She isn’t wearing my jersey, but she still looks beautiful. Much like the way she did last night when we were alone in her house. And maybe if I didn’t know the whole marriage was staged, I might believe that she was in love with me too.
But that laugh wasn’t scripted. I remember exactly what I’d said to her, the way she’d smelled like vanilla and coffee, the way her laugh had felt like a reward.
And then we’d parted ways. She went back to her office for a late night of work. I went home to her apartment to recover. Alone. The same way I’ve done for weeks now.
I don’t want that anymore.
I want to recover with her. I want to spend evenings in ordering takeout or cookingwith her.I want to hear her stories and rub her feet. I want to use the little free time I have getting to know who Rosie really is.
“You two are really selling this shit,” Cain mutters, breaking the silence.
I nod, but my mind’s still on Rosie and what she’s doing laying in that big, empty bed right now.
I wonder if she’s touching herself. If she’s replaying what we did last night.
I wonder if she’s coming with my name on her lips like a prayer.
“Just so you know, I’m still not okay with you living together,” he adds, “but I won’t tell my dad.”
I glance at him, surprised by that. It’s one less fight that I have to deal with. “I appreciate that. Not like I had much of a choice. Penn would have blabbed to the tabloids if I was still living with him while married.”
He sighs, rubbing his temples like this whole situation gives him a headache. “It’s super messed up, you know… what my dad’s doing with you and Rosie.”
“Yeah... it’s not normal. I can’t say I’d ever use my daughter for a business deal.”
Cain shoots me a warning glare, the kind that says I’m treading on thin ice, but he doesn’t correct me. The man has a daughter of his own, I’m guessing he agrees with me but won’t say it out loud.
Whatever. I’ll say it to Maxwell the moment this marriage ends.
He leans back, folding his arms across his chest.
“Rosie and I weren’t close growing up,” he says after a pause. “As an adult, I’ve tried to make up for that in my own way—tried to protect her, even from my dad sometimes. But our dad smothered her, shielded her from everything to the point where it hurt her more than it helped, I think. Did her a real disservice if you ask me.”
I nod, his words clicking into place with what Rosie’s told me about her life. Her lack of... experience. The wild streak she missed out on. The scripted life.
“He pitted us against each other a lot when we were kids,” Cain continues. “I was jealous of her because she got most of his attention when we were little. He favored her because she looks just like our mom. Our mom broke his heart bad and left when we were young. I think he’s always been terrified of losing Rosie the way he lost Mom. She’s his last connection to her.”
“Makes sense,” I murmur.
Cain shrugs. “Rosie never would’ve agreed to this arrangement if she didn’t know what she was doing. That’s the only reason I’ve been okay with it. She’s smart.”
“Hmm.”
“She deserves it, though,” he adds, glancing at me again. “Don’t doubt for a moment that she hasn’t worked her ass off for this.”
“Deserves it?”
“Yeah. She’s about to become the youngest senior partner in our firm’s history because of this public marriage. I mean, not solely because of the marriage. She’s been up for promotion for a year. But this marriage really sealed the deal with the other senior partners. Showed that she’s committed to the future of the firm.”
Senior partner.Rosie married me so that she could make senior partner at her father’s firm.
So that’s why she agreed to this whole mess.
“I see.”
Cain nods. “You two just keep doing what you’re doing. Before you know it, this’ll all be over, and you’ll both be divorced, free to go back to your old lives.” With that, he leans back, rests his head against the seat, and closes his eyes as the train rumbles along.
Meanwhile, I can’t stop staring at the magazine in my hands.
