All Chapters of The Vows We Fake : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Bellmare Estate reminded me of Zane. Rosewater. Honeysuckle. Old memories. Face to face with the gates that led into the Estate, those are the scents that welcomed me. The iron gates groaned open, leading to a vault of memories I had tried so hard to suppress, memories of Zane and I engaged with dreams of getting married in this same estate. Wedding dress shopping with Rosa, my ex-best friend. Rehearsing our vows, our dance. I let out a breath and stepped through the gates anyway. “Damn,” Leah, my assistant, whistled. Her baby blue eyes widened in amazement. “Some people are rich!” Rich didn’t cover it. Bellmare Estate was magnificent, a dream carved into the hills. There were white stone archways framed by climbing jasmine, a beautiful courtyard that opened into a blue, shining lake. It had not changed in the five years since I had been here. It was the venue we had once dreamed of for our wedding, me and Zane. The one I had circled in bridal magazines. The one I had whispered abo

Zane leaned in further, his lips merely a hairs breadth away from mine. My lips parted open, but I quickly shut them back. “You should step back,” I said, voice shaking. “Now.” “Why?” he whispered. His minty breath fanned my face. “Am I making you nervous, Miss Ibe?” I met his gaze. “No. You’re making me nauseous.” He laughed under his breath. “Was your tongue always this sharp?” “Back off, Zane.” “Speaking of tongues…” he said, his eyes darting downwards to my lips. “Why don’t you let yours caress mine?” He was clearly seducing me, and the worst part was that I wanted to give in. Oh, to be loved and touched by this man. I tried to banish those thoughts. Remember how he left you years ago. And now he’s engaged to someone else. I tried pushing him off me. He held my hand firmly and pushed me back to the wall. “Wrong move,” he growled softly. “You can’t escape.” My chest heaved, rage and heat twining in my throat. Angry words bubbled at the back of my throat, but the words cou

“Put me down,” I hissed, squirming in his arms. “In a minute.” His voice was all gravel and silk, and I could feel the tension in his biceps as he adjusted his grip. My arms instinctively looped around his neck. The scent of his cologne ,cedar and something darker, curled in my lungs like smoke. His jaw was set, unreadable, as he carried me down the corridor, past wide windows and closed doors, finally pushing open the one at the end of the hall. A guest room. Warm, minimal, and private. He set me down on the edge of the bed, surprisingly gentle. Then he pressed his thumb just under the curve of my ankle again, massaging gently. My lips parted at the feel of it, at how his touch was simultaneously careful and firm, clinical and maddening. I hated that it felt good. I hated that I wanted to keep watching his lashes lower every time he focused on a tender spot. “You’re enjoying this too much,” I muttered. “Only a little. Your face goes all flushed when you're mad at me.” “Jokes on

As I was walking around the Estate, I noticed a particular way people looked it me. Weird, strange, pitiful. I wasn’t just imagining it. They all knew. Word spreads, and it spread fast. I think I perhaps may have underestimated the power of the past and of memories. Every media savvy person would know about me and Zane’s failed relationship, and gossip spreads like a wildfire. Curiosity was etched in their gazes, and I knew they were looking out for any sign to show that I was crumbling. Former bride-to-be turned wedding planner. And then, the rumors. The elephant in the room. There were whispers everywhere. “He doesn’t remember anything before the accident,” one of the coordinators whispered to another when they thought I was out of earshot. “Total blackout. Poor man.” “He’s lucky he doesn’t remember the scandal,” the other whispered back. “Imagine waking up to your entire legacy in ruins.” “And the wedding planner, isn’t she the one who…” the voice cut off. “Yeah. The mixed la

“Hello?” Sera asked. “Who is out there?” I rushed to hide just before Sera’s head poked out of the room. She scanned the area, lips flowing as she didn’t see anyone in the corridor. She went back in and shut the door completely. I took a deep breath and let it out. That was a close call. I was so thankful they didn’t see me. But as I walked away, their words echoed like a second heartbeat in my head. He doesn’t even remember her... I barely felt my heels click against the marble floor as I made my way back toward the planning suite. If it were just Zane's odd behavior, I might have doubted myself. But now, with Sera and Mr. Wade basically confirming it, how could I? Zane Blackwood, the man who once knew me better than I knew myself and traced constellations across my bare skin... had forgotten me? I felt the tears gathering in my eyes. But I wouldn’t cry. Not again. I had cried enough five years ago to last a lifetime. ## Later that afternoon, I was alone in the west wing, wal