Blake: Our fake boyfriend is officially whipped. Shocking development.
Ryker: “It’s not for me” is code for “Dakota has me wrapped around her finger.”
Me: Are you free on Saturday?
Jace: I’m not helping anyone move again. Drawing the line. My back has a restraining order against cardboard boxes.
Me: Relax, you pretentious billionaire. It’s not moving. But it is manual labor …
Jace: Pass.
Me: [Sends a picture of Jace on a horse with the titleThe Cowboy Who Couldn’t Get His Fingernails Dirty, book one in The CEO Who Cried Ew While Pretending to Be Rugged Series.]
Jace: You’re a jackass.
Me: [Sends a picture of Jace on a horse with the titleFrom Boardroom to Barn: A Coward’s Journey.]
Blake: Tessa would buy that in a heartbeat.
Me: I got twenty more ready to go. I’ll send them to your office. Again.
Jace: You suck.
Ryker: So, what’s the manual labor? Building Dakota a gazebo? Planting her a garden?
Blake: Installing a swing set for future fake babies? Scarlett let it slip that you changed your mind about future children, by the way.
Jace: Should we get matching I Survived Axel’s Fake Relationship T-shirts?
Me: I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll send the address. See you Saturday. Bring work gloves. And your dignity, if you can find it.
Me: [Renames the group chat to Sinners and Saints.]
68
UPDATE: I THINK MY MOM HAS THE HOTS FOR AXEL. #MOMAPPROVAL
DAKOTA
I navigated the streets of the suburb with a smile on my face, feeling so grateful for everything.
I was grateful that Mathew was dead. Maybe that made me a horrible person, but the thought of someone that dangerous ever entering society again or somehow escaping prison would’ve kept me up at night for the rest of my life. I was grateful that Axel was okay after his stint in the hospital. I was grateful that I was okay too.
But today, I was most grateful for love. The love that Axel and I shared was like a new heartbeat in my soul, pumping joy and optimism through every breath. And I was grateful for the love of my parents.
Today, we had a longer to-do list on the house. We were going to tackle replacing the kitchen faucet, the rotted wood around the garage door, the exterior light fixture that had broken, and we were going to prep the front of the house for the new ramp I’d ordered. It would arrive next weekend, so we had to get everything ready.
It would be a long day, but I was looking forward to it. Next weekend, we’d move on to the gutters.
In the hospital, Jace had once again offered to hire an entire crew to handle this. Axel did too. Which was really sweet. But they didn’t know my mom and dad. They were hardworking people, and financial handouts weren’t in their comfort zone. It was hard enough for them to accept the help I was offering with my endorsement money.
Plus, I didn’t mind the hard work. It gave us something to accomplish together.
I just wished we could get through the list faster. Because every repair that wasn’t done was something hindering Mom and Dad’s ability to live comfortably. A faucet without hot water, obstacles preventing Mom from moving around certain areas of the house with ease.
I turned the corner, and my smile fell, replaced with confusion.
“Oh no.”
