Page 55 of Secret Marriage To My Bosshole

Jake.

His shocked gasp echoes in my ears, and I know our secret is out.

The room seems to freeze as his words echo through the air.

I turn slowly, my heart thudding in my chest, keeping Cora behind me as I see Jake standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing with fury.

Before I can react, his fist collides with my jaw, sending me reeling. I stumble back, raising my hands in a futile attempt to calm Jake’s anger, to shield Cora from his fury. I can see the hurt and betrayal in his eyes, and it cuts me deeper than any physical blow ever can.

“Hey man—we can explain.”

Jake’s hands ball into fists as he glares at Cora. Cora gasps, her eyes wide with fear.

His face is filled with accusation. His upper lip curls, and his eyes narrow. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was about to lunge at me again.

I turn to Cora and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you go get dressed while I talk to Jake?”

Her eyes swell with tears as she gets down from the counter and takes off to the bedroom.

The moment we are alone, Jake is in my face. “Are you fucking sleeping with my little sister? I asked you to help her, not screw her around.”

I scoff and put my hands on his chest, shoving him back a step. “First of all, fuck you for thinking that Cora would just fuck around like that. Fuck you twice for assuming that I would just use her.”

Jake glares at me, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

“What else do you want me to think of this? You ask me to come over for dinner and watch the game. I come early, the door’s unlocked, and then I find you making out with my sister in the middle of your kitchen? And what the fuck did you mean about the wedding ceremony? Care to explain that?” he doesn't miss a beat.

“We… Cora and I got married when we were drunk in Colorado on that business trip we had a few months back.” I exhale, trying to stay calm.

The story itself is so absurd that the conversation won’t get anywhere if both of us are ready to rip each other’s heads off.

Jake’s eyes bulge, and his face turns a bright red.

“You did what? You’ve got to be kidding me. You married Cora? There is no fucking way that this is happening right now. This has to be some sort of sick joke you cooked up together.”

“It’s not a joke.” I lean back against the counter and cross my arms. “Jake—I love Cora. I wasn’t sure when we accidentally got married, but I’ve come to love her. Even if we didn’t get married, we’d still be having this conversation because I love her. We’re together. We were going to tell you tonight.”

“You think it’s that easy?” Jake’s voice climbs higher. “You think I can just walk in here and see you with Cora and think everything is great? She despised you for years growing up.”

“We’ve talked about that. If she’s willing to move past—”

Jake slams his hand down on the counter, cutting me off. “No. You don’t get to say that. I refuse to stand by and watch someone take advantage of Cora again.”

My hand balls into a fist for the first time since we were teens. I want to punch him. “Is that honestly what you think of me?”

“What else would I think?” Venom spews from his words as he crosses his arms. Anger radiates from him in waves as he shakes his head. “You’ve never had a serious relationship in your life.”

“Yes, I’ll admit that. But why does that matter? If I’m happy with Cora, and she is happy with me, then why does the past matter?”

“Because it does!” Jake walks to the other side of the room, pacing back and forth. “Of course it matters because she’s my sister. Just because you’re my best buddy doesn’t mean you’re automatically the best partner for my sister. She went through hell with her ex, and now you’re going to put her through an entirely different kind of shit.”

“I’m not going to be that person.” I stay calm despite my chest tightening as I consider what Jake thinks of me.

Even in the heat of the moment, I’ve never known him to say something he doesn’t mean. This could mean that my best friend has been harboring some ugly thoughts about me for quite some time.

My jaw clamps shut as I look at him. “I don’t know what else to say right now. I’m married to Cora. She lives here. We’re happy together and dating.”

“Of course you are, Griffin. And what about your parents? Do they know? You know they wouldn’t accept her, right?”

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