Page 57 of Fake To Forever

I turn to face him and suck in a deep breath. I just need to say it. Like ripping a bandaid off. Get it over with so we can start to move past this.

Unless he murders me, of course.

“Here’s the thing,” I begin, my heart racing as I force the words past my lips. “I’m going to marry your sister.”

His face goes blank. Eerily blank. I can’t tell what he’s thinking in any capacity.

Then he bellows, “Youwhat?”

“Hold on!” I say quickly before he can say or do anything else. “Let me explain!”

He’s seething as he glares at me. “What thehellare you talking about, Tallow?”

He only calls me by my last name when he’s upset with me.

“Garrett, let’s sit down. We need to talk this through,” I suggest, motioning toward the living room.

He reluctantly leads the way to his couch but doesn’t sit, instead pacing in front of me as I take a seat. I wait for him to settle, knowing I need to handle this carefully.

“Look, I should have told you sooner,” I begin, my voice steady despite the churn of anxiety. “Haven and I… we decided it made sense for a lot of reasons. It’s not just a spontaneous decision.”

Garrett stops pacing, turning to face me with a frown. “Made sense? Chris, she’s my sister, not some business deal you can arrange when it suits you. What are you talking about?”

I sigh, knowing this is the part where things could really go south if I’m not clear. “It started as an arrangement, yes, but… it’s not just that anymore. I care about Haven, deeply. The arrangement—it was initially to help both of us with different things. For me, it was about providing stability for Oliver. For Haven, it was about helping your mom feel at ease.”

His expression softens slightly, but he’s still wary as he stabs his fingers through his hair and pushes it back. “Stability for Oliver? You’re using my sister to make your family situation look better? And you’re lying to my dying mother about it?”

I shake my head quickly, scrubbing my hand over my mouth in agitation. “No, it’s not like that. It’s not about using anyone. Haven just wants your mom to be able to pass on peacefully and without worrying about her. At first, yeah, I wanted a way to secure custody of Oliver, and I still do, but, Garrett, I promise you, it’s evolved beyond that. What I feel for Haven—it’s real. This isn’t just some cold, calculated move. Not anymore.”

He looks away, his jaw clenched so hard, there’s a vein throbbing in his cheek. “I don’t know, man. This sounds… it sounds messy.”

“It’s complicated,” I admit, leaning forward, trying to convey my sincerity. “But I’m telling you, what I feel for Haven isn’t about the arrangement. It started that way, but it’s grown into something more. Something genuine.”

He finally sits down across from me, his features softening as he processes my words. “And Haven? How does she feel about all this?”

“She feels the same,” I reply confidently. “We’ve talked about it a lot. We wouldn’t be moving forward if we both didn’t feel something real here.”

He’s quiet, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him, then meets my gaze. “I want to believe you, Chris, but this is my little sister. I need to know you’re in this for the right reasons.”

“I am,” I assure him. “I wouldn’t have gone this far if I weren’t serious about her.”

Garrett nods slowly, the initial anger fading to a cautious understanding. “Alright. I’ll trust you on this… for now. But Chris, if you hurt her, deal or no deal, arrangement or not, you’ll have to answer to me.”

“I understand,” I respond, feeling the weight of his words. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

As the tension dissipates, he finally relaxes, leaning back against the sofa with a heavy sigh. “What’s the plan now? How are you two handling this?”

I scratch my chin thoughtfully, trying to find the right words. "We’re taking it one step at a time. Neither of us expected things to get this serious, but now that they have, we’re making it work. The wedding is happening soon, and Haven… she’s all in. So am I."

He studies me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You’re saying all the right things, man, but what happens after the wedding? Are you sure this isn’t just about making things look good for the court?"

The mention of the court reminds me of the bigger issue looming in the background, one I know Garrett’s going to bring up soon. I shift in my seat, leaning forward to meet his gaze.

"Look, at first, it was about that. I won’t lie. The arrangement made sense to stabilize things for Oliver, but it’s not just about the custody case anymore. Haven’s become someone I care about, Garrett. We’ve gotten closer in ways I didn’t expect, and I’m not just doing this for show."

He lets out a long breath, shaking his head like he’s trying to absorb everything. "And what about Theresa? How does she fit into all of this now? I can’t imagine she’s going to be celebrating the fact that you’re getting married."

I tense at the mention of her name. Theresa is still a part of this mess, and I need to be honest with Garrett about that too.

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