Page 52 of Fake To Forever

“Me either,” I admit, my thumb brushing along her shoulder.

She nods, her gaze dropping as if she’s searching for answers in the tangled sheets between us. “What happens now?”

I sit up slightly, propping myself on one elbow.

That’s the question, isn’t it? What happens now?

I don’t have all the answers. Hell, I don’t even have most of the answers, but I know one thing: I can’t go back to the way things were. I can’t go back to seeing Haven as just part of the plan, as someone playing a role in my life. She’s become so much more than that, and after tonight, I’m not sure I can pretend otherwise.

“We take it one step at a time,” I say. “We figure it out together.”

She smiles softly.

“Okay,” she says finally. “One step at a time. I can do that.”

I pull her closer, kissing her forehead, and she nestles back against my chest, her body fitting perfectly against mine. We fall into a comfortable silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. There’s a strange sense of peace in this moment. Like we’ve crossed a line but we’re on the same side now, no longer playing parts but figuring out what’s real between us.

Chapter Twenty: New York

Haven

Two months.I only have two months to plan this wedding.

I stare at my coffee cup, absentmindedly stirring the sugar at the bottom. It’s barely morning, and my mind is already racing, a constant churn of worry and anxiety. I’ve never been the type of girl who had her dream wedding planned out, and now I’m trying to piece together something that doesn’t feel exactly like a lie, but not entirely real either. Especially since I’ve been spending my nights in Christian’s bed.

Across from me, Christian is relaxed, flipping through his phone like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Meanwhile, my to-do list keeps growing in my head, and I’m starting to feel the pressure weighing down on me. Invitations, venue, flowers, cake… and the dress. I don’t even know where to start.

“Christian, this wedding… I don’t know how I’m going to pull it off in two months. There’s just so much to do.”

He looks up from his phone, his brow furrowing slightly. “You don’t have to do it all alone, Haven. We can hire a planner. Let a professional take care of it all.”

I force a smile, but the panic is still there, simmering beneath the surface. “I appreciate the offer, but… I don’t know. There’s something inside me that wants to do this myself. I can’t contribute much to this wedding, practically speaking, but I can at least plan it.”

He gives me a soft smile. “Okay, I get that. Let’s break it down. What’s number one priority right now?”

I don’t even have to think about my answer. “The dress.”

Christian leans back in his chair, his eyes thoughtful as he watches me. “The dress is what’s worrying you the most?”

I nod, biting my lip. “It’s one of the big things, yeah. I don’t even know where to start looking, and I feel like if I get that wrong, everything else will just fall apart.”

He smiles at me then, that easy, confident smile that always makes me feel like maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem. “You’re overthinking it, and I have an idea that might help with that.”

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued but also wary. “Oh?”

He sets his phone down on the table and leans forward, his eyes glinting with something mischievous. “What if I told you I’m sending you to New York? You and Marie. A weekend getaway to take some of the pressure off and, more importantly, to find the perfect dress.”

My jaw drops, and for a second, I don’t even know how to respond. “Wait, what?”

Christian’s grin widens, and he nods. “You heard me. I know this wedding is stressing you out, and I don’t want you to feel like you’re drowning in it. So, I talked to Marie, and she’s free this weekend. I’m sending the two of you to New York for a couple of days to find your wedding dress.”

I blink, still trying to process what he just said. “You’re… sending me to New York? To find my dress?”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal, and I suppose for a billionaire, it’s not. “It’s the least I can do. You deserve to have a moment to enjoy this, Haven. You’ve been carrying a lot of weight lately, and I want you to take a break, even if it’s just for a weekend.”

I stare at him, completely floored by the gesture. New York. A wedding dress. And he thought of all of this without me even having to ask.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” I admit, my voice shaky. “You didn’t have to do this.”

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