Secrets of the World's Worst Matchmaker (The Baileys Book 7), стр. 36

I step back from her, letting my hands fall from her face. “So you’re attracted to me?”

Our attraction is clear. We’ve crossed that line a couple times, the last time being over two years ago. Then she hid me in her room when her family ambushed her apartment because Denver showed up and thought he’d lost Cleo forever. Her hiding me was a glaring red light that Juno wasn’t ready yet. So after the family left, I sneaked out and told her it was a mistake before she had a chance.

“I mean, yeah, I’m attracted to you, but it’s more than that.”

“I’m about to get married,” I say softly. Half of me is overjoyed that she’s admitting her feelings. The other half is angry that it took me marrying someone else for her to realize them.

“I know.” She presses her palms into her eyes. “I’m sorry. But I was talking to Stella and she convinced me that I should be upfront with you. It all sounded so good, but now that I just told you and you’re not overjoyed, hugging me and confessing your own feelings, I’m thinking this was a very, very bad idea. I should go.” She slides between an easel and me.

“Juno, stop.” I turn on my heels, and she’s facing the door. “The marriage isn’t real.”

She slowly circles to face me, and she tilts her head, waiting for more to come out of my mouth.

“Brigette’s student visa is expiring and she wants to stay in the United States.”

Her mouth drops open and she’s quiet for a second. “You don’t love her?”

I shake my head. “I wanted to tell you. So bad. Especially that night of the baby shower when you kissed me. But we couldn’t risk it. If anyone finds out, I could be arrested.”

“Oh my God,” she says.

“Say something more,” I urge.

She sits on one of Selene’s stools. “That’s not like you. Why would you agree to this?”

It’s a fair question and it deserves an honest answer. I’m half surprised she didn’t throw a tray of paints at me for lying to her this entire time. “I agreed to it after you told me you slept with Trey.”

She’s uncharacteristically quiet as she spins on the stool, staring at the floor. “You agreed to marry someone because I slept with Trey?”

She stands and walks to the other end of the room, staring out the window. Jack and Frannie are talking with Liam and Savannah. Frannie’s head is buried in the stroller in front of Savannah.

“Yes.”

“Do you know how stupid that is?”

“Do you know how stupid I felt when you told me? I thought what happened after that one night when we were drunk, that maybe…”

She whips around, startled by my sharp tongue. “No. I suppose I don’t but—I—”

Years of built-up aggression finally tumbles out like an avalanche gaining speed. This is never how I saw this moment happening. “I’ve loved you my entire life. Do you know what that’s like? To pine away for someone day after day, year after year, someone who keeps insisting that we can only be friends because she couldn’t stand to lose me? Let me tell you—it’s heartbreaking. And tiring. And the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done, okay? And now on my wedding day, suddenly Stella says something and you open your eyes and see what’s been here all along?” Her eyes don’t stray from mine as the anger pours out of me. “Well, I’m sorry, it’s too late. I’m getting married, Juno. I made a commitment. Not like it matters. If I canceled this wedding, you’d probably run away tomorrow. Let’s just admit that this is what it is—you’re jealous and scared to lose me.”

She winces. “Do you have any idea what it took for me to come here right now? How scared I am that what we had has changed? I cannot live without you.” Her chin drops to her chest and her tears drop to the floor.

“You don’t get to make this all about you again. You’re too late.” I fold my arms over my chest, a million things on the tip of my tongue begging to be unleashed.

“So you’re going to go through with a fake marriage?”

“I made a promise.”

She nods. “Okay. Well, I guess that’s it then.”

“I guess so.”

She walks by me, right to the door.

“Juno.”

“What?”

“You’ll be happy tomorrow when you realize nothing has changed with our friendship. These feelings you have for me will vanish as soon as you know you didn’t lose me.” I don’t turn around because if I did, I’d probably cage her to the wall and confess how much I love her. How much I hope she’s really had her eyes opened to how perfect we are together.

But it’s all just too big of a coincidence.

She says, “I know I haven’t made it easy on you all these years, and I wish I didn’t harbor this fear of losing you. And yeah, I’m sure everyone, you included, think I feel this way now because I lost my parents so young and I’m scared of losing you now that you’re getting married. But what’s been keeping me up at night since you announced your engagement are these images in my head of you loving another woman the way you’ve loved me all these years. And I know I’m slow on the uptake and I should have owned my feelings for you a long time ago. I can even understand why you’re angry with me, but you’re wrong. Tomorrow I will still be nursing a broken heart because I do love you, Colton Stone. Every year that love has compounded, but I kept that memory of us in the treehouse on the day of my parents’ funeral front and center in my mind to remind me that whatever horrible thing happens in my life, you’ll be there to see me through. But now, the horrible