This banter between us is new and not altogether unpleasant. Could this not be as terrible as I’ve been making it out to be? Tonight won’t only be eye-opening for our guests but for me as well with a fresh new look at the situation. God knows I could use one.
My door opens, and I smile at Rebecca before exiting. “All right, let’s do this,” I say before instructing her to wait for me to come around.
The reporters are already shouting questions as I walk to the door, but I ignore them as I reach for her hand. As she steps out for our grand entrance, a knot forms in my stomach at the camera clicks behind me, knowing these will be the pictures Cici wakes up to. And just like that, my mood sours, and I’m right back to square one with a scowl replacing the smile from moments ago.
As planned, we pose for pictures, make a statement, and answer questions from the media, all while holding hands and embracing as any enamored couple would. During which, I constantly remind myself that it’s necessary and try not to think of a certain someone’s reaction upon seeing the ensuing stories in tomorrow’s tabloids. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be relieved that she’s finally free.What the fuck?Why the hell am I still hung up on a woman who wants nothing to do with me?
Did I do the right thing by calling her last night or set myself back at this point? How will I make it through the next two years if I can’t manage to handle one damn night? Time to pull my head out of my ass and do what it takes to pull this off, which might be drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
“That went well, don’t you think?” Rebecca pulls me from my thoughts as we break free from the paparazzi and enter the lobby.
“It did. Now comes the real test, though. We’ll see how goodwe are when people who know us scrutinize our answers,” I say as I intentionally retract my hand from hers to push the elevator button. Could I have used my other hand? Yes. But the desire to free myself had reached the breaking point.
She remains unfazed. “We’ve got this. Remember, it’s mostly all true with slight embellishments here and there. Piece of cake, right?”
I smile curtly. “Right.” Easy for her to say since she’s playing to her desires. It’s an entirely different story when it’s the last thing you want.
What I do want at the moment is a drink.
Somehow, we manage to move through the night without stumbling over our answers while convincing everyone we’re besotted and eager to start our lives together. I was worried about meeting her parents, but it seems that if your daughter is marrying someone with gobs of money, the rest doesn’t matter so much. And if the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it would confirm my early suspicion regarding Rebecca and reminds me of a reason I wasn’t interested in the first place.
As the night progresses, so does my intoxication level. The consensus is that I’m overjoyed to be declaring our relationship. I’m not one who typically copes through alcohol, but that’s precisely what I’m doing. One more squeeze, hand hold, or kiss along with someone telling us how perfect we are together, and I’m going to lose my shit. While Rebecca brightens as we go, my mood darkens with each person we convince.
Our friends and acquaintances were cordial enough and seemed genuinely happy—all but two, that is. Jackson and Lily have been less than friendly and aren’t doing well to hide their disdain for Rebecca or possibly just not trying. Ialmoststepped in to defend her until a glimpse of her true colors prevented me from speaking up.
In an unmistakable jab to Rebecca, Lily says, “It’s too bad Cicicouldn’t make it. I’m sure she would’ve loved to congratulate you in person rather than over the phone last night with Eli.”
Oh fuck.Why does the truth sometimes do more damage than good?
Being called out is like a punch to the gut. Looking at Rebecca, shock covers her face for half a second before a brief flash of anger crosses her features. I’m about to intervene and explain the call when she beats me to the punch.
“She would have had to receive an invite, and Eli and I decided it was best to give her the news over the phone since it would’ve been uncomfortable to celebrate with one of our exes in attendance,” Rebecca finishes with a smile, oozing contempt as she wraps her arm around mine and leans close.
Fuck. She’s a better actress than I’ve given her credit for to pull that out of the hat. The revelation gives me pause and makes me want to play back the last couple weeks to see if I missed something along the way that I should be concerned about. Just because we signed the terms of the agreement doesn’t mean we’re bound to go through with it.
There are consequences in place for not following through on my part—compensation to Rebecca if I call things off. Alternatively, there’s a bonus to Rebecca for not backing out. Unfortunately, there’s no way to hold her feet to the fire, so we created an incentive to deter her from changing her mind before the wedding.
Besides Rebecca’s acting skills, this conversation makes two things abundantly clear: Lily knows way more than I thought, and Cici will undoubtedly hear about anything that happens moving forward. The fact that Lily already heard about my conversation last night speaks volumes. Did Lily call Cici, or the other way around? Does Lily know Cici’s true feelings about me? About what’s happening?
My eyes find Sebastian’s, who stands beside Lily with his arm protectively around her waist. He shrugs as if he, too, has no idea whatto make of it. Jackson and Mia are the third couple in our circle, and like Lily, Jackson makes no effort to mask his disapproval.
“Well, you might want to get used to it. Cici is more than just an ex—she’s family—and she may not be here now, but there’ll be plenty of times in the future when she will be,” Jackson says reproachfully, silencing everyone.
The waiter approaches, offering champagne, and after handing one to Rebecca, I greedily take two for myself. Gulping one down in the few seconds it takes for everyone else to partake, I set the empty back on the tray and grab another.
“Cheers.” I hold one up to a circle of wide eyes as they meet my glass with their own. “To family,” I say and down the next one in three seconds flat, leaving one more to go. “Now, let’s get this party started, shall we?”
The rest of the evening is a blur as we mingle with the crowd, repeating our story enough that it’s forever ingrained in my brain. I’ve become quiet, letting Rebecca do the talking, trying to contain my irritation at the injustice of it all. Meanwhile, I’m drinking enough champagne for both of us. When the last guest finally leaves, I’m more than ready to call it a night.
“Two bedrooms?” Rebecca asks as she takes in the room we entered moments ago.
An open door on each side of the main sitting area reveals king-size beds beyond. I couldn’t rent two separate rooms and risk having that on record, but this will do.
“I thought I made my stance on sharing a bed clear.” I’m curt as I busy myself with inspecting the minibar for a drink.
“Right…. You sure you need another drink?”
Yes… yes, I do.
