Aidan shook his head when he saw the way Anah was still staring at his brother as the door swung shut behind Ethan. "She still likes you, you know."
Ethan shrugged. "Anah knows the real score between us."
"And you're absolutely sure of that?" Thornton asked bluntly.
"Not a single doubt about it." Ethan could tell his brothers didn't believe him, but he was actually telling them the truth. These days, it was Ethan himself - and not Anah - who was struggling to remember the real score, Ethan himself whose own lines were beginning to blur about what he should and shouldn't feel.
ANAH'S HEART SECRETLY couldn't stop singing in the next couple of days. One of the best things about their little set of rules was that Anah still retained the right to see Ethan whenever she wanted, and so for the whole week, saw him she did. She would be shopping for some groceries, and he would happen to be there, too. She would be in a meeting with other students at the diner near her university, and he would be there having his lunch, too.
Anah literally just had to name the time, date, and place, and Ethan would show up without fail. It was bliss really, except for one thing.
"You are so amazingly resilient," Farica told her when Anah came over to the cafe to have brunch.
Anah blinked in confusion. "Resilient?"
"I was talking to Frankie the other day—-"
"Gossiping, I think you mean to say," Slade drawled from the other end of the bar, and Anah had to bite the insides of her cheek just to keep herself from smiling.
"Anyway," Farica said loudly even as she shot her business partner a glare. "Frankie told me she saw you in church last Sunday—-"
"Um..."
"And that Ethan was seated next to you," Farica said meaningfully.
"Oh."
"I personally don't think it's right that he hangs out with you all the time," Farica said with a frown, "knowing how you feel about him. If you need me to talk to Ethan..."
Anah was filled with guilt by the time she left the cafe and was walking back to work. She had honestly thought she and Ethan were being discreet, but obviously not.
She took her iPhone out and quickly began typing.
Anah: I have a confession.
Ethan: Everyone thinks I'm the kind of jerk who gets a kick out of leading you on.
Anah: Oh God. I'm so sorry! :( How long have you known?
Ethan: Long enough to worry about going deaf. Aidan's been reading me the riot act every chance he gets.
Anah: I am so, so sorry. I promise I won't be so selfish anymore after this.
Ethan: Then I'll be the one who's sorry.
Anah didn't dare let herself reply to this. It was one thing to indulge her need to see and be with Ethan. But it was another thing entirely to fool herself into thinking that he felt the same about her.
Because he didn't, Anah reminded herself, so stop fantasizing!
Chapter Nine
Redwood Cafe welcomed its newest employee the next week, and the 24-year-old waitress turned out to be an unexpected blessing in Anah's life. For starters, Kady happened to be the first girl the cafe hired who hadn't fallen head over heels the moment she laid her eyes on her future boss. Rather, she was the opposite. Kady appeared most nervous and shy around Slade, and the pair's interactions had become the town's current source of amusement.
Anah felt bad for Kady, really. Although she had heard the others talk about Slade's womanizing past, she had never been really able to imagine such a thing. He had never been anything but nice and brotherly towards her, just like the twins, so when even Ethan had warned her about Slade, Anah had only laughed this off.
Slade was a good guy. She would've even gone as far as describing the cafe owner as the gentleman next door...until that one day she had been at the cafe and really saw the billionaire in action.
The way he had teased and tormented poor Kady...
The memory had Anah mentally dedicating a prayer for the older girl. She owed Kady a big one, after all. Thanks to Redwood Cafe's newest employee, most everyone in town no longer paid any attention to Anah and Ethan, and because of that very reason...
Bliss, Anah thought with a happy little sigh as she swung down from her horse.
Ethan smiled at the sight of Anah's shining eyes. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
Anah could only nod. She didn't trust herself to speak yet, with her heart still racing like mad. Ethan had borrowed a pair of horses from Raj's stable for tonight's ride, and they had made sure to slip out just as their friends were busy either cooking supper or having a meal at the cafe.
One of Hartland's best-kept secrets was a scenic trail at the back of the town, and lamp posts that automatically switched on at night ensured the path remained well-lit all the way to the top of a gently rolling hill.
The perfect picnic spot awaited them at their destination, and Anah's breath caught. From where she was standing, she could see the whole of Hartland, and it was the loveliest sight.
Anah knelt down and spread their picnic blanket on the soft, dewy grass while Ethan untied the picnic hamper from his horse.
"You didn't bring any book with you?" Ethan asked as he sat next to her.
Anah hesitated then asked impulsively, "Do you want to know the truth?"
Ethan frowned. "You don't like reading after all?"
A small laugh escaped her. "That's not what I lied about."
"Then?"
"Didn't you ever wonder why I never switched to ebooks?"
"You've always been a little old-fashioned," Ethan answered half-seriously.
Anah made a face but was unable to argue his point.
"What did you lie about?" Ethan asked finally.
"I was reading the books," Anah confessed, "but they were also for decoy."
"You had another book hidden behind it?"
"Nope." Anah could no longer stop grinning now, realizing
