Bachelor Swap, Lacey Black [best short novels txt] 📗

Matthew finishes his glass of champagne in one final swig. “I’m here to save you from making a mistake.”

“A mistake? You don’t think walking in here as yourself is a bad idea?” I seethe between gritted teeth.

“I purchased my ticket as Mason Wilder.” He smirks that cocky grin I’ve always known.

My throat is so dry, it feels like there’s sand coating it. I step forward, close enough now that I could reach out and touch his chest if I wanted. “All right, Matthew, what’s up?” I ask quietly, still careful not to draw any attention, in case someone happens upon the hallway.

“I won’t let you tell her and mess up your life. You need this money, Mase.”

“So…what? You think us both being here is the solution?”

He gives me a withering look. “Come on, Mason. I’m the owner of a multi-million-dollar business. You think I don’t have a plan?”

“Well, get on with it then. Kyla should be back any minute,” I argue, waiting to hear the big, fabulous idea the infamous Matthew Wilder has.

“You’re going to slip out of here, and I’ll finish the night. Go back to my place, get some sleep, and jump on that flight back to Montana tomorrow. The money was deposited into your account this morning, so your debt is clear. You did it, Mase.”

I did it. I have the money, I’m able to pay off my debts with the bank, the county, and the local vendors I use for feed and supplies. I’ll even have a bit of cash left to make ranch improvements that I’ve let go over the last few years. It’s what I wanted—no, what I needed—and the entire reason I agreed to this farce.

Only there’s one problem.

Kyla.

If I go through with his plan, I won’t have her. I’ll be heading home to Montana without so much as a goodbye, and he’ll break her heart before the night is even over. I have no doubt that’s his plan. I could tell on day one he has no attachment to her. That was evident when we discussed that third task on his to-do list.

“I can’t, Matthew.” My heart is trying to beat out of my chest. The thought of walking out the door right now and leaving is killing me. I can’t leave her, not like this.

“You have to,” he demands, stepping closer, our chests practically touching now. “This is the only way. Kyla won’t understand.”

I open my mouth to argue, but I’m stopped before I can even utter a word.

“What won’t I understand?”

Kyla.

My wide eyes glance over my brother’s shoulder and meet hers. There’s a touch of confusion mixed with the contentment I see when our gazes meet. She seems to relax. I just wish I could do the same. I can’t. Things are about to blow up in a way I couldn’t have predicted, couldn’t have prepared for.

“Ky,” I whisper, my voice barely above a whisper. I’m rewarded with a small smile, but it’s short lived when our view of each other becomes blocked.

Matthew turns around.

“Hello, Kyla,” he says, crossing his arms casually in front of his chest, one hand still holding the delicate champagne flute.

Her eyes widen, almost comically. If it were any other situation, I might find her reaction to seeing me and my twin together amusing, but there is nothing funny about this. If anything, it has disaster written all over it with a capital D. “Hello,” she murmurs, her mouth hanging open as she looks from my brother to me.

“Kyla,” I start, but no additional words seem to come to life. I have no idea what to say.

My brother takes the opportunity to fill in the silence with words, ones I despise and wish held no truth. “Kyla, I believe you’ve met my brother.”

She looks back and forth between me and Matthew, trying to understand. She paints a smile on her lips and extends a hand to my twin. “Yes, I can see that. You must be Mason,” she says, extending her dainty hand in his direction.

My stomach drops into my shoes.

Matthew offers her a grin, one that starts slow until it reaches its full wattage. Women love that beam and have always reacted to it.

I hate that smile.

I hate what is happening.

I hate what I’ve done.

“Actually,” he starts, taking her hand in his and holding it. “I’m Matthew.”

I hear her gasp of shock. I’ll hear that sound for the rest of my life. She looks my way, her wide gaze searching mine for answers. There’s only one thing to do now, and that’s tell her everything. And pray. Pray she sticks around and listens long enough to understand why I did what I did.

Stepping around Matthew, I gently grab her upper arm and guide her a few steps away from my brother. She continues to look at me, expectantly, waiting for me to explain. Taking a deep breath, I finally confess the words I’ve been trying to figure out how to say all day.

“I’m not Matthew. I’m Mason.”

Kyla doesn’t say a word, doesn’t so much as react actually, except for a blink.

From here, the words just pour from my lips like gasoline on an open flame. “I had planned to talk to you about this later tonight, but it appears there’s a need for this conversation sooner, rather than later. Can we go somewhere to talk?”

Before I even have the request out, she’s already shaking her head. “No, I think I need to hear this now.”

I want to argue, but I can see by the look in her eyes, she’s not going to relent. “All right,” I concede, taking a deep breath. “For the last three weeks, I’ve been pretending to be my brother.” I’m going to vomit, I know it.

“Why?”

This is where it gets bad. “I needed money to help my ranch, and Matthew here offered it to me. I had to pretend to be him for three weeks, overseeing a few different tasks during my time here.” Fuck, this sucks.