Page 106 of Marrying Off My Husband

I’d managed to escape the dating scene, pretending to have all those romantic nights with Eve every time Louise went out with Theo.

We’d made it look like we were having a wonderful time all the while we’d merely spent time playingMystic Realmsor watching movies–not the romantic kind.

But this twist, I hadn’t seen coming. I grabbed a fistful of hoodie and trudged into my closet to find another.

I stared at the rows of them hanging in front of me as a memory flashed through my mind of easy laughter with Eve. Today’s amusement park date wasn’t just another event to endure, but a precipice I was terrified to approach.

“Which one of you says, ‘Hey, I’m a super cool guy who is enjoying the amusement park’?”

“None of them,” I answered myself. “Because I’m not a super cool guy.”

With a sigh, I slid my eyes closed and smacked my palm against my forehead. Why had I let Louise talk me into a double date at an amusement park of all places?

I hated amusement parks. I hated everything about amusement parks.

I detested the rides, loathed the fixed games, despised the food, and abhorred the noise. And now I had to experience all of this with Louise at my side, monitoring my date with Eve.

The dates with Eve were nerve-wracking enough, but with Louise physically there, monitoring everything, it would be one thousand times worse.

My heart started to beat faster and my skin turned clammy. I wondered if I could feign illness and cancel. Eve could still go with Louise and Theo for a fun night out.

The suave, debonaire man with his perfectly trimmed facial hair and award-winning grin could probably win her one of those giant stuffed animals with one hand tied behind his well-muscled back.

I, on the other hand, would fail miserably at the task, and thus, expose how much of a loser I was to Eve.

Not that it mattered because we weren’t really dating.

Eve had mentioned it again during one of our fake dates. “Things seem to be going really well between Louise and Theo. Do you think he could be the one?”

“Uh, I’m not sure,” I said, a pang of sorrow piercing my heart as I realized if Theo and Louise were meant to be, Eve and I were over.

“Well, has she said anything to you? She seems pretty enamored with him when she talks to me.”

“Yeah, I’ve gotten the same impression. It seems like they’ve really hit it off. I guess time will tell.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Well, I hope he is. She deserves to be happy.”

I bobbed my head. “She does.”

“How do you think she’ll take it once our relationship ends?”

“I’m hoping she’s happy enough that she doesn’t notice.”

Her comment in that moment reminded me about our arrangement. Eve probably prayed this man was the one for Louise so that we could stop our sham of a relationship, and I couldn’t blame her.

I wondered if she was feeling the same way I was at this moment. Our date would be under a microscope, and Louise would probably have a conversation with each of us after it to encourage us to take things to a new level.

With every development, I wondered if Eve would finally spill the beans and tell Louise that we weren’t really dating. When would it finally become too much for her?

A knock startled me. I jumped, snapping my gaze to the doorway and finding Louise there. With a hand pressed against my chest, I blew out a sigh. “Louise, please stop doing that. Also, please stop coming into my closet without asking. I could be undressed, you know?”

“Spencer, stop worrying about ridiculous things and worry about the important ones.” She sauntered across the room and pulled the hoodie from my hands before she chose another and shoved it toward me. “Are you excited about tonight?”

“Thrilled,” I said, sarcasm thick in my voice as I tugged on the new hoodie and zipped it.

“Oh, Spencer,” she said with a wave of her hand at me, “try a little, huh? It’ll be fun. I can’t wait to double with you two. It’ll be just like what’s going to happen for the rest of our lives. It’ll be you and Eve, me and Theo.”

I forced a smile onto my face as I nodded.

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