damn penis deely-bobbers. Because your dad won’t let her handle heavy equipment.”
“Wow.” I let that churn around in my head. “I never knew Jamie and Toni thought our parents loved me better.”
“Well it’s about damn time you all sit down and talked it out.”
“I guess it is.” An ocean of strange feelings sloshes inside me. I’m happy and devastated and so, so in love. I lean against the kitchen counter and stare at her, drinking in the sight of her. “I’ve missed you so much I was sick, Sienna. I hope I didn’t take too long to come back, but Angus told me to stop calling you, and I thought you maybe needed some time. But you know all of my secrets now. You know why I was such a little asshole on my tenth birthday, and you know the truth about me giving your mother that money.”
“Oh, right, Linda.” Sienna lets out a small, bitter chuckle. “She’s fine, by the way. She called me up, spewed out a bunch of unbelievable lies, and we had a final blow-out.” She makes a sour face. “I think she’s involved with Liam Ferguson, like literally involved. Having an affair with him. Also, I think I overreacted when you told me what you’d done. I know you were trying to help me, and I’ve never said thank you for bailing us out. You really, really should have told me as soon as we got fake-married, and certainly as soon as we started sleeping together. But we’ll talk about that later. There is one last secret you’ve been keeping.”
“What’s that?”
“Why the heck did you really marry me, Donovan?”
“You have to ask?” I smile and shake my head in bemusement. “Sienna Verona Witlocke, you’re usually smarter than that. I married you for the same reason I’ve kept tabs on you all these years and the same reason I paid for your college tuition. I’ve been in love with you since the day I first saw you. You were five, and we were on the playground at Greenvale Park. I knew then that I was going to marry you. I told my dad. You can imagine how well he took it. But my feelings never changed, and somehow, no matter how badly I screwed things up between us, I could never truly let you go. That’s why I reached out and told you about Simon. The thought of you marrying another man? It made me homicidal. Maybe if he’d been a good man, I’d have…I don’t know. God forgive me, but I’m glad he was a douchebag.”
She moves closer and sniffles. My Sienna is coming back to me. She’s letting me in. Finally. I can breathe.
“I love you too,” she whispers. “You make me feel like I can do anything. You make me feel smart and strong and protected. Losing you was like losing a limb. It was a never-ending ache.”
“Let’s never be this stupid again.” I reach out and wrap my arms around her and crush her up against me in a mighty hug.
“Oof. Love hurts.”
I loosen my grip just a little, and she tips her head back up to stare at me.
“Wait a minute,” I say. “There’s one last secret. I wasn’t telling you the whole truth about why I was in the parking lot of the Wine Knot Wedding Chapel the day we got married. I mean, I would have come to town at some point to set up that equipment for my family, but when I heard about the deal with you marrying Jonathon, I flew to Greenvale so fast I think I left scorch marks in the sky. Given how you and I had officially been enemies since you were eight, I couldn’t really tell you how I felt. I mean, I didn’t really let myself feel what I felt. I didn’t dare let myself dream of a future with you, I just acted on instinct. And…okay, this is kind of embarrassing.”
Her lips curve up in a grin. “In that case, you definitely have to tell me.”
“I used a phone-spoofing service that makes it look like you’re sending text messages from any number you choose. I pretended I was Jonathon, and texted Mia to meet him in the ladies’ room. I knew he’d always had a crush on her. I sabotaged the wedding. Are you mad?”
“Holy… Oh my God.” She starts laughing. “Whoa. That is some next-level shenanigans there. I’m astonished, but I guess I’m not mad. As long as you