Pretend We're Over (Pretend 2)

“A good looking guy like you only thinks he’s going to be fake married to me for however long I convince you to stay married to me, and doesn’t expect to be taken by some Miss America, living in the dream house with the two-point-five kids and golden retriever? I’d bet that you’ll be married to the woman of your dreams in the next two years.”

“I’d say I’m way more likely to win my bet than you are yours.” I lean closer to her and watch her squirm away in her seat, knowing that if I so much as breathe on her, she’s going to be begging me to help her join the mile high club.

I nod at her with heated eyes. “My point taken. Now, you didn’t answer my question, you deflected. Don’t you want your first marriage to be with someone you love?”

She looks down at her nails. I notice they have little flecks of black nail polish still on them that she’s obviously picked off instead of removing with nail polish remover.

Finally, she looks back up at me with determination in her eyes, like how she answers this one question is going to persuade me to stay married to her.

“I won’t marry again after this, either.”

I freeze. No way is this woman planning on not getting married. She’s not conventional. I expect her to tell me that she’s a musician or a travel blogger instead of a school teacher or medical professional or lawyer like most of the women I know. But every woman I know wants to get married. Hell, every man I know does too. Except, maybe Boden.

“What do you mean?”

Her chest rises as she takes a deep breath and looks me dead in the eye, like she’s trying to talk to my soul.

“I mean—I’m just like you. I don’t want to get married. This, whatever this is, will be my last marriage. I’m not a romantic. I don’t believe in happily ever after. I believe marriage only works between two people who want it to work, usually because of their children. I don’t want a house. I don’t want children. I’ve gotten by pretty well on my own. I’m happy. I don’t want to get married. You and I may differ on a lot of things, but we don’t differ on this.”

“Then why did you think Oaklee and Boden should get married? You wanted them to get back together.”

“Because despite what I believe, I thought that’s what they wanted. I thought they might be the exception to my rule that everlasting love doesn’t exist. I was wrong about their marriage, but not about this. Love isn’t real. Love is just lust well hidden.”

Her words hit me like a bullet. I’ve said those exact words to Larkyn before when she asked why I didn’t want to get married. Larkyn and Kade are my exception just like Oaklee and Boden were hers.

“So why do you want to stay married to me if you don’t believe in marriage?” I ask, sitting on the edge of my seat, entranced that no matter how different we are, I may have just found the one woman on the planet who feels the same way as me.

“Maybe I just want to pretend that love exists for a little while longer before I return to being cynical.” Her words are a lie. I know it, she knows I know it. But her words strike me. Like a blow from a sword, they weaken me. They may not be true for her, but they are true for me. For once, it would be nice to not live in my perfect bubble with my perfect routine and life all planned out. It would be nice to pretend that I could be like everyone else. That I could believe in love even if that love isn’t real.

I stare at Millie. She stares back and lets me see a flicker of her pain behind her green eyes.

The reason Millie wants to stay married to me is serious. It’s hiding her pain. I want to know why. And someday, I’ll know why, but not today.

Today, I just have to decide if I’ll go along with her plan even though all I’ll get out of it is spending more time with her in hopes of winning my bet and getting to fuck her again. I get to get everyone off my back about getting married. When this is all over, I can say if a marriage couldn’t work between me and Millie, a woman who is lovable in every way, then how could a marriage between me and anyone work?

I don’t know all the details. I don’t know what is expected of me.

All I know is that with a single look, my entire world just changed. I will do whatever this woman wants, something I thought was only reserved for Larkyn and Kade and their kids. But for some unexplainable reason, I want to help Millie.

“I know it’s a lot to ask. I think we should stay married—“ Millie starts rambling, but I’ve already made my decision. I don’t need any more persuading.

I lean over and press Millie’s lips together to get her to stop talking. And then I give her my answer, letting her know that I’m all in.

“How long?”

12

Millie

“Are you seriously considering doing this?” I ask.

“I’m not considering; I’m doing this.”

I lean in close, too shocked to remember that it’s a mistake getting near this man. His scent is like honey to a bee, except he’s the honey and the bee. If I fall for him, I’m going to get stung.

“You are?”

He chuckles. “I want details, Millie. Not more questions. How long?”