IvyIvy hadn’t spoken a full sentence to Lake since they left the judges’ cabin.Her smile during the group bonfire was all for show. Her laugh? Hollow. Her hands? Jammed into her hoodie pocket, gripping her phone like it could keep her together. She avoided Lake’s eyes, though she could feel them on her constantly, burning, questioning, waiting.He was trying to talk. Of course he was. Trying to joke, trying to touch her arm gently, trying to catch her gaze. She sidestepped each attempt like it physically hurt her.Because it kind of did.She’d overheard him.She hadn’t meant to. She wasn’t even trying to eavesdrop. She was coming back from the lake after clearing her head, about to rejoin the group, when she heard his voice. Low. Quiet. Serious. Talking to one of the other retreat guests, Owen, near the trail.“It was supposed to just be a gig,” Lake had said. “Come here, pretend, get the money. She needed someone to play husband, I needed the cash. That was it.”The words hadn’t ev
Last Updated : 2025-11-07 Read more