Page 78 of Just One Spark

I sighed heavily."Jane wanted to host a contest where single ladies vied to win a bath with me.I didn't want to deal with that, so I said I was engaged."

"You were living with her," Beck hissed.

"When her apartment was declared uninhabitable, I offered her a place to stay.It's what any good fiancé would do."

"And the rest of it?Dinner at the family's.Kissing in your truck.I've heard the rumors.I've seen you together.It sure as hell didn't look fake."

I sighed."It's complicated.At some point, it became something more.But neither of us told the other how we felt.I planned to talk to her tonight.Then Boone showed me that article."

"It's all anyone is talking about."

"What do you want me to do?Do you want me to leave?"

He shook his head."This is your night."

"The story is bigger than the brewery.There's no way I can spin it in a way that it won't affect the business.”

He raised a brow."Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"My entire world was falling apart, and he wanted me to do something.I was happy to help, but I wasn't sure that there was a fix for this.

"You said there was something between you and Hattie.Maybe you can tell them it was real," Beck said.

"I just told her to leave."I'd broken whatever we had.

Beck lowered his arms."Rowan, how do you feel about Hattie?Is she just a hookup, or?—"

"Don't talk about her like that," I said, feeling like I was strung tight and would explode at any moment.I'd just sent the woman I loved away, and it was tearing me up inside."I was planning on telling her how I felt tonight.I had a gift for her and everything."

"You were going to tell her that you loved her?"His voice was slow and cautious.

I blew out a breath."It doesn't matter."

Beck gave me a look."Why wouldn't it matter?"

"Because everyone knows that our engagement was fake.We'd planned to break up after the grand opening anyway.Hattie played her part, and now it’s over.It was a waste of time."

Beck rested his hand on my shoulder."But how do you feel about her?"

I thought about how it felt to have her at my side on Christmas Day, the night we shared at the bath, and the nights we fell into bed together."I love her."

"Why didn't you tell her that?"

"Because everyone thinks it's fake.That it was just a story we made up."

"But that's not the truth, is it?"

I let my head fall back and sighed."What do you want me to do?"

"Exactly what you were going to do before the story was printed.Tell Hattie how you feel."Beck's voice was forceful.

"It's too late.She already left."I felt defeated.

"Let me see if Clara can find her."Beck ducked out the door, and I sat heavily in my chair.Tonight was supposed to be a happy night.The night my dreams came true, when the brewery officially opened and the night I finally told Hattie how I felt.

I pulled up the article and read it.I needed to know what Jane was saying about us.Thankfully, it was only the part about the engagement being fake.The rest of it was how Hattie was staying with me while her apartment was under construction.How I'd been seen at her truck, serving customers.

My phone buzzed.