She sighs loudly. “God. This just became a whole thing. What’s the play? I’ll go along with whatever you think is best, but Jensen’sright. You would have told him. And if you and I were really engaged? He would’ve been the first to know.”
“I guess we just tell them,” I say simply.
“But what about Cole?” she asks. “He’s close to their kids. What if they overhear something and tell him? Or worse, what if someone asks them questions?” She shakes her head. “I hate getting other people involved in a lie that could affect Cole’s life. And I don’t want to ask anyone to lie for us.”
I rub my tongue along my teeth as I come to a red light, thinking. I meet her gaze. “Then we’re the only ones who lie.”
“Oookay,” she says slowly, brows pinched. “Then what do we say?”
“We tell them we’ve been sneaking around for months. Keeping it on the down-low because we didn’t want it getting out to the public. And we didn’t tell them because…” I pause, my brain scrambling for something that makes sense. “Because we didn’t want to get their hopes up. Nate died. It made me realize what’s important, and I popped the question last week.”
She scoffs, a soft, skeptical laugh following. “You think they’d buy that?”
“They’ll have no choice but to buy it because that’s all we give them.” I lick my lips, pressing on the gas as the light turns green. “It’s not that surprising… That I wouldn’t tell them. Not when it comes to you. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve kept them in the dark.”
She lifts a brow. “Alright. If you think that’ll work…”
She trails off, the car filling with some old-school bullshit from the speakers.
“Hey,” I say after a moment of silence.
“Hmm?”
I reach for her hand and weave my fingers through hers. “Thank you. For being here. For doing this today. In case I forget to tell you later…” My thumb strokes over her knuckles. “I really appreciate it.”
She squeezes my fingers, her mouth curving ever so slightly. “Anytime.” She shifts, leaning into the middle console. “How you holding up?”
There’s more she wants to say. I can tell.
She hesitates, then finally adds, “I was worried you were gonna lose it when your dad stood beside you. You looked pretty pissed.”
I huff out a breath. “Yeah. I’m fine. Really.” I glance toward her. “More worried about you.”
“I’m good,” she cuts in. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. I’m tough as hell.”
A smile tugs at my mouth. “Babe, you eat rabbit food and do Pilates.”
She laughs. “You’re such a fucker. You wouldn’t last ten minutes in my Pilates class.”
I chuckle, bringing her hand to my mouth and brushing my lips over her smooth skin. “You know we’re going to have to act like a couple…” My eyes flick to hers. “Like we’re actively sleeping together.”
She snorts. “Well, that won’t be hard. That’s all Jensen’s family has ever known us as. It’d be weirder for them if I was here and weweren’tsleeping together.”
“You saying we are?”
She slaps my arm. “I’m saying we’repretendingto. Besides, I’m not even sure I’m keeping you after today. Might choose to stay single.”
“Right. ’Cause that’s more fun.”
She leans her head back against the seat, smiling. “It’s not. It totally sucks, actually. But I’m not sure a fake marriage is what I’d callfun.”
“Ah… but you’ve never been fake married tome,” I retort, grinning.
I pull into the parking lot, choose a space far enough away that no one can ding my doors, and turn toward her. Our eyes meet, but we don’t say anything. No words are needed. She’s here for me. I’m here for her.
My eyes drop to the ring on her finger, similar to the one I bought eight years ago.
We’re about to do something big. Possibly life-changing.
