Four Week Fiance (Four Week Fiance #1)(50)

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“So, what did you want to talk about?” I crossed my arms and looked at TJ as we walked down the corridor.

“Not much,” he said, looking amused.

“Just come out with it, TJ. I know you hired Troy.”

“Troy—your boyfriend?” TJ looked shocked. “How could I hire your boyfriend? The man that you love?”

“You know I do not love Troy.” I glared at him as we walked into the living room.

“How am I supposed to know that?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Last night wouldn’t have happened,” I said, my face red.

“What happened last night that wouldn’t have happened?” he said with a grin, as he licked his lips.

“You know,” I said, staring at the tip of his tongue and remembering how it had felt the night before.

“I know what?” he said.

“You know.” I shook my head.

“Are you talking about how I made you come with my fingers when we were in the lake or how I made you come with my tongue when we were out of the lake?” he said with a huge grin as his green eyes sparkled.

“You’re a dog.”

“Not a pig?” he said. “Have I gone up in the world or come down?”

“Travis James Walker! What do you want? And why did you hire Troy?”

“I did it for you.” He smiled sweetly. “You said you wanted your Troy to be here this weekend and as I was pretty sure there wasn’t a real Troy, so I figured a different Troy would do.”

“You made me lie to you.”

“I made you lie to me?” His eyes crinkled. “Or you just continued on with your lie?”


“You’re twisting things.” I sighed. “I wasn’t intending to continue the lie.” I looked away from him, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"So let me ask you a question." TJ's voice was serious and I could feel my heart slowing as I gazed into his eyes. I wasn't used to a serious TJ.

"Sure," I said, trying to smile but failing.

"What do you think of me?" he asked, his eyes not leaving mine.

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"What do you think of me?" he asked again. This time his lips looked thin and I wondered where he was going.

"Are you asking me if I think of you?" I asked, wondering if this was some sort of trick question.

"No, Mila." He let out a sigh and turned away from me. "Just forget it." I could hear the exhaustion and frustration in his voice, and I knew that I needed to think of his feelings more than my own pride and embarrassment. For some reason, this was really important to him.

"Wait," I said and grabbed his shoulder. "I'll tell you." I bit down on my lower lip and I could feel my stomach curdling. I had no idea what I was going to say to him. I had no idea how honest I was going to be with him.

"It's fine," he said as he turned to look at me. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," I said and searched his face. I knew that for some reason what I was about to say really mattered to him, but I just didn't understand why.

"Okay." His lips pursed and we stood there in silence, just looking at each other.

"So can I ask you one question before I say what I think of you?" I asked softly.

"I want to know what you think of me because I think that perhaps you're the only person in the world whose opinion matters to me," he said before I could even ask him the question.

"How did you know what I was going to say?" I blinked up at him.

"Because that's the same question that I would have asked." He gave me a half-smile. "And you know what, I'll answer that question for you. Mila. I think you are like the birds in the morning: chirpy, bright, colorful, full of life and wondrous. The birds remind us that we are alive, they make us happy, they sing their hearts out with nary a worry and they deliver us gifts of love and joy without asking for a thing back."

"You really think I'm like that?" I asked him with a laugh. "I don't know how many people think I'm delivering gifts of love and joy in the morning. I think Cody would beg to differ with you."

"Cody wouldn't know a gift of love if it hit him in the face." TJ grinned. "He's your brother. Most brothers don't see what the rest of the world sees in their sisters"

"Or their sisters’ best friends," I said and I felt a pang of pain for Sally. Cody had ripped her heart out and didn't even seem to care.

"Cody is a fool." TJ made a face. "I'm sorry for Sally."

"It's fine." I pursed my lips. "She deserves better than him. I’m sorry for you.”

“Why are you sorry for me?” He frowned.

“Because of Barbie?”

“Ha.” He shook his head. “Barbie was never mine and I never wanted her to be. She was my Troy.”

“She was your Troy?”

“Are you trying to make me forget the question I asked you?” TJ said with a small smile. “Do you want to go by the lake?”

“We can go by the lake.” I nodded. “But I wasn’t trying to change the subject.” I looked at him thoughtfully. I wasn’t sure why TJ wanted to know what I thought of him. I didn’t know why it was so important to him. His mood seemed different, more intense and less teasing. We walked outside and took the path to the lake and I listened to the birds whistling as I tried to think of what to say. I grabbed his sleeve to stop him before we got to the deck chairs and looked up into his face. “So, TJ Walker. You wanted to know what I think of you?”