get a good look at his face, and I was surprised to find that something protective shown in his eyes.
“You should take a breath,” he said in a soft voice. “Calm down for a moment. You're so distracted that you're blind to what's right in front of you. I don't know who your boyfriend is, what the bastard did to hurt you, or why you thought I'd be the solution to all your problems, but you need to calm down before you go inside.” His words were sincere, hardly expected from a big guy like him.
“Ex,” I corrected.
“Who cares? A woman in a red dress came into my bar tonight, and never in my life had I seen someone with so much confidence or command over a room. Where is that woman now? Get it together, Maggie. I know you're stronger than this.”
He stood over me, unmoving, while his relentless eyes continued to hold my gaze. I took in a couple of deep breaths, trying to decide if I should be flattered or angry by his comments. Never before had I been spoken to like that—at least not by a stranger. His honesty was brutal and I finally landed on angry.
“I'm fine,” I assured him through gritted teeth. “You can let go now. And don't ask any more questions because I'm done answering them. Peaches?”
“I still don't understand what that means.”
“It means let go of my arm—please.”
I yanked away and this time, he let me break free without a fight. It had been a mistake bringing him. A big one, I decided. I couldn't believe Dean had the audacity to grab me in public like that. No one had seen us—everyone was inside—but still. I rushed for the door, planning to leave him outside, but he kept close as if nothing strange had just happened, walking inside with me.
“Since you're still determined to be my date, there's one last thing you need to know,” I whispered to him as we entered. “My ex, Andrew Wellington, will be here tonight with his new girlfriend. Oh, and just a head’s up…his new girlfriend is my twin.”
CHAPTER 2
CLARA
I hated grass. Loathed it. And everything it represented.
With his sweaty fingers laced through mine, Andrew Wellington led me down the fairway of the sixteenth hole. If Dad knew I was out here at night—trespassing and trudging all over his precious golf course in my stilettos—he'd shit a brick. Maybe even a whole house. I didn't care. I dug my heels harder into the grass. Except with my luck, I was probably only helping to aerate the damn stuff.
The only comforting thought at the moment was that one day I'd move someplace far, far away—Arizona, specifically—where the yards were made of pebbles instead of sickeningly perfect grass. I'd leave everything behind and never come back. I didn't necessarily want to cut ties with my family, just everything else that came with being a Ryder. I already had an escape plan in the works, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before I worked up the courage to actually carry it out.
“It's beautiful out here at night, isn't it?” my sister's ex-boyfriend asked. My identical twin’s ex-boyfriend of four years, to be exact. Whom I was currently dating. Or pretending to date.
He released my hand from its damp captivity and strolled a few paces ahead of me. He stood and gazed around like a total weirdo, a huge unexplained smile on his lips. It was only a golf course, for goodness’ sake—not freaking Disney World. Maybe I would admit, and only if someone twisted my arm, that most normal people might agree with Andrew. The crickets chirped. The stars twinkled. The overhead spotlights illuminated the course in a way that regular sunlight just couldn't. And something about the stillness amplified everything. Except, I just couldn't see the beauty that I knew was smack-dab in front of my face. Or even if I could see, I damn well couldn’t appreciate it.
Summer break officially started ten days ago. I'd successfully finished my junior year at Virginia Tech, and while most of my friends were off tackling their
“You should take a breath,” he said in a soft voice. “Calm down for a moment. You're so distracted that you're blind to what's right in front of you. I don't know who your boyfriend is, what the bastard did to hurt you, or why you thought I'd be the solution to all your problems, but you need to calm down before you go inside.” His words were sincere, hardly expected from a big guy like him.
“Ex,” I corrected.
“Who cares? A woman in a red dress came into my bar tonight, and never in my life had I seen someone with so much confidence or command over a room. Where is that woman now? Get it together, Maggie. I know you're stronger than this.”
He stood over me, unmoving, while his relentless eyes continued to hold my gaze. I took in a couple of deep breaths, trying to decide if I should be flattered or angry by his comments. Never before had I been spoken to like that—at least not by a stranger. His honesty was brutal and I finally landed on angry.
“I'm fine,” I assured him through gritted teeth. “You can let go now. And don't ask any more questions because I'm done answering them. Peaches?”
“I still don't understand what that means.”
“It means let go of my arm—please.”
I yanked away and this time, he let me break free without a fight. It had been a mistake bringing him. A big one, I decided. I couldn't believe Dean had the audacity to grab me in public like that. No one had seen us—everyone was inside—but still. I rushed for the door, planning to leave him outside, but he kept close as if nothing strange had just happened, walking inside with me.
“Since you're still determined to be my date, there's one last thing you need to know,” I whispered to him as we entered. “My ex, Andrew Wellington, will be here tonight with his new girlfriend. Oh, and just a head’s up…his new girlfriend is my twin.”
CHAPTER 2
CLARA
I hated grass. Loathed it. And everything it represented.
With his sweaty fingers laced through mine, Andrew Wellington led me down the fairway of the sixteenth hole. If Dad knew I was out here at night—trespassing and trudging all over his precious golf course in my stilettos—he'd shit a brick. Maybe even a whole house. I didn't care. I dug my heels harder into the grass. Except with my luck, I was probably only helping to aerate the damn stuff.
The only comforting thought at the moment was that one day I'd move someplace far, far away—Arizona, specifically—where the yards were made of pebbles instead of sickeningly perfect grass. I'd leave everything behind and never come back. I didn't necessarily want to cut ties with my family, just everything else that came with being a Ryder. I already had an escape plan in the works, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before I worked up the courage to actually carry it out.
“It's beautiful out here at night, isn't it?” my sister's ex-boyfriend asked. My identical twin’s ex-boyfriend of four years, to be exact. Whom I was currently dating. Or pretending to date.
He released my hand from its damp captivity and strolled a few paces ahead of me. He stood and gazed around like a total weirdo, a huge unexplained smile on his lips. It was only a golf course, for goodness’ sake—not freaking Disney World. Maybe I would admit, and only if someone twisted my arm, that most normal people might agree with Andrew. The crickets chirped. The stars twinkled. The overhead spotlights illuminated the course in a way that regular sunlight just couldn't. And something about the stillness amplified everything. Except, I just couldn't see the beauty that I knew was smack-dab in front of my face. Or even if I could see, I damn well couldn’t appreciate it.
Summer break officially started ten days ago. I'd successfully finished my junior year at Virginia Tech, and while most of my friends were off tackling their
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