Page 65 of Fake Out Hearts

I’m having a great time getting to know them. But every day when we get together, I have to remind myself that none of this is real. That as much as I like them, and as much as they seem to like me, I can’t get used to it. One day, years from now when all of this is over, they’ll know the truth and I’ll be gone. Because there’s an expiration on this little fantasy we’re living. We might not have a specific date yet, but it’s coming.

So I shouldn’t get attached—to Theo or his parents—but it’s so much easier to say than do.

Thankfully, they decided not to stay with us just like Theo said they would, so he and I haven’t had to keep up the charade that we’re sharing a bed. I would probably have exploded by now if we had to do that. And every time I think about what we were doing when his parents showed up unannounced, my face burns.We weren’t just flirting with the line of what’s acceptable. We sailed right past it.

In some merciful way, having his parents around has forced us to check ourselves. To get back in bounds and reestablish the rules. Which is good because we definitely needed a course correction.

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Anne asks me as she hovers near Theo’s front door. It’s their final day in town, and they stopped by one last time before heading to the airport to say goodbye.

“Yeah, it’s just… bittersweet to see you go,” I whisper, and Anne beams at me. She hurries over to throw her arms around me and squeezes me close.

“Oh, honey, I feel the same. It’s been so nice getting to know you. Welcome to the family,” she says into my ear, and my heart clenches.

She might as well have pressed a knife into my chest, although she doesn’t know it. It’s both the sweetest and most painful thing anyone has said to me in a long time.

“Thank you.” I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand when we part, and John chuckles as he puts an arm around Anne’s waist.

“Well, before this turns into a trip to waterworks, let’s get going, dear.” He holds one arm out to me, beckoning me in, and the two of them pull me in for one last hug. “It really was nice to meet you, kiddo. Enjoy your new practice space. Theo chose well,” he says, flashing a wink at Theo, who’s standing behind me and petting Milo’s head.

“Thanks, Dad. Hope you had a good trip.”

“Any time I get to see my son play hockey is a good trip,” he says, then gives Theo a hug too. Theo walks them to the door with Milo on his heels.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to the airport? I really don’t mind.”

John pulls out his phone, waving the screen at us. “The Uber is already around the corner. But thanks for the offer.” Milo mistakes the phone for a toy and barks at John, so he pats the dog and laughs. “Goodbye to you too, buddy.”

“Alright, well, have a safe flight. Text or call me when you land, okay?”

“Of course. Love you, son.”

“Love you too.” Theo opens the door for them, and I wave as they leave. When the door’s closed, Theo turns to me, and there’s something on his face that I can’t quite place. But he replaces it with that grin of his. “Thanks for being so willing to spend time with my parents. I’m sure that wasn’t easy.”

“Are you kidding? I was happy to,” I say, and I mean it. A question forms on the tip of my tongue, and I know I probably shouldn’t ask it, but I can’t help myself. “Was Valerie not into that?”

Theo grimaces at the mention of his ex’s name. “She didn’t get along well with my parents, to be honest.”

“Really? I don’t know how. They’re great.”

“I mean, I know I’m biased, but I agree. But that was the thing with her. She wasn’t who any of us thought she was,” he says as he flops down on the couch. Milo jumps up and rests his head in Theo’s lap, making him laugh. I join them, keeping an eye on Theo.

“We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, obviously, but what exactly happened with Valerie?”

“Does it really matter?”

I shrug. “I guess not in the grand scheme of things, but I’m your current wife, so I feel like I should know. Especially if your mom is going to keep bringing her up.”

Theo sighs. “Leave it to Mom. Yeah, you’re right. Valerie and I met just as my hockey career was taking off. I was on top of the world, and I had blinders on. Thick ass ones. She seemed soperfect on paper, and I was riding so high that I overlooked all the red flags.”

“Then why did you marry her?”

He chuckles dryly. “I’ve asked myself that question more times than I can count. Honestly? I don’t know why. It just seemed like the thing to do, just like everyone else I knew. I mean, I loved her… or at least I thought I did. But that was before I knew what that word really meant.”

“Did she cheat on you or something?”

“No, no. It wasn’t anything dramatic like that. We had good chemistry, and I was young and dumb enough that I thought that would be enough to carry a marriage. But after the honeymoon period ended, I realized quickly that we had nothing in common. She loved theideaof being married to a professional hockey player a lot more than the realities of it, and we didn’t really want the same things. We tried to make it work for a while, but everything went to shit so fast.”

“I’m sorry.”

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