Page 59 of Fake To Forever

I nod, pulling her closer into me. "He wasn’t thrilled at first, and he had a lot of questions. He’s protective of you, of course, but he understands now. He knows this isn’t just some quick decision or something we’re doing recklessly, and I told him how much you mean to me, that… that it’s real now."

Haven exhales slowly, some of the tension leaving her body as she relaxes into my touch.

"I was so worried about telling him," she admits, her voice softer now. "I didn’t want him to feel blindsided or like we kept him in the dark for too long."

"I get it," I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But he gets it now, too. He’s on board, even if he’s still a little cautious. We talked through everything—what it means for us, what it means for Oliver—and he’s going to support us."

Haven looks up at me, her eyes searching mine. "Are you sure? Garrett doesn’t hold back when he’s angry, and I know this must have hit him hard."

I brush a thumb across her cheek, watching as her eyes flutter closed at the contact. "I’m sure. He’s your brother, Haven. He loves you, and he’s going to be there for you no matter what. We’ll handle whatever comes, together."

She drops her head against my chest.

"Thank you," she whispers. "For talking to him. For handling all of this."

I wrap my arms around her and hold her. The world feels distant, the weight of the conversation with Garrett fading into the background as we stand in the quiet of the kitchen, our future together growing more solid and real every day.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Bachelorette

Haven

“The wedding is in three days, and I’m officially freaking out,” I tell Marie over the phone. Two months have flown by in the blink of an eye, and I feel like I’m scrambling to get all the final details of the wedding put together. It’s not even a big wedding! It shouldn’t be so stressful to plan!

“What about Christian? Is he freaking and it’s making you freak?” she asks.

“No, I don’t think so. He seems fine and I’m losing my mind,” I groan. In fact, he’s been cool and calm throughout this process, helping me when I ask and letting me spend whatever I need to in order to make this event happen.

“Do you want to come out with me?” Maris asks. “Get a little wild and forget about wedding plans for an evening? It could be your bachelorette party!”

“Bachelorette party?” I hadn’t even considered having something like that. Thinking back on our trip to New York, I remember how much fun it was to just get away and enjoy myself for a bit. Maybe another dose of that will help calm my nerves.

“That actually sounds like a good idea,” I murmur.

“Great! Call me back after you’ve asked Christian.”

“Asked Christian? Why? He’s not my dad.”

She snorts. “He’s going to be your husband, though.”

“Not yet.”

She’s right, and when I hang up, I go into Christian’s office. He has the door propped open, so I just walk on in. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable in this house and with my husband-to-be, and I don’t hesitate to talk to him like I might have when I first moved in.

In the two months since I’ve lived here, Christian and I have only grown closer. Even though I still have my own room, I sleep in his every night. Our sex has only gotten hotter and more intimate as we’ve become more comfortable with each other. I’ve never had a man want me as intensely as Christian does, and when he touches me, my body responds to him in a way that’s primal and almost out of my control.

I’ve been loving every minute of it.

Of course, it hasn’t just been Christian getting used to having me around. Oliver was confused at first, why I had moved into the house. When Christian had explained that he was going to marry me and we’d all be a family, Oliver hadn’t really understood but he was happy to have me around. Settling into a motherly role with him has been an adjustment, but I’ve become so attached to the kid, I can’t really imagine my life without him now. The first time he called me mommy, I broke down into sobs of joy.

Walking into Christian’s office, I find he’s absorbed in some documents spread out across his desk, so I move forward, lean against the edge of his desk, and clear my throat. "Hey."

He looks up, his face softening. "Hey yourself. What’s up?"

I take a deep breath and dive in. "So, Marie and I were talking, and we realized that I haven’t really done anything for a bachelorette party. I’ve been so focused on wedding planning and keeping things together that I haven’t even thought about celebrating."

Christian’s brow furrows slightly as he sits back in his chair. "A bachelorette party? I didn’t think you were into that sort of thing."

I laugh, trying to keep the mood light. "I wasn’t planning anything big, but Marie convinced me that we should go out, just the two of us. You know, kind of an impromptu bachelorette night."

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