Page 21 of Fake Married to the Grumps

Patrick Cross is now in front of us, and Ethan chooses that moment to move closer to me and keep a secure hand on the small of my back. “Nelly … Never thought I’d see you in person again.”

“Patrick,” I smile as I extend a hand to accept his handshake. Patrick lifts my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to the front of my palm just before Ethan clears his throat.

“My husband, Ethan Everhart,” I introduce with a smile, and Patrick raises a brow before he turns to Ethan.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Everhart,” Patrick greets them as they shake hands. His eyes tighten at their corners as he assesses Ethan for a bit.

“Likewise, Mr. Cross,” Ethan replies. “Are you also a regular donor here at the Children Forever Foundation? Or a first-time guest?”

“Regular,” Patrick nods, and I notice both men have the same tightness wrinkling around their eyes while they address each other. Especially Ethan. He doesn’t take his hand off my back and he keeps his chin high.

“Charities have always been my forte. Do you remember when we discussed starting our own foundation, Nelly?” Patrick asks in the lightest of tones, but Ethan’s chin hardens a bit at it and I feel his body stiffen.

“Yes,” I respond to Patrick, but don’t get the chance to say more before Ethan interrupts.

“Nelly and I always talked about donating to charities while we were in school too. She’s always been keen on making a difference.”

“Yes, she has,” Patrick agrees. “I just didn’t think she would get married so soon. After all the last time I saw her, she was keen on focusing on her career.” Patrick looks back at me now, then smiles. “I guess things change.”

“They do, especially because love comes when we least expect it, you know,” Ethan angles his body towards me, then drops a kiss on my temple. “My wife is amazing for sure,” he adds with a proud smile.

Patrick’s eyes land on mine, and the tension in his shoulders is visible before he gives me a silent nod. “I should leave you two to enjoy the night before my date starts missing me,” he says. “It was nice seeing you again, Nelly.”

Once he’s gone, Ethan turns to me and pretends to cough. “That looks like a guy who’s still into you.”

I lift my head to meet his gaze. “Definitely not … We broke up a long time ago.”

“Yeah right,” Ethan answers, and I catch him glancing around to find Patrick and glare at him for a moment.

“Wait a minute, are you … Are you jealous?”

Color painted his cheeks and his ears reddened a bit as he scoffed. “Me? Of course not. Why would I be jealous of a guy you broke up with a long time ago?”

He sounds serious, but he is avoiding my gaze.

“Actually, he broke up with me.” A teasing smile plays on my lips because I find his reaction amusing. “I was sad for a while.” Ethan’s eyes tighten at the corners as he frowns, and he tries to hide his scowl by turning away from me and unbuttoning his tux.

I let my laughter spew out when he rubbed the back of his neck, then I tucked one hand in his. “Relax, Casanova,” I say before falling into step with him so we can walk around the hall and mingle with the rest of the crowd. “Patrick Cross is the past. We’ve moved on.”

“I wasn’t jealous,” he insists after a while.

“Yeah, sure you weren’t,” I joke, and he joins in my laugh before we walk up to the hosts for the evening.

The entire time we’re chatting with the other guests, I find myself wondering what Ethan was truly feeling after meeting Patrick. Was he really jealous?

If he was, then that might mean he feels something for me, right? I should not make any assumptions, especially when it comes to what Ethan really wants because the last time I did … The last time I assumed he was into me too, it ended with me heartbroken and alone.

Chapter 8

Ethan

The kitchen smells like caramel and roasted nuts that morning when I walk in and find Nelly humming to herself. We’ve spent most of our time together this past week since we returned from St. Barts and we’ve attended many official events together.

Nelly was present during the official handover that made me CEO a few days ago, and seeing the wide smile on her face as she cheered alongside the other board of directors who voted me in made the entire experience worthwhile.

I like having her close and listening to her talk. My feelings baffle me each time I recall the night I looked her in the eye and lied about being in love with her. The rush of electricity that zapped through me was enough to scare me.

I admire her in the kitchen before she notices my presence. Her shorts ride up her thighs and expose far too much skin. I can’t shake the warmth that slides through my veins.

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