of fucking gold, and you should know that if youhurt her again, you’re dead. I won’t even try to stop Nate or Sam from castrating you.”
“For fuck’s sake. Can’t you be a little bit worried about getting fired?” I didn’t even want to touch the fact that she felt the need to threaten me, that she was already planning my demise.If you hurt her again. As in I hurt her before. It didn’t matter what my intentions had been. I trusted Sierra’s judgment, more than I did my own most days, and if she said Danielle had been hurt, I believed her.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Sierra said, oblivious to my inner turmoil. She was grinning. I could feel it even if I couldn’t see her.
