Fake Marriage Box Set

“I’m sorry,” I said and stood. “I completely overslept. I swore I set my alarm, but it never went off.”

“It did,” Gavin said. “It woke me up, so I turned it off.”

I hesitated while stuffing my feet into my heels.

“You turned off my alarm?” I asked. “Why?”

“Join me for breakfast,” he said. It wasn’t a question or an offer, I noticed. In fact, it almost sounded like a request. But he wasn’t scowling as usual as he sat plates on the breakfast table.

“Really?” I asked. “You, me, breakfast?”

“Take it or leave it,” he said. “I made extra, anyways.”

I took a seat at the table and stared at the pancakes and bacon. “Thanks,” I said.

“I should be thanking you,” he said and sat across from me. “And apologizing.”

I remembered what happened at his mother’s, and realized that this was some sort of way to make up for the dinner.

“God, don’t,” I said. “You don’t owe me anything.” Seeing his mother’s illness, not just hearing it but actually experiencing it, had been like a slap in the face. While I was stroking her back and promising that she was okay, I realized that this woman I had gotten attached to was truly dying. Before then, I had seen her as a woman who was merely sick. As if she simply had a cold that kept her house-ridden but otherwise healthy. Mona was dying, and her son was paying me to pretend to be in love with him.

I was exhausted after the dinner when we returned to Gavin’s house, and less than a minute on the couch had resulted in me falling into a deep sleep full of never-ending dreams.

“I can’t make much else,” Gavin said as I cut off a piece of pancake. “My breakfasts are usually shakes after the gym.”

“Where do you work out?” I asked, realizing it had been too long since I worked out myself.

“I have a home gym,” he said. Of course, he did. “I can show you later, if you’re interested.”

“I’d like that,” I said and smiled. Maybe Gavin and I would work out together. “I can cook breakfast next time, too. Nancie’s a huge breakfast person, but she was awful at cooking, so I ended up making our breakfasts every other morning.”

“How is your roommate?” he asked. “Settling into California?”

“I don’t think you ever settle into California,” I said. “But she’s good, calls when she gets the chance, which isn’t often. Her gig keeps her pretty busy.”

“Modeling?” he asked. I nodded. “How’s your promoting going?”

I realized it had been several days since I even bothered checking my social media, which most likely meant I lost more followers than I gained in a month. I hadn’t been interested in promoting since I became involved with Gavin, but I wasn’t exactly sure why.

“I’m focusing my interests elsewhere,” I said as if it was a business meeting. “I’ve been keeping an eye out for auditions.”

“My mom was right,” he said after a moment. “A lot of people would give up at this point.”

“I know,” I said. “But that’s why I won’t give up. I don’t want to be like anyone else.”

He lifted his fork, touched the tip of his lip with it, before setting it back down on the plate and staring at me.

“You’re not like anyone else,” he murmured. For a moment, I assumed he meant it as an insult, he had every right to, but I realized he was genuine. It was a genuine compliment.

I blushed and stuffed a piece of bacon in my mouth. I swallowed it with a long gulp of orange juice and wiped my mouth.

“Thanks,” I said. I felt a warm blush spread over my cheeks, and when Gavin offered a smile and returned to his food, I decided to take a risk.

“Why don’t we go to that ice museum?” I asked. “Like a real date?”

The silence between us stretched until I was certain he didn’t hear me, and I finished the breakfast while mustering up the courage to ask again.

“Listen to me carefully, Maddie,” Gavin said as he stood. “Don’t mistake my hospitality for anything else than it is, and it’s not an invitation for anything more between us.”