Page 6 of Fake Married to the Grumps

Even though I would enjoy trying.

Tommy says goodbye to Nelly before the two of us leave her office. I spend the rest of my day thinking about her eyes.

Those hazel eyes leave an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach.It reminds me of innocence and wildness all blended into one. It’s a feeling I can’t explore, so I clamp it down and bury it deep inside, just like I did five years ago.

Chapter 3

Nelly

I hate it when he’s right. Ethan’s smug smile plays in my head that evening as I stay cuddled up in my apartment, glancing through every profile of wealthy businessmen I could approach with a deal for Sunny Aerospace.

They all have advantages and disadvantages, and one thing I’m sure of is that I wouldn’t get a fair deal from them.Because we have too much debt and we’re a liability.

My temples ache like they never have before, and I massage two fingers over them, gently moving my hands to my forehead. My apartment’s chilly air prompts me to turn down the air conditioning, and I slip into a sweatshirt to keep me warm.

I had chamomile tea earlier before getting to work, but now my nerves are all pumped up again.

Marry him?

That is an absurd plan. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like to spend hours with Ethan shacked up in a house, forced to enjoy his company because we’re newlyweds.

Okay, scratch that.

I sigh as I rub a hand over the back of my neck. I can imagine it. Ethan’s not the dull type. Every moment with him is a whirlwind and the fun never ends. If I give into this sham marriage, it might be just like old times.

Ethan and my brother became friends in their freshman year, and I was still in high school at the time. They bonded quickly, and Tom used to bring Ethan over to our house here in L.A. for the holidays.

The duo had an absolute blast, going from yacht parties to attending sporting events across the country. When I finally got into college, they were in their senior year. Ethan had access to his grandfather’s private jet and we would travel together on the weekends to some beach resort, exploring different cities and cultures.

I recall loving every moment of the time I spent with them that year. Tom and I were always close, so it felt natural to explore with him. The duo somehow made sure I got back to school in time for lectures the next Monday morning, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t always exhausted.

I chuckle as the fond memories come to mind. Ethan, Tom, and I were at Stanford together for a year before they graduated. After they did, we hung out only on major holidays.

And my crush on Ethan grew with time.

Five years ago, I finally worked up the courage to confess to him, but that ended with me heartbroken before I even confessed, and Ethan left the country shortly after that.

Things are different now. Tommy’s a prosecutor and dedicated to his job. I’m the CEO of Sunny Aerospace, trying to keep the company from a shameful demise, and Ethan’s about to be CEO and a major shareholder of a conglomerate, even though he seems to still be the same fun-loving guy.

Ethan had his path carved out for him from the start. As the grandson of Robert Everhart, the business enigma, Ethan had gone to Harvard Business School, just like me, and worked in his grandfather’s company, just like how I worked at my parents’ company.

The only difference was Hart Holdings would never find themselves in the pile of lawsuits Sunny Aerospace is buried in. Even though Ethan was more of what we called a trust-fund baby, he was still smart and dangerous in the business world. He never walked out of a room without a deal, and he worked hard to keep his grandfather’s company thriving.

My doorbell rings while I’m shuffling through my thoughts, and I jump out of my couch. “Coming,” I announced when it dings repeatedly.

I open the door to find Ethan leaning against the doorframe, a smile on his lips as he stares deep into my eyes and steals my breath away.

Yes, it’s that easy.

Whenever he smiled at me like this in the past, I felt my heart beat a little too fast.

Guess some things never change.

“Great, it’s you?”

I tilt my head to one side, push away from the entrance to let him in, and lock my smart door. “What do you want? How did you figure out where I live?”

“Tom,” he said with a grin, then twirled around like he was taking in my apartment. “I begged him to tell me. You’ve got a nice place, by the way. We’ll have to move into mine once we get married. It’s bigger.”

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