Willow
THIS REVELATION IS DEEPLY UNWELCOME. I understand it now, why he was looking at me like he already knew me that first night. Why he went out of his way to play hero for me. Why everything else that came after happened the way it did. "I suppose," I say, forcing my voice to be light, "this explains why you broke your vow of celibacy."
His eyes flare. "Does it?" "Of course. I'm her doppelgänger. I'm like the artificial sweetener that fooled your brain into thinking you were having real sugar."
There's a moment, an endless, agonizing moment, where he just watches me. Like he's waiting for me to be the one to do something, to say something.
I don't.
Who knew a one night stand could ever get so complicated? All of this is too perplexing for my soft and stupid heart. At last, all he says is, "You didn't taste artificial to me."
"Like you said," I chirp with false levity, "I'm very convincing."
