Waking Up to You Overexposed - By Leslie Kelly Page 0,67

hour sitting there, going over everything that had happened, marveling at how her life had changed so very much in just a few short weeks.

And wondering what she was going to do about it.

Finally, seeing it was almost midnight and knowing her sister would be worried, she pulled her phone out of her purse and texted Madison, telling her where she was.

Her sister wrote back immediately. On my way.

She hadn’t asked her twin to come, but of course she’d known she would.

She just hadn’t known she wouldn’t be coming alone. When Madison walked into the café, with Tommy hot on her heels, Candace threw herself back in the booth and groaned. She just wasn’t up for a dramatic scene.

“Oh, honey, are you okay?” Mad asked, sitting beside her and pulling her in for a hug.

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“Jeez, Candy, why the hell didn’t you tell me what was going on?” Tommy took the seat across from her, frowning. “You know I never would have showed up here tonight and made that scene if I’d had any idea you were with some dude.”

“He’s not some dude,” she retorted.

“You really are in love with him,” Tommy said, sounding stunned.

She couldn’t speak; she could only nod.

“Madison said you were, but I didn’t believe her.”

“I can hardly believe it myself,” she admitted. “But it’s true. I’m crazy about him. He’s brilliant and fun and wonderful.” Sniffling, she added, “So wonderful that after he told me he loved me, he gave me up rather than ask me to break my promise to you!”

Tommy’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”

She nodded.

“Oh, Candace, he really is a keeper,” her sister said, gently smoothing her hair back from her tear-streaked face.

“Yeah.” A humorless laugh spilled from her mouth. “And I just threw him back.”

“I’m so sorry,” Tommy said.

She looked at him, her dear friend, seeing in that handsome face the funny little boy who’d liked to do puzzles with her for hours every day. She would do just about anything for him.

Anything but rip her heart out of her chest and let it be completely shredded.

She couldn’t lose Oliver. She just couldn’t.

It was on her lips, a plea for Tommy to understand and let her change her mind. She loved him...he was family, but if she didn’t give her relationship with Oliver a chance, she knew she would regret it until the end of her days.

“Tommy, I...”

“Oh, hell, I’ll do it,” her sister said, cutting her off midsentence.

They both stared at Madison, who was rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest, which looked a bit more impressive than Candace’s had in the glittery red dress.

“You’ll do what?” Candace asked.

“I’ll take your place with Tommy.”

Her heart thumped. “What did you say?”

Tommy’s eyes widened. “Huh?”

“I said I’ll be this big jerk’s fiancée. I’ll move in with him and play the part to the hilt.”

“You can’t be serious,” Candace said. “What about your job? Your new apartment?”

Her sister shrugged. “Actually, I’ve been shifting gears a little. I thought I’d try my hand at screen writing. What better place to be than at all the best parties with all the right people?”

Stunned, Candace tried to wrap her mind around the whole thing. “But who will believe it?”

Waving her left hand, still weighted down by that ring Tommy had slipped on Candace’s hand earlier, Madison said, “He never did introduce me—or you—by name, right? Nobody will know any different. Heck, since I’ve known him just as long as you have, we could say we were childhood sweethearts or something.” Then she stared at her potential bridegroom. “By the way, this is an engagement. Not a marriage. I’ll wear your ring for a year and play adoring wife-to-be. That should take the heat off until you straighten your shit out.”

Tommy’s sparkling eyes said he was seriously considering the offer. Then he confirmed it, saying, “Two years.”

She pursed her lips. Mad was nothing if not a negotiator.

“Eighteen months. We break up Christmas of next year.”

He grinned. “The tabloids will love it. I’ll be all heartbroken and tragic. The Academy will ask me to present.”

“If they do, we’re getting back together,” Madison warned. “And you’re so buying me a Vera Wang gown.”

“Done!”

Tommy stuck his hand out toward Mad. She took it, they shook and sealed the deal.

Candace’s thoughts were reeling. Had that really just happened? Had her sister truly just agreed to take her place in Tommy’s life, leaving Candace free to pursue the man of her dreams? Had the offer really come in