“One night. Then I never want to see you again,” I whispered, my heart breaking as his eyes filled with sadness.
“Please, Alice, just consider it-”
I shook my head before turning to him.
“We’ve got tonight. Then we go our separate ways. It’s for the best. I’m no one’s mistress, Lucas. You will be someone’s husband.”
The car pulled up beside a restaurant as I smiled sadly.
“I don’t do commitment; even an affair is too big a commitment to me,” I joked, trying to avoid his intense gaze. Lucas didn’t respond as he exited the car, holding his hand out to help me. We stood in front of one another, and he gazed at me.
“Me too, doll. Me too. My marriage will be a business arrangement. Let’s go eat.”
I tried to focus as we walked up to the restaurant hand in hand, greeted by an Italian waiter immediately.
Business arrangement?
There was only one other person in the world that understood this business like Lucas.
Daddy.
15
ZANE
"What's it like?"
I glanced at Layla as she strolled beside me, my hoodie burying her small frame.
"What?" I smiled, watching her blush as she rolled her eyes.
"Being a Fallon, of course," she exclaimed, as though it were obvious. "You're all so...well, you know."
I frowned, tearing my eyes away from her as I nodded towards an opening to a park nearby. It was almost dark, but the path was lit by quaint lanterns that gave out a soft glow as the path wound around a lake. I wouldn't say I liked her question because it seemed most people assumed we thought we were something special.
Which we weren't.
"I'll be honest with you, Layla," I murmured as she walked in front of me, turning to listen to me once she was in the park. "It's hard. It's so loud all of the time. But it's family." I shrugged, sending her a small smile.
"But you are all so gorgeous—”
"Why, thank you." I winked, enjoying seeing her eyes widen and her cheeks flush.
"Oh! I didn't mean that. I'm not coming on to you or anything," Layla babbled, turning away from me as I studied her.
"Shame," I said, causing her almost to lose her footing near the grassy bank that ran beside us.
"You know exactly what I mean. You're being paid by women, purely because of the way you look." Layla pointed out, pursing her lips as she folded her arms. "No one would pay me to go out with them!"
I stopped still.
"It's not just the physical appearance. It's much more than that. For example, it helps that I'm obsessed with reading, as a woman recently needed a date to a book launch."
"She needed a date for a random book launch?" Layla wrinkled up her nose as she sank onto a bench nearby. I sat beside her, laughing softly.
"No, it washerbook launch. She didn't want to go alone."
Layla gawked at me then, her mouth falling open.
