Page 3 of Fake To Forever

The question makes my stomach twist so hard, bile rises up my throat, but I manage to swallow it back down and push away the fear and pain that his words provoke.

“I’ll figure it out,” I say, my words weak even to my own ears. “I’m an adult, Garrett, who can manage her life on my own.”

“But you shouldn’t have to.” He slams his bottle down with a little more force than needed, causing a few peanuts to fall out of the bowl. “You should have a family of your own and a life outside of our family’s tiny bubble. It’s what you’ve always wanted.”

Perhaps, but we don’t always get what we want, do we?

“Look who’s talking,” I reply, slapping on a grin to hide the effect what he’s saying is having on me. “Am I really getting this lecture from my workaholic brother who gets bored with a girl so quickly, she doesn’t last more than a couple of dates?”

“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly the family type,” he says. He looks away, a shadow falling over his eyes, but I’m too fired up to deal with his own insecurities.

“You do realize how hypocritical that is, right?”

Garrett grumbles under his breath before replying, “Whatever. I just worry about you, okay? I know Mom worries too. We just don’t want you to be lonely.”

I appreciate his concern, I really do. But I’m not a little kid anymore, and now’s not the time for me to be thinking about shit like that. He’ll be leaving soon, and there’s no point spending what little time we have left arguing.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I’m very happy with my life, and if I decide someday that I want the whole marriage, kids, and white picket fence, I’ll make it happen.”

Garrett smirks and shakes his head. “You make it sound so easy, but I know you, Haven. If you do decide to give your heart to someone, he’s going to have to be someone extraordinary. Someone who isn’t from Blue Ridge. The world is much bigger than this place, and you belong out in it.”

His words warm my heart, but I don’t let him know that. I lift my glass to take a long drink, not wanting Garrett to see the effect his statement is having on me. He’s right. The world is much bigger than Blue Ridge, but this town is what I know and where I feel safe. It’s where my family is.

Venturing outside of Blue Ridge would open me up to all the heartbreak and dangers the rest of the world holds. I’ve experienced enough pain in my life already, and I’m not interested in going out and inviting more in.

Blue Ridge is where I belong, and I just need to keep on focusing on the things that matter most to me so that I don’t lose them. My family, my friends, and my job. I don’t need more than that. Garrett might not get it, even if I fully explained it to him, and that’s okay. I don’t need him to understand. I just need him to come back from the oil fields safe and sound.

If I can maintain what I already have and the people I already care about, I’ll never have to let anyone else in… which also means I won’t have to worry about losing anyone else either.

Chapter Two: A Fresh Start

Christian

“Iswear to God, Christian! If you take Oliver out of Houston, I’ll have my lawyers so far up your ass, you’ll be spitting custody paperwork!”

I clench my jaw, holding my phone away from my ear so my ex’s screeching voice doesn’t damage my hearing. She has always had a way of ruining my day. Thank god I don’t have to deal with her on a day-to-day basis anymore. Ignoring her threat, I continue moving through my home office, pulling documents out of drawers and books off of shelves that I want to be taken to the new house in Blue Ridge.

“I’m not having this conversation with you again, Theresa,” I hiss. “I have custody of Oliver, and I can take him wherever I want. A smaller town will be good for him. He’ll be able to live a more grounded, normal life away from the city crowds and media.”

“Oh, please,” Theresa spits. “You’re not doing this because it’s what is best for Oliver. You’re doing this as a fuck you to me!”

Unfortunately, that would be something you would do.

I roll my eyes, trying hard not to play into her games. “Not everything is about you, Theresa. Iamdoing this because it’s what’s best for Oliver. It’s too difficult for him around here now that the press knows he exists. I need to get him away from the chaos.”

I need to get him away from you.

I don’t say the last part out loud because I know that would just give her more ammo to use against me. She’s been munitioning any little negative thing she hears about me, hoping something will stick and prove I’m not a fit enough parent to have full custody of our son. Keeping my mouth shut is what’s best for everyone in this situation. I’m not about to risk losing Oliver just because she pisses me off.

“And whose fault is it that the press found out about him? I told you I wanted to keep him a secret for as long as possible, but you just had to take him to Disney World yourself, didn’t you? You couldn’t have just sent him with the nanny.”

“I wanted to be with Oliver,” I counter. “And I’m not the one who insisted on keeping him a secret in the first place. That’s your problem, Theresa, not mine.”

She releases a screech that has me holding my phone away from my ear again.

“Christian, if you go through with this, you’re going to regret it,” she snarls.

“Take it up with my lawyers,” I snap, before hanging up the call. Theresa immediately tries to call me back, but I ignore her call and put my phone on silent. She’s not going to drop the issue, but I’m not changing my mind.

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