In Too Deep: Mistaken Identity, #3

Chapter 1

I swung my legs precariously over the edge of the building, watching the New York City lights streak past in the chilly night. The city looked so small from up here. So simple, with all of its noise and smog and problems trapped safely down below. If anyone had bothered to stare up at the pale legs dangling off the roof to my apartment building, I’m sure they would have gotten quite a show. If it was possible, I thought that my dress might have shrunk even smaller in the winter cold. But no one looked up. Hardly anyone was out at this time of night, and those who were kept their heads down and their eyes straight forward. No one had a passing thought for the girl drinking a beer all by herself in a ball gown.

What kind of a girl...doesn’t know if she’s been proposed to?

The question had grown depressingly stranger as the night wore on. From the first time I’d asked myself—having slipped out the bathroom window at the MET—to the second time I’d asked myself—at a shady liquor store right around the corner. And then again now.

What kind of a girl...doesn’t know whether or not she’s getting married?

A wry laugh bubbled up in the base of my throat, but I drowned it down with another swig of my drink.

Probably the same girl who spent the better part of the last week pretending to be her sister, that’s who.

My fingers wrapped around the icy bottle as a surreal montage swam before my eyes.

Me meeting Max. Max kissing me. Max accusing me of cheating on him. Max finding out my secret. Max and I diving over the side of a building before having sex in a limo.

And that was just the stuff that made sense. Then there was all the other stuff. The stuff I wasn’t sure where to file when categorizing this in my mind.

Max and I kissing again beneath the winter moonlight. Me painting it the next day. The auction. The loss. Max opening up to me on the roof of his building. Me pouring out my feelings in a bathroom stall. A second later, Max doing the same thing. The exchange of I love yous. The promise of a future.

The list went on and on, spinning out of control. Spiraling and unraveling into a thing that I couldn’t quite define. Culminating into the very event that had led me to the roof this night.

The proposal.

I tossed my empty beer behind me and picked up another. It was not the first time I’d done this little dance. The bulk of a six-pack was already empty behind me.

The world around me blurred slightly, as an even more prevalent question came to mind.

What kind of a girl doesn’t know whether she’s been proposed to...but still says yes?

As if to add to my question, a faint glimmer sparkled in the corner of my eye. With a tired little sigh, I lifted the beautiful ring up once more for a closer examination.

It was not the one that Bellamy had given to Max to present to me. Not the gaudy, over-angular diamond that had been selected based solely on how well it would photograph from a distance. The ring on my finger couldn’t have been more different.

It was huge—yes. In fact, it was probably as huge as the other one. But there was a delicacy to the way it had been cut that made the whole thing look fragile, not obtrusive. The diamond in the center was offset with a hundred smaller ones that wound together to make an intricately laced band—something that reminded me strangely of the crystal strands back in the ballroom. No matter which way I turned it, it seemed to reflect every possible ray of light—whether it be from the moon, the stars, or the flashing street lights.

And what was more...it was a perfect fit.

After Max had delivered his impromptu speech—the one that was most definitely not written for him by Bellamy—I almost hadn’t been surprised when he’d pulled it out of his pocket. When he’d slipped it onto my finger to the delight of the crowd.

No more than I was surprised right now that he’d found me here on this roof.

A door opened and shut somewhere on the other side of the patio. The sound of soft footsteps crunched towards me across the gravel, and a second later, Max settled himself at my side. Keeping my eyes fixed on the community park across the street, I gestured blindly behind me towards what was left of the beer. He took one, popped it open on the ledge, and clinked it against mine.

For a while, we simply dangled our legs off the edge of the world—drinking quietly.

You know, he finally spoke, you’re sitting at quite the tantalizing angle in that dress for everyone who’s on the sidewalk beneath you.

I answered with a careless shrug. Only to those people looking up. No one does.

I did. How do you think I found you up here? It certainly wasn’t from your less-than-forthcoming doorman.

Jimmy is very protective.

We lapsed back into silence, each of us lost in thought.

So that thing back there—I lifted the bottle to my lips—was that real?

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. In my present state, I truly couldn’t think of a better way to ask it than that. That was how I was going to find out the answer to all my questions.

Max’s eyes flickered up, before landing on the giant ring sparkling on my finger.

That was my grandmother’s.

Well...that answers that.

It was like I’d been punched in the gut. With a look of total shock, I dropped the bottle to the ground and twisted around to face him. He had already done the same thing and was looking back at me, staring fervently into my eyes.

Eve. His voice was rough around the edges. I know you said that tonight wasn’t the night for hypothetical futures, and I understand that this whole fucking thing couldn’t have come about under a set of stranger circumstances. But...I couldn’t help myself. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I love you, Eve Waters. I love you so much. I just—"

Then I was kissing him. Before I’d even decided to do it—I was kissing him.

My arms wrapped around his neck as I crawled up into his lap, forgetting entirely all the things that had stood between us before. Forgetting every single reason I’d come up with to keep us apart. They didn’t apply anymore. This was no longer something cooked up for us by strangers in a conference room. We had made it our own.

In hindsight, we were eternally lucky that Max had only had one beer himself, and had the foresight to move us off the three-story ledge before things could get too frantic. His arm swept up under my legs, and before I knew it, he was carrying me across the roof and to the door, kicking it open before taking us back to my apartment.

Carrying me over the threshold...we’re basically married already.

Our goal was to get to the bed, but we never made it there. Halfway between the door and the couch, Max lowered us to the floor and began ripping my clothes off. He’d been right, back at Emily’s, when he’d said that it wouldn’t take much to get off the dress. Like tearing through tissue paper, the thing came apart in his hand—leaving me ready and waiting in its wake.

It was real, he breathed, kissing a wet trail down my neck. Every word I said was the truth—and I meant them, Eve. With everything in me. The kisses trailed lower, caressing along the line that ran between my breasts and down to my stomach. I want to marry you.

You are.

No, really marry you.

I blinked. What?

Chapter 2

You want to really marry me, Max? Are you getting into character for the fake engagement? I asked.

No, he answered.

I shivered as he continued to kiss me down my body.

I don’t want to wait for some day in a hypothetical future, he said. I want to do it today. Now. As soon as possible.

My head fell back against the floor as his teeth scraped along my ribs. Well, how about a picturesque vineyard in Italy? Do you think you can wait a month?

The teeth disappeared. So did the kisses.

A second later, he was right back in front of me. His face pale with shock.

Are you...are you serious? All pretenses fell away as he took me by the wrists and pulled me up to a sitting position. His eyes scanned my face, before flickering momentarily to the ring. I thought you just said yes because you were supposed to. Because of the agreement we made with Bellamy. I didn’t think you were actually...

A shining smile crept up my face, and he let out a gasp of euphoric laughter.

You’ll do it? You’ll marry me?

His fingers wound back through my hair as he brought our faces together for a passionate kiss. I grabbed the sides of his hands, but before we could even really get started, he pulled away again, unable to believe it was true.

"You really will? And, just to be clear, not as your sister or anything. You, Eve, you’d actually be willing to—"

Yes, Max Sheldon. I pressed a finger over his lips. I want to marry you.

His sparkling eyes grew abruptly tender.

And I want to marry you. More than anything in the entire world.

There was a brief silence, then—

This is CRAZY!

He threw back his head and laughed. I know, I can’t...I can’t believe it’s actually happening. His eyes grew distant for a moment before they widened with the first traces of panic. "I mean...I really can’t believe it’s actually happening."

I’m not the marrying type.

And I’m not either. I’m wild and carefree.

So am I!

I thought I’d never find the right girl. But then I met you and something wonderful exploded between us. He cupped my face. I know you’re the one, Eve. The one I’ve been waiting for my entire life.

Tears welled up in my eyes. And you’re the one I’ve been waiting for my entire life too.

"Eve, do you know what this means? There’s going to be an actual wedding—our wedding—in a little less than a month. We have to tell your sister. We have to tell my sister and introduce you two while we’re at it. That is...if we can ever even find her."

His voice lowered down to a manic muttering. The same sort of tunnel-vision focus that I’d seen when he was writing in his study that night. The kind he did when he was making plans.

We’ll have to make sure that no one is in the villa—and I should probably give my parents a call. Or maybe just text them. Yeah—I’ll just text them. No need to call.

I fought back a smile. Um...Max?

Then there’s the matter of a living situation. I already have my place, but I know how much you love this loft. Maybe we could split our time between the two. Or then again, we could always sublet. I’m not sure what your lease agreement is like, but mine has a little wiggle room when it comes to things like that.

Max, don’t you maybe want to take a second and just—?

"And then there are so many things that we don’t even know about each other yet! My middle name is Carter—did you know that? Yeah, it’s stupid, I know. A last name right in front of my other last name. Just a small example of Lorenzo and Liliana’s brilliant parenting skills. Those are my parents, by the way. Those are their names. Oh shit, Eve, I cannot apologize enough already for whatever they’re going to say when you meet them! The people are a walking nightmare. Don’t take anything personally. In fact, we should probably just say that you’re sick and miss the whole thing altogether."

He was doing this weird