One Hot Fake: An Accidental Fake Marriage Romance by Sarah Brooks (free novel reading sites .TXT) 📗

My throat closes up, and I can’t speak. I nod and squeeze back Brooke’s hand.

Chapter 19

Declan

I won’t be home for dinner. See you at nine.

I read the message that I’ve just typed out, and fight the urge to add something else. I can’t think of anything. It sounds cold, but that’s how Marian likes it. I hit send and slide it back into the pocket of my pants.

“Why didn’t you come with Marian because you miss her?” Ace says.

I am dining with him, Lexi, and her sister, Vanessa at their place. Luna fell asleep hours ago.

“She was busy,” I mumble.

“Now, that was a surprise,” Vanessa says. “I couldn’t believe that you were married, Declan. What happened to your promise to marry me?”

I laugh. Lexi’s sister and I have always had a playful, sibling-like relationship. She’s a nurse and a very caring human being. She’s loving to everyone who comes into her life, and though she tore into me the first time we met, we became good friends afterward.

“I surprised myself too,” I tell her. “And hey, we can move to a state where polygamy is allowed.”

We all laugh.

“And where there are no fires,” Lexi says and shudders.

“Was it as bad as it looked on TV?” I ask Ace.

“Worse,” he says. “There’s nothing as bad as a fire in the wild. It spreads faster than anything you’ve ever seen, aided, of course, by the wind. Thankfully, no one lost their lives.” Ace entertains us with tales of their escapades while they were out fighting the fires. “People are crazy,” he says. “Some simply refuse to leave their homes. And guess the reason for that? Their belongings.”

“That’s crazy,” Lexi says.

As we relax after dinner and sip wine, my mind meanders to Marian. My family would think we were insane if they knew the details of our deal. I keep thinking about what will happen when Marian becomes pregnant, which she invariably will, considering how often we’re having sex. At first, it was about the baby, but now I find myself thinking about Marian as well. I’m feeling things for her that I shouldn’t feel in a fake marriage. I want more from Marian. Fear courses through me, but it’s not strong enough to dissuade me from thinking it over. Can I convince her to give us a chance? To try and see whether our marriage can work in real life?

Suddenly I can’t wait to go home and talk it over with her. Ace offers me a second glass of wine, but I say no. I know better than to drink when driving. Vanessa yawns and begs to be excused as well.

We say goodnight in a flurry of hugs and kisses, and then Vanessa and I leave.

“Want a ride?” she says.

“I’ll get an Uber,” I tell her. “I can’t let you drive all the way to Pine Place.”

“It’s fine; I don’t mind the drive. It gives me time to think,” Vanessa says.

I glance at her in amusement. “What does a pretty girl like you, with her life just about perfect, have to worry about?” I ask her.

She unlocks the car, and we enter. She doesn’t answer my question, and I feel bad because I seem to have said something that hurt her.

I make small talk as she drives me home, but she’s not as cheerful as when we were having dinner. I know I’m responsible for her change in mood. I wait until she stops the car outside Marian’s house.

“What is it, Vanessa? And don’t say ‘nothing’ because I know something is,” I tell her.

To my surprise, she breaks into tears and covers her face with her hands. I snap open my seatbelt and pull her to me. She rests her head on my shoulder, and I hold her that way until she stops crying.

“I’m sorry about that,” she says with a shaky laugh. “I feel like such a baby.”

“Never mind about that. What happened?”

She looks at me. “I’m pregnant.”

“Congratulations,” I tell her.

“Thanks,” she says.

“I’m guessing this is something to do with the daddy?” I probe.

She nods. “He was a visiting doctor at the hospital, and he’s moved away. It was so stupid of me. I can’t believe I’m in almost the same position that Lexi was. What are the odds?”

“Have you told him?” I ask her.

“No, and I don’t plan on telling him,” she says fiercely.

“Why?” I say.

“He lied to me. He’s married,” she says.

“Oh. Crap.”

I’m not equipped to give this sort of advice. I mumble something to the effect that she must be strong.

“I’m sorry to dump this on you,” Vanessa says shakily. “I haven’t told anyone. Not even Lexi.”

The best I can do is hug her and think internally what bastards men are. If you’re going to marry a woman, you’d better be ready to commit and keep it in your pants. I hate cheaters, both men and women. Cheating causes a lot of unnecessary pain.

I remember when Ace’s fiancée was cheating on him. It was terrible, and it forced me to take drastic action to ensure that my brother did not marry a woman who was unfaithful even before they got married.

We stay in the car and chat until I’m sure that she’s calm enough to drive home.

“Thanks for listening to me,” Vanessa says as I lean across the car seat to kiss her cheek.

“You’re welcome and take care. You’ve got this,” I say and slip out of the car.

I’m excited to be home, and I sprint up to the front door. Before I can ring the bell, it flies open.

“Hi,” Marian says and smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Hi.” I’m struck anew by how gorgeous her green eyes are.

“I hope your girlfriend is okay,” Marian says as I follow her to the living room.

“Girlfriend?” It takes a moment to realize that she’s talking about Vanessa. Marian is jealous. At first, it amuses me, and then I realize jealousy is not an emotion that I ever