Page 65 of Exposed

“People don’t always marry because they’re head over heels for the other person,” Pepper points out.

“True.” I’ve seen that enough times with the weddings Iphotograph. Weddings can be a tool to cement money and status.

“For me though, I want marriage to mean I’m violently in love, like I’ll be ripped in half if I can’t be with that person,” I express.

“First of all, gross. Second, you have that, Matt. That’s the love you have for Simon, and that’s why you should do this. One day, Simon will know you loved him enough to do whatever it took to keep him.”

Pepper is wise for twenty-two. “You’re right. I need to do this. I’ll sell the ring. I’ve been thinking about doing it anyway. Then, I’ll buy a different set of rings.” I tuck the ring back in its box and close it.

“That’s the spirit. Let’s find you a girl. When you get the rings, maybe only get a band for you and her, not an engagement ring.”

“Why?” I ask.

After taxes, I clear $400k a year, and that doesn’t include the money Noah has been investing for me. I’ve got more than enough to afford an engagement ring.

“Because a ring with a sharp gem on it could scratch Simon. His skin is sensitive, and one swipe of a rough diamond setting would hurt him.”

I don’t know if I believe the validity of that, but it sounds plausible. She doesn’t give a crap about what my money can buy, she’s solely focused on Simon and his well-being. That’s all the proof I need to know she’sthe one.

I grab the back of Pepper’s head and pull her in for a quick kiss, and she gasps in surprise.

“No girl I find is going to care about Simon like you do. That settles it. You’re the one I’ll marry,” I say resolutely.

“A fugitive with a fake ID? Yeah, how do you think that’ll work out?” A wry laugh slips past her lips.

“It’ll be great. We already live together. A quick trip to the courthouse and we’ll be hitched. At the hearing, the judge sees we’re married. The judge won’t stop the proceedings to look at your fake ID. He or she will like that I’m a stable, married man who can give Simon a mother and a father figure. If we have wedding rings and act like a couple, we won’t be questioned. They probably won’t even ask for our marriage certificate.”

“I don’t know, Matt. What if it comes out that I’m wanted for stealing almost a million bucks? Maritally attaching yourself to me could kill your chances of getting custody. I don’t want everything you’re working for to be in jeopardy because of my situation.” She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

That’s a possibility, but with Rick28 helping us, hopefully it’s a matter of days until he has proof of who framed her. We can go to the police, and everything can be resolved.

“First of all, you’re innocent until proven guilty. You haven’t actually been convicted of anything,” I assure her. “I’ll make sure whoever is guilty of doing this to you is exposed, and everyone will know you're innocent.”

“You make it sound simple. What if their lawyers find out we’re using a hacker? That’s illegal, isn’t it? You’ll go to jail and never see Simon again.”

Shit. I don’t want that to happen. She’s right. This is complicated.

“When we get proof of who sent those emails and who’s behind framing you, it’ll all be worked out. We’ll be payingthe hacker enough that he can get us the info in a way that makes it look like we obtained it legally, I’m sure.”

Pepper doesn’t have a laptop, so we’ve done everything on mine. We’re being careful and using a private browser along with some scrambling encrypter Noah found and overnighted to us so nothing can be traced back to our IP address. I’ve never done something illegal before, but I’m praying the end justifies the means.

“None of this is simple, but we can make it work.” I cup her cheek with my hand, and she relaxes into my palm.

“It’s only temporary, so you can get full custody of Simon.” She closes her eyes and sighs, then looks up at me, emotion swirling in her brown eyes. Her real eye color, not the fake one she has to show the world since her life turned upside down.

“Exactly. We’re already roommates with benefits. Now, we’re upgrading to marriage with benefits,” I grin.

“Okay,” Pepper agrees.

“Will you marry me, Pepper? I can’t give you my heart, but I’ll give you my last name. I’ll do anything to keep my son.”

“That’s a crappy proposal,” she quips. “You could at least get down on one knee to tell me you’re not giving me your heart.”

“Fair enough.” I get down on one knee while holding Simon. “There’s no one else I’d do this with. Please marry me?”

“That’s better. Okay, I’ll marry you, Matt.” She pats me on the shoulder with a smirk.

“Come ‘ere.” I stand, then wrap an arm around her to pull her close to my chest so she and I envelope Simon.

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