Her hands fly in the air. “Yes, okay?”
My back hits the booth behind me. “Jesus, no need to fucking yell.”
“Well, stop acting like me ever wanting to get married is such a fucking shock!”
“Uh, it fucking is, Dilynne! It’s…” I wave my hand toward her. “You!”
Rolling her eyes, she crosses her arms over her chest and continues to avoid eye contact. “Oh, trust me. I know all about how you feel about me.”
My head rears back. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She sighs, drops her arms, and finally meets my gaze again. “Look, we’re getting off topic.”
“No shit, and we’re fucking fighting like we always do. How on earth are we ever going to convince people that we like each other, Dilynne? Especially enough to agree to marry one another?”
“We act. Trust me, I can pretend very convincingly if it means I don’t have to think about something or someone else.” She trails her finger along the top of my hand, teasing me.
And there goes my dick again.
“I, uh…”
Come on, Elliot. You’ve been fucking pretending that this woman doesn’t make you hard for months. What’s another six weeks?
“Wh—what about our friends? Our family?” I say, fighting the sensation her touch is sending across my skin before pulling my hand away from her.
“They can know the truth,” she says, popping her shoulder. “In fact, I think it will be better if they do because they can help sell it.”
Something dawns on me. “My father won’t agree to that. Hell, he’s the reason that Tori is back, Dil. He’s the one that wants me to hear her out.”
Her bottom lip rolls between her teeth again. “Yeah, you’re right. Then we’re gonna have to sell it to him, too.”
“I—” Sighing, I blow out a breath and push my hand through my hair. “I don’t fucking know…”
“Stop being a fucking baby, and just trust me, will you?”
I arch a brow at her. “Insulting me? Really? That’s how you’re trying to persuade me to agree to this?”
“Well, trying to reason with you isn’t working.”
“Because this doesn’t seem like a logical plan. Beingengaged, Dilynne? Only a year after I was left by my fiancée? I’m not sure people are going to buy it.”
“Then what’s your plan to get rid of Tori, huh? Because newsflash, Elliot…you and I both know firsthand what that girl is capable of. She already tricked you into thinking she changed once.”
I bristle at that. “Give me some credit. I have no desire to allow her back in my life. I haven’t spent all of these months in therapy for nothing.”
“Scars can fade, but they’re still there, Elliot.” She points to the center of her chest. “Wouldn’t you agree? And seeing Tori might stir some feelings up for you that you thought you’d dealt with. Letting her think she has any chance of getting you back is only going to fuck with you too.”
Our eyes are locked as her words resonate, and in that moment, I realize that Dilynne isn’t just talking about my scars. She’s referring to her own too.
Groaning, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this.”
“Just think of how fun it’s going to be to piss off Tori,” Dilynne adds, smiling from ear to ear.
The corner of my mouth tips up. “True. Is that part of your motivation for doing this too?”
“Um, duh. I’m hoping I can make flames come out of her ears at some point. That’s the ultimate goal.”
“And Vinnie? What do you want from him?”