The hospital feels colder than usual, and I'm glad I brought a sweater. I slip my arms through the cotton sleeves and wrap it around me, wishing I could disappear inside the fibers.

Unfortunately, hiding isn't an option.

As the elevator whisks me toward the sixth floor, I take the opportunity to give myself a pep talk. "You can do this, Molly. You're a big girl and you can admit when you're wrong—even when you've been deceiving a perfectly innocent and loving family who don't deserve to be on the receiving end of your sordid web of lies."

The older couple in the elevator stare at me like I've sprouted a second head. Worse still, I don't feel any better.

As soon as the elevator opens, the couple hurries out, but my muscles stiffen like rigor mortis. I stand there for so long trying to convince my feet to move, that the doors begin their slow slide shut. I suck in a breath and thrust my arm forward, reluctantly stepping into the hall.

Okay, this is it. I'm going to march into Valentino's room and tell everyone present all the despicable things I've been up to. They're going to be livid. And no matter what they do in retaliation, I'll grit my teeth and accept the punishment like the pathetic criminal that I am.

Or maybe I'll run like hell.

With a confidence I don't feel, I stride past a group of medical students and through the ICU, straight to my destination. But when I get there, the room is...empty. Except for Valentino, who's resting peacefully in his bed like some magnificent, gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty.

My shoulders sink.

Here, I've been preparing to accept my fate in front of the entire De la Mora family, but now Valentino's alone for possibly the first time since his admission. I came with a planned speech, damn it! I spent the entire day rehearsing it in my head, and now there's no one around to hear it.

Figures.

Blowing out a breath, I enter the room and slide a chair over to Valentino's bed. As I settle into the cushion, I'm unable to take my eyes off him. He's so beautiful he doesn't even look real. It should be illegal for any one person to inherit so many flawless traits.

He could have easily been sculpted by the famous Michelangelo. The angles of his cheeks and jawline are precise and razor-sharp. His dark brows are rounded, the bridge of his nose strong. And his glossy black hair sweeps away from his face as if it's been styled by a professional.

Even if his family isn't here, I owe him a major apology.

A white blanket is pulled to his chest, while his arms lay on top along his sides. I take a moment to straighten the sheets, even though they don't need it.

"Hey, Valentino. It's me—Molly Simpson. I'm the one who's taking care of Sonny while you're here. He's a keeper, by the way. I hate the thought of giving him back. It's kind of nice having him around."

My fingers drum against the edge of my chair. "So, I guess you probably want to know why I keep showing up at the hospital. It's silly, really. Maybe one day, you'll even be able to laugh about it." I clear my throat and shift closer to his bed. "For the past few weeks, the road crew I'm assigned to has been working on the street outside your condo. Every afternoon, I would watch you come out onto your balcony, and for reasons I'm sure I don't have to explain, it became the highlight of my day. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a Roman god?"

I shake my head and force myself back on track.

"Anyway... I was there when you were hit by the car. When the paramedics arrived to take you to the hospital, I was worried I'd never see you again. So, I did the only thing I could think of—I told them we were engaged."

It's like someone flips on the heat, and an uncomfortable clamminess fans across my skin. I wiggle out of my sweater and lay it next to me in the chair.

"I promise, I never meant to take it this far. I only wanted to make sure you were okay. But then your family showed up, and the nurse told them we were engaged, and your mom started talking about grand-babies—and oh my God, do you have any idea how much she wants grand-babies? I just didn't have the heart to tell them it wasn't true." I suck in a breath and let it leak slowly through my lips. "But then I met Leo and everything changed."

At the mention of his name, a pleasant sensation unfurls in my chest.

"I knew I liked him, but that dance—that dance was it for me." I swallow hard and reach for Valentino's hand. "You have the most amazing family, but Leo is something special. He's very special, actually. I wish we hadn't met this way because I think I could fall in love with him. And I really, really want to fall in love with him."

A tear slips down my cheek and I wipe it away.

"The only thing is, I don't know how he feels about me. Sometimes I think he likes me and other times I'm not so sure. Either way, it doesn't matter, because I need to make this right. I can't live with the lies." My stomach clenches at what I'm about to say. "So, even though your family will probably hate me, I came here to tell them the truth. And just my luck, they're not even—"

"Molly, we weren't expecting you!" a voice says from behind.

When I look over my shoulder, Marisol and Alejandro are standing in the door. I swipe my hands over my cheeks and stand to greet them. As soon as Marisol realizes I've been crying, she folds me into a hug.

"Oh, you poor thing." Her breath smells like coffee. When she pulls away, she gives me a sad smile. "I've been so busy worrying about Val and planning the twins' birthday, I never stopped to think about how hard this must be for you. Alejandro, run back to the cafeteria and get Molly something to drink."

"What would you like, Molly? There's juice, soda, coffee," he says, ticking off the items on his fingers. "Or I can go out and get something else if you'd prefer?"

I choke back a laugh and once again wipe my eyes. "I'm fine, thank you. I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

Another familiar face peeks inside the room. When she takes in the scene, her face goes pale. "Oh, no. Is everything okay? Hurry up, Luis!" she calls out behind her.

Leo's mother barrels through the door with a man, who I'm assuming is her husband, in tow.

"Val's doing fine," Alejandro says in a soothing voice. "We're just a little emotional today." He gives me a discreet wink.

Someone else sneaks in as everyone's exchanging hellos. Only this guy, I don't recognize. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" he says with an English accent.

He's young—maybe thirty—and wearing tailored pants, a collared shirt, and an uncertain expression. He's so put-together in a business-casual sort of way, he could have jumped off the pages of a clothing catalog.

"Not at all. Please come in." Marisol smiles and gestures for us to make more room. "My name's Marisol, I'm Val's mother. This is Alejandro, his father. And you are?"

"I'm sorry, where are manners?" He pushes a manicured hand through his impeccably styled hair. "My name is Dylan Payne. I'm a friend of Valentino's. I would have come sooner, but I've been in Milan." When he looks toward the bed, his perfect brows crinkle with concern. "How is he?"

Marisol gazes at her son. "His tests all come back fine. Now, we're just waiting for him to wake up."

I tune out their conversation.

Now that the family's here, I can finally tell them the truth. I'm mostly terrified, but a small part of me is ready for relief. Then as soon as I come clean, I'm going to find Leo and tell him how I feel. I just hope he can forgive me for using his poor, unsuspecting cousin...

I glance over at Valentino's bed. He's still resting comfortably, but at least now his eyes are open.

Wait a minute.

His eyes are open.

I suck in a strangled gasp. "Valentino...?"

Everyone stills.

"Hijo?" His mother pushes her way to the bed and clamps down on his hand. "Oh my goodness, can you hear me?"

Valentino nods.

Marisol shrieks. "Praise the Lord, it's a miracle! How do you feel?"

There's a pause. And then, "I feel...good."

"I'm sure this is all overwhelming," Alejandro says as he moves to the other side of the bed. "Now, I don't want to worry you, but you were involved in a small accident. On the outside, you're fine—barely even a scratch. But you've been unconscious for days. Your brain scans look great, but the doctors are worried you may have some trouble with your memory."

"Do you remember trying to cross the street?" Marisol asks, her voice unsteady as she lovingly pats his hand.

Valentino thinks for a moment, then shakes his head.

Alejandro joins in. "Do you remember getting hit by the car?"

Another shake of his head.

A swallow moves down Marisol's throat. "Do you know who we are, hijo?"

Valentino's dark gaze moves around the room. "Mamá. Papá. Aunt Isabel and Uncle Luis." A funny expression flashes across his face. "And that's Dylan Payne."

Finally, his eyes meet mine. But he says nothing.

And still...nothing.

My heart pounds so hard I'm afraid it's going to explode through my chest and spray tiny chunks of my insides across the room.

The jig is up. As soon as Valentino opens his mouth, this impossible charade will be over.

"Val, honey?" Marisol urges in a gentle tone. "Do you know who she is?"

All eyes turn to me.

My face is on fire.

"She's..." Valentino stops. He throws a quick glance at Dylan before giving me a hesitant smile. "This is Molly Simpson—my fiance."

🌴

OMG, I'm trying y'all! I have no idea what my word count is but I know I'm over 20K, which in itself is a small victory. I'm still not convinced I'm going to make this deadline, and I know my writing is suffering on account from trying—but dang, I want to finish on time! Afterward, I'll go back and fix this giant mess.

Congratulations once again to all who have made it so far, and best of luck to everyone. Thank you for reading! 🧡🧡🧡