Page 67 of From Ice to Grace
EJ thinks for another minute and then he finally sighs.
“I’ll support you, lillasyster. But the moment you need me to break his nose?—”
“I’ll do it myself.”
Arriving home later that evening after talking to EJ, I find that I’m less tired than I ought to be given the past day and a half. Unlocking the door, I open it to find a note on my floor.
Realized I don’t even have my fiancée’s number. Call me. I have an update.
Scribbled beneath is Declan’s phone number.
I’ve been called fiancée before…and that didn’t work out so well. I have no idea what’s wrong with me that I’m willing to try this again. Granted, this is very unconventional. Which is probably why I’m doing it.
I switch on the lights as I walk into my very disorganized apartment. The boxes are still just the way I left them this morning and it feels like a perfect depiction of my life. Some things are neatly packed, while the rest is still in place. Others are haphazardly hanging out of boxes, it’s all around messy while I decide which way I’m heading.
Grabbing my phone, I dial the number. Declan answers quickly.
“Took you long enough, Snowflake.”
“What?” I ask, heading toward the fridge to grab a pint of ice-cream. “Are you scared I’m going to back out of our agreement? You know absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder. That must explain all this stalker behavior.”
“Ah, look at you. Already quoting hallmark cards at me.”
I can’t help but smile as I dig a spoon out of the drawer and take a seat at the counter.
“Why did you want to talk to me?” I ask, my mouth full of ice-cream.
“I spoke to Brady this afternoon,” he says.
“Your agent,” I confirm.
“He’s not too happy with me, but he can get onboard with this. Although, we’ll have to move fast. He’s got a plan to get this out quick before the PTO story hits the media. That way they’ll focus on this instead of the new guy.”
“Okay,” I say, digging into the ice-cream not knowing what to say. What did I really expect? We need this to happen sooner rather than later. The sooner we get this figured out, the sooner I can get my own paperwork sorted out.
“So, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning for a breakfast date. We’ll have to smile and act like a couple for the cameras. Brady is working on getting us a judge to marry us. Might be tomorrow, or Tuesday morning at the latest.”
This is moving very fast. Even for me. This morning I was on board with this crazy plan because I desperately want to stay. Or at least, I desperately do not want to crawl back to Sweden. Others might think facing Axel is the easier option…but ‘others’ aren’t in my shoes. Others don’t feel like they’ve given away something only to have it thrown back in my face. That’s what it feels like. I spent years with him…gave him everything.
And in return?
He shattered everything.
“You still there?” Declan asks, his voice tinted with slight panic. It feels good knowing he’s as desperate for this plan to work as I am. It makes this feel a little less one sided. “Did you change your mind?”
I sigh. “I just got back from EJ’s,” I say. “He’s thrilled by the way.”
Getting up from my seat, I head back to the fridge to grab a root beer. If I’m going to have this conversation I need something to boost the chocolate.
“As he should be,” Declan says with laughter in his voice. “I’m an absolute prize as a brother-in-law.”
I pop the cap off the root beer and pour it into my ice-cream. I seriously need to stop with this little guilty pleasure. By the looks of things my life isn’t going to get any simpler any time soon, and my health won’t be able to keep up with all the stress-eating.
“You’re very pro-marriage all of a sudden. I mean for someone who’s keen on never having a woman for longer than a season…now you’re ready and geared with a court date to marry me.”
He’s quiet on the other side of the phone, a small ripple of panic moving through me thinking of the fact that he can pull out of this too. And that would mean I’d be back to square one.
“Or are you having second thoughts?” I ask, stirring the root beer into the chocolate, hoping and praying that he’s not going to back out of our deal.
