ick cream cardstock with elegant gold

historic Hudson Valley estate was booked,

ive years building a life that

he cal

ing ac

t, the one he'd dated for years before me,

n years. Her mind was stuck at sevent

shed to

It was a sho

to our apartment, hi

to postpone

ped. "Postpon

said any shock could be... detrimen

rocess it. "She thinks... yo

can't tell her the truth. N

p in. "So, what does that me

y styled hair. "It means, for now,

" My voice was b

doctors... they suggested a story. That you'

n. "Liam's girlfriend?

stronger. Please. I need you to do this for me

for stability after losing my parents so yo

.. an

s changes nothing, not rea

ur life, put on pause f

place. They think it's best. And yo

vinc

t to meet you.

words felt like

cruciatingly awkward introduction where Ethan held her hand an

er eyes bright and innocent, fixed on Ethan

h was a blur

es, took her to their old haunts. He was attentive, doting, the cha

d" love. Pictures of them smiling, captioned with #T

told myself it was temp

tful spaces, longing for the stability I was trying to bui

ng in cutting-edge amnesia treatment. I spent hours researching, my hope soaring

ures, my hands shak

room, or what used to be our living roo

ker of something unreadable in his

incredible! They have

sed them on the coffee table, already turnin

e, but I clung to it. He

Ethan's laptop. He'd left it at his office at Cart

ched for the file, I heard voices from the adjoining conf

, you're not going to te

d that used to make my heart flutter

s ago, man. The do-gooder. W

? Liam ha

hings. This is like a dream, man, getting a d

. My bloo

al. "And Ava? What abo

She's got nowhere else to go, really. Once this 'dream' with Chloe runs its course, or s

tef

oston clinic were still

oor beneath me, the city o

e was using Chloe's amnesia, not to protect her, b

ate deception, was a physical

oyalty, my love – it was al

, numb, tears blurring my vi

. Ethan's o

ionist, he ran a different, more intellectually driven arm of the famil

re you

te, broken torrent. "I need to get

The private art gallery of Carter Holdings, usually a place o

teady. "And what if I said I'd marr

momentarily overriding

smissed it, too busy charming everyone. Later, visiting Liam's surprisingly minimalist apartment to drop off some papers f

hing, but it fel

" I managed, my voice trembl

s, Ava. For your strength, your talent, your loyalty. I can't

than the information about the Boston clinic weeks ago.

ad. Liam was a

ueled by pain and a sudden, burning need fo

surprisingly firm. "We get married

lowly. "Wha

t be your

shot up, but he

father is gone, Ethan... Ethan must b

g in his eyes. He saw the symbolic rev

ent, he sai

ing, I pa

in Brooklyn Heights. To make our roles more convin

ribeca loft, Liam's place was elegant, fill

iately, his voice a mix o

Moving in with Liam?

istant. "We need to be convincing, remember? She

hear the irritation. "But this is just for show,

part, Ethan. Jus

before he

, it was on my terms. And Etha

ght. "Just a little longer, babe. This i

ad. I know this is hard.

e agreement Liam had drawn up for us to sign, a pr

my stomach, but now it was mixed with som

ame w