Page 37 of Festive Faking
Mac hummed. “Maybe next year.”
Next year. There wasn’t going to be a next year. Not where Mac was concerned.
That thought sat like the weight of a two-ton elephant on my chest, so I forced myself to change the subject. Tilting my headtoward the table where Skylar still sat concentrating on her coloring, I remarked, “You were good with her.”
“Eh, kids are easy.” He shrugged.
A wry laugh fell from my lips. “Said no parent ever.”
“They don’t have expectations, you know?”
It struck me suddenly that I was no better than the people he’d described this morning. I was using him to make this trip home easier forme, with no regard for him, only focused on saving face in front of my family, my hometown.
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I croaked out, “Mac, I’m sorry.”
His brows drew down in concern. “Aspen, what’s wrong?”
I tilted my face toward the ceiling, blinking furiously to keep the tears at bay.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Panic leaked into his tone. “If it’s something I did—”
“No. It’s somethingIdid.” My lower lip trembled, and I sniffled softly. I was fighting a losing battle. My only hope was that there weren’t too many people watching my public breakdown.
Warm palms cupped my cheeks, bringing my gaze down to meet his. “Talk to me, Aspen. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. Maybe we can fix it together. We’re partners this week, right?”
That threw me over the edge, and the first hot tear leaked out, followed by another and another. I couldn’t stop them from falling freely.
Mac might have been thrown by my sudden change in mood, but that didn’t stop him from gathering me into his arms, offering comfort I didn’t deserve. Steadfast, he held me, whispering soothing words in my ear, until I calmed enough that only the occasional hiccup bubbled up from my chest.
Using a thumb, he brushed the moisture from my face, his eyes searching. “It’s killing me to see you cry. Let me help you.”
“That’s the problem,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
“You’re gonna have to give me some more clues than that, Aspen, because I’m really lost right now.”
I knew what I said next would throw me into the ultimate shitstorm, but it was the right thing to do.
“I think we need to come clean and end this.”
Mac’s eyes widened, and his voice rose in pitch. “What? Why?”
I hung my head in shame. “Because it’s wrong. I should have never asked you to come here and pretend like we are something we aren’t. It’s not fair to you, and I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to swoop in and save me when I was having a moment back in LA. I’m a big girl; I should’ve had the guts to be honest with my parents about my relationship status, or the lack thereof.”
“Don’t I have a say in this as one half of this couple?”
“Fake couple,” I corrected.
The loud rumble of his chest had me peeking up. The intensity of his stare when we locked eyes had me gasping.
He looked furious. And he had every right to be.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Aspen.” The way his voice dropped an octave had a shiver rolling down my spine. “I’m here because Iwantto be here.”
“You say that, but—”
A finger pressed to my lips cut off my sentence.
Eyes blazing, Mac declared, “We’re done when I say we’re done. Got it?”
