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He gave hi her childhood sweetheart, Daniel Barnwell, as we speak’

Aiesha frowned ‘Doesn’t that upset you? That she moved on so quickly?’

James was pleasantly surprised it didn’t upset hi for years They’d only broken up a couple of months before I came on the scene’

She gave hi, fat favour then’

He searched her features for a beat, wondering if she felt anything of the confusion he was currently feeling Their relationship was a complex mix of reality and pretence It felt real when he held her, kissed her, made love to her

She was a complex mix of reality and pretence

For years she had been the ene any opportunity to score points against hioaded him How much of that was real and howa sweet and sensitive soul behind that brash in-your-face attitude? Or was she too daed and hardened from the past? What did she think of hi for hi him like she used everyone else?

‘What will you do when our relationship comes to an end?’ he asked

She gave a little shrug of one shoulder ‘Find a new job Not in Vegas Maybe on a cruise ship or soht uy who’ll cark it after a few ave him a slanted smile ‘How cool would that be?’

Ja his buttons Ga she wasn’t He could see through it now It was all an act A charade ‘You don’t mean that’

She walked towards the bathrooait ‘Sure I do’

‘I don’t believe you,’ he said ‘You want everyone to think the worst of you because deep down you believe you deserve it But that’s not who you are, Aiesha You’re not the bad girl everyone thinks you are My h it Don’t insultyou’re not’

Her look was all glittering defiance and her tilted smile all worldly mockery as she stood fraht have sent the first tweet but you’re the one who took it a step further by setting up this pretend engagement At least I have the honesty to call it by its real na A slinted so every filthy minute of it’

Ja click