Fauxmance (Showmance #2)(15)

“P-pardon?”

Julian took a step closer, eyes wandering over my features keenly. I knew what he saw: a bookish version of Elodie, her complete opposite with the same face.

“I was wondering if you have a sister?”

Looking past him, Bernice was chatting casually with the woman Julian had come in with. I’d been stacking books, but as soon as I heard his voice, I panicked. How the hell had he found me? I ran back through my memories of the morning. Feeling too nervous to keep up the act, I made my excuses to Suze and left the café before Julian returned from his phone call. He’d gone outside, so he must’ve seen me leaving. Had he followed me?

Why on earth would he follow me?

And to top things off, the woman he came with had asked for the latest Sasha Orlando book.

My book.

My career as an author wasn’t something I advertised, mainly because I was a hermit and too socially phobic to do appearances. My dad and brothers were the only people who knew I was a writer.

I had a pen name, and nobody knew what E.S. Grant looked like. Funnily enough, it seemed to add mystery and increase book sales. And conspiracy theories. Lots of people thought that Sasha was a real person, the books more fact than fiction. If you looked on the internet, you could find speculation galore, which made me wonder if Julian was one of those people.

He’d never told me his profession.

It was very possible that he was a journalist himself, or a blogger out to seek the truth.

Too panicked to think straight, I answered, “Yes, I do have a sister. W-why?”

He took a step forward. “Her name wouldn’t happen to be Elodie?”

I took a step back. “Do you know her?”

To Julian, I must’ve sounded edgy and mistrustful. On the inside, I was scrambling for a way to get out of this mess. I knew there were only two viable options: come clean about everything, or, lie and pretend I was Elodie’s sister. Obviously, being me, I took the coward’s route.

I could wriggle my way out of it…eventually. If he came looking for Elodie again, I’d tell him she died in a helicopter crash. Or got struck by lightning. Or was inducted into a religious cult. Fell down a well.

Julian’s eyes danced, as though he were thoroughly amused by the thought of Elodie having a sister who was so unlike her.

“We’re acquainted, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you…Ellen, wasn’t it?”

“Uh huh.” I tugged at the sleeve of my shirt. I needed this interaction to end now. “Well, I’ll let Elodie know I bumped into you, but I have to get back to work, so…”

“Julian. Tell her you bumped into Julian.”

“Okay.”

“Are you twins?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Do we look like twins?”

“You could be fraternal twins, but really, the resemblance in your facial features is uncanny.”

“We’re not twins. I’m her younger sister,” I blurted, my deep-seated addiction for making up stories tumbling out. I should just shut up and let him leave, but there was something alluring about Julian. The sparkly light behind his eyes pulled me in.

“Ah, I see. Yes, you do strike me as the younger sister, but funnily, I recall her telling me she only had two brothers.”

Oh crap, I had said that, hadn’t I?

I needed to start keeping better track of my stories. Elodie’s stories. That was the problem with being a dirty deceiver. Eventually, you started to drown under all the lies.

I forced a casual tone. “Right. She doesn’t like to tell people about me. We don’t exactly get along very well.”

“Oh, and why is that?” Julian asked, his lips forming a scandalised pout. “Did you sleep with her teenage boyfriend? You seem like the type.”

His teasing surprised a laugh out of me. “I also stole her signed poster of The Backstreet Boys, so we’re basically enemies for life now.”

His answering smile was beautiful, and I was internally impressed with myself for managing to conduct this conversation without swooning and/or fainting.

“Ems for life, huh? Sounds serious. Now I’m glad I don’t have any siblings.”

“Yep, you’re pretty lucky,” I said, nodding awkwardly.

“Julian, are you coming?” his friend called from where she stood at the front of the shop. I was fairly sure she wasn’t his girlfriend, since he’d been coming on pretty strong with Elodie at Suze’s apartment.

He glanced in her direction then brought his mesmerising gaze back to me. “Looks like I’m wanted. It was great meeting you, Ellen. Try not to sleep with any more of your sister’s boyfriends. Actually, strike that. If I ever manage to convince her to date me, feel free to work your seductive charms.” He waggled his brows and again, I laughed. I knew he wasn’t flirting with me. He was being friendly because he wanted to get with Elodie, my alter ego, and now, fake sister.

“Right, I’ll keep that in mind.”

With one last parting grin, he went and linked his friend’s arm, then left the shop. I slumped back against a bookshelf and tried to catch my breath. The panic that had been racing through my body made me feel like I’d just run a marathon.

But then it transformed into something else, something that zinged through me, a heady rush.

I felt…oddly powerful.