Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
“We already did. And then I was assigned to deal with you. It’s not been so bad, though, right, Mr. Landers?”
“No.” I grin just a little. “Not so bad.”
I search the waiting room for Delaney as we pass by. When I don’t see her, I focus forward. Nurse Edi rolls me outside and then stops on the sidewalk. “Time to say goodbye.”
Standing, I look at her. Maybe I judged her wrong. “Goodbye, Nurse.”
“Take care, Mr. Landers. Put some frozen peas on that black eye tonight and watch where you’re going.”
“Good advice. I’ll make sure to heed it next time I cross the street.”
Her boisterous laughter echoes under the hospital awning. “You do that.” She starts back with the wheelchair but stops. “She probably won’t tell you, but Mrs. Landers never left the hospital, not even when you were in surgery recovery. She was here all night, worried about you. Thought you should know. Not everyone has someone who cares about them like she does you.”
She stays all night, but then leaves when I’m released? I’m really fucking confused. Nurse Edi has already retreated inside when I turn to figure out my next step.
The streets of New York are unforgiving—windy and dusty, with people annoyed when I dare step outside and in their path. The sun has set, though the warmth of spring still holds on past daylight hours.
If I knew Jimmy’s number, I’d call him, but my bad for not memorizing phone numbers when I have them programmed instead.
“Warner?”
My gaze follows the sound of my name to see Delaney standing with a door open in front of her. Her skirt wraps around the corner while she holds her hair back from blowing in her face. I can’t say she’s not a welcome sight, even despite wondering what game she’s playing with my head. I start walking toward her. No use fighting this. Home is where I need to be recovering with my phone and in my bed. When I reach her, I say, “Homeward bound, dear?”
The smile I would expect from my wife doesn’t appear. She’s quick to duck into the car and slide across the seat to wait for me. With lingering grogginess, my brain isn’t fully functioning. I have a headache coming on, and my body is lethargic. I get into the car, but don’t say anything, choosing to lie back to conserve what little energy I have.
The car pulls away from the curb like he already knows where he’s going. Suspicious indeed. One way or another, I guess I’m about to find out if she’s for real or not.
CHAPTER 5
Delaney
Warner Landers has a life. A prestigious CEO job and thriving career, from what I dug up online. He has too many friends to consider them all close, and his family is always present at the events he attends. All according to Page Six in the New York Times. He’s surrounded by people who appear to care about him, yet not a single person showed up at the hospital.
No one worried about him.
No one missed him in his absence.
Even the friend he was with before the accident wasn’t there to check on him.
After talking to the nurses, no one even called for Warner.
I shouldn’t care, but I might be the only one. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help with my predicament. I can’t afford to walk through the prime real estate of Tribeca, much less dream of ever standing in the “foyer,” as he called it, of his penthouse apartment.
He stops at the end of the short hall ahead and looks back at me. “Is everything okay?”
“Fine.” Nodding, I force my feet forward to continue playing this charade until I come up with another plan. I slipped into being his wife a little too seamlessly at the hospital. Without even really trying, which should worry me. But the pieces fell into place so easily. When I was given his wallet, his home address was on his driver’s license, so I entered it into the app before I returned it.
I expected more questions, but he didn’t ask one. The silence on the drive over became anxiety-inducing. I thought for sure he was going to call me out, but he never did. Is he playing with me, or does he really not remember if I’m his wife?
I shouldn’t feel insulted that I’m so easily forgotten, though ounces of injury to my pride seep through my veins. Pride is the last thing worth saving. So I used the ride to figure out my next move but came up empty. Except for one idea, an absolutely terrible one at that. No. I can’t. I shouldn’t.
Could I?
As I reach the end of the hall, perfect lighting greets me, highlighting the best features in this large room. Before I can stop it, my jaw drops. “My entire apartment could fit inside this one sp—” I stop, clamping my mouth closed, realizing I’m exposing myself as the fraud I am.