Page 29 of Fake To Forever

In fact, I’d be thrilled.

“Uh, thanks.” She chuckles, averting her eyes for a moment as a smile crosses her face. “That’s good to know, I guess. Anything else?”

“We should probably have a bit of a dating period, so to speak,” I continue. “Put on a bit of a show for the paparazzi and make the relationship seem real.”

She appears thoughtful for a moment and then nods. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

“I’ll have my lawyers draw up papers tomorrow, if you agree.”

“You want me to say yes bytomorrow?” Her eyes go wide again, and slightly confusion fills me. I thought she was already saying yes.

“I’d like you to,” I reply, my tone firm as I try to hide my confusion.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she mumbles. “This is a lot to think about.”

“Take your time tonight and think it over,” I reassure her. “But I really think this will be a perfect solution to both of our problems. And like I said, after a year we can call it off.”

She sucks in a deep breath and gazes up at me with an uncertain expression.

At length, she slowly nods. “All right… I’ll think about it. What, um, what would we tell Oliver if we went through with this?”

“We’ll figure that out when he’s older. For now, he’ll just be happy to have you around more. He really likes you, you know.”

That earns me a soft smile. “He’s so sweet. I just don’t know how I feel about lying to him.”

“We won’t have to lie,” I promise her, though I’m not sure how it can be entirely avoided. “Trust me, I don’t want to make this more complicated than it needs to be. I’m only suggesting this because I truly think it could be beneficial for both of us. I think we can help each other right now.”

Haven nods and slowly starts to turn.

“Okay,” she says as she moves toward the living room door. “I promise, I’ll think about it. I’ll let you know by the end of the day tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

She gives me one final look before disappearing out of the room. When I hear the front door open and close, I release a long breath. Holy shit. I can’t believe I just made that offer to her… and she’s actually considering it.

If she says yes, it really could be just what I need to ensure that Theresa doesn’t win in court and take Oliver from me. Haven might be my best chance at keeping my family whole, and I’m going to take that chance no matter what.

Chapter Eleven: The Decision

Haven

The morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow across my bedroom. I’ve been awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, replaying last night’s conversation with Christian over and over in my mind. His words keep echoing in my head, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

“Marry me, Haven.”

Even now, the thought sends a jolt through me. I’ve never been the kind of woman who dreamed about weddings, white dresses, or happily ever after. Marriage was something that always seemed unnecessary and unimportant compared to taking care of my family. Last night, Christian changed everything. He made the option a real possibility, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.

Even if it isn’t a real marriage… it will make Mom happy.

I sit up in bed, running a hand through my hair as I try to make sense of my jumbled thoughts. The proposal wasn’t romantic, and it wasn’t driven by love. It was practical. A solution to both of our problems. For Christian, it would strengthen his case for custody of Oliver. For me, it would fulfill my mother’s dying wish to see me settled.

But a marriage of convenience? That’s not something I ever pictured for myself. It feels wrong, like I’d be betraying some part of myself if I agreed to it. But then, the look on Christian’s face last night, the way he spoke about his son, about wanting to protect him—it’s hard to ignore that. And if I can make my mother happy in the process… shouldn’t I at least consider it?

I’m insane for even considering this.

People don’t get married for convenience anymore. It’s not the 1800s, and my father isn’t looking to trade me for some land and a flock of sheep. Still, I can’t help but feel tempted.

Shaking my head, I release a long groan. I can’t stay in bed any longer. At this point, I’m just thinking in circles. If I’m going to make a real, thoughtful decision, I think I need an outside perspective. Some advice and something to help me make sense of this would be super helpful as well.

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