Page 106 of Things We Fake
Paul squinted at me. “She never said a word. Why would she keep quiet about something like that?”
I shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t feel she could trust you. Or maybe she thought you wouldn’t take her side.”
Another long silence fell. Even the music seemed muted in this corner of the restaurant, where our private little drama was unfolding.
“Was it all fake?” Becky asked softly.
“No.” I swallowed hard. “Not on my side. I didn’t plan for this ring to be fake.”
I rose from the table, sliding the ring back into my pocket. “We didn’t lie to manipulate anyone. Sue lied to survive a family dinner. She lied to avoid the thousand little cuts that come from trying to please people who think love has to look a certain way.”
I looked pointedly at Elaine. She flinched.
I tried to find my words again. “I’m sorry… But I’m also not. We didn’t see another way to deal with this, and I wanted to help Sue in any way she needed me. We didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
There was a long, long stretch of silence.
Then Paul cleared his throat. “So… what now?”
It was a good question. I didn’t have an answer. I wiped a hand down my face and stood.
“Now, I need to drive my mother and sister back to their hotel. Please, try to enjoy the rest of your dinner. And your stay in New York.”
It sounded ridiculous under the circumstances, but I didn’t know what else to say. This entire situation bordered on the absurd. Thankfully, my mom and Becky followed my lead and headed quietly to the restaurant’s exit. I stopped a waiter and gave him enough money to cover the dinner and a generous tip. Then we waited in silence until a valet retrieved my car.
It was only after I pulled into traffic that Becky exploded from the back seat. I gave her credit for lasting that long.
“What the hell were you thinking, Cam? A fake engagement? What is this, a frigging Hallmark movie?”
“Rebecca.” Mom reached out from the passenger seat and put a hand on Becky’s knee.
But my sister had lost it. “No, seriously. Is this something a grown-ass man would do? We came all the way from Denver for this!”
“I didn’t ask you to come,” I said, sharper than I intended. “You came because you’re nosy.”
“I wanted to be supportive and meet Sue.”
“Yeah, right,” I retorted. “You wanted to grill her.”
“Well that bit me in the ass, didn’t it?”
“Maybe it will teach you to mind your own business.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“Stop it, you two.” Mom’s tone was quiet but firm enough to end any discussions.
We rode in blessed silence for the rest of the way. As soon as I pulled off in front of the hotel, Becky stormed out of the car and slammed the door.
Mom didn’t make a move to leave. I was hoping she wouldn’t.
I released my seatbelt and turned to face her. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
She reached out and took my hand. It was so small in mine. I could still remember the hand of my child self in hers, which seemed larger than life back then.
Her gaze was steady on mine. “Cam, you’ve never lied before. I don’t know how to feel about this, that you lied for this girl.”
I stared out the window. Night was falling over the city. Lights blinked awake, pedestrians hurried to their business, even traffic slowed down as the day headed to an end.
