Page 15 of Pretend You're Mine

"We've been to?—"

“You don't have to answer that, Avery,” Creed interjected, placing his hand on my arm in a show of support.

Creed looked at me with a smile, and it dawned on me that it was the first one I'd seen from him. My heart skipped a beat before going back to its regular rhythm. He then turned to my cousin, addressing him. “Let me be clear about this. Anyone who needs to know about our relationship can direct all questions to me, or forget about it.”

His words were sharp and filled with confidence, more confidence than I could muster, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of the way he stood up for us and our situation. I sensed Creed was smiling even before I glanced at him to confirm it. His eyes beamed, which delighted me and made me feel guilty for resenting him earlier in equal measure.

Joseph raised an eyebrow but he didn’t push any further. Instead, he changed the subject by asking Nathaniel about his work.

As the conversation shifted, I took the opportunity to observe Creed more closely. He seemed relaxed now that Joseph had stopped grilling him, sipping his coffee and soaking in the ambience and being a support for me.

I couldn’t deny that we made a good team when it came to fooling people. We were both quick thinkers and had a natural chemistry that made our interactions seem effortless.

And yet, as much as I enjoyed being around Creed, there was a lingering sense of discomfort at the back of my mind. Maybe because our fake relationship was only temporary and based on lies, or maybe because deep down, part of me wished it was real.

CHAPTER 9

CREED

The encounter with Avery's family had dread coiling in my gut.

If anything, I could understand and rationalize Nathaniel's reaction. His intolerance stemmed from his upbringing and the negative perceptions of society towards male-male relationships. He'd asked about which church I attended and when I told him I wasn't religious, he'd made a smart-ass comment about hell and damnation, a big fat clue into unraveling the root of all this tension in the room.

And then there was the way he looked at Avery and me. The ugly sneer when he looked at us when we sat on the couch as we held hands reminded me too much of my father. I didn't realize until later that I'd unconsciously shuffled away, putting some distance in between Avery and me, letting go of his hand somewhere along the way.

But luckily, after that, Nathaniel kept his distance, which was fine by me. As long as Avery and I maintained the wide berth not-Nate Nathaniel had created, we would not have any issues.

Becca, Avery's sister, had arrived earlier with her kids, but she was upstairs getting them settled, which is why we hadn’t seen her when we got here. She was hard to peg. Each time I glanced in her direction, she had a ready smile for me. Witheverything that was going on, it was hard to tell if her smiles were genuine or not. In more ways than one, she reminded me of Avery, especially when she directed the intensity of those sea-blue eyes at me.

Joseph was the family member that made it all unbearable. Fury blasted through me at the thought of his smug smiles and the obviously hostile questions he asked. It was clear that I wasn't welcomed here and Joseph's fakeness made that even more clear.

"How about your parents, Creed?” Evelyn asked. “Tell us about them." Four sets of eyes scrutinized me carefully. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if someone pulled out a lie detector.

"Dead and buried." I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to guilt trip them. It was obvious that the question, if rephrased, had to do with my parents' opinion of my sexuality. "My father passed while I was serving. And my mother died when I was seventeen."

"I'm sorry for your loss. May God rest their souls."

The words were supposed to console me but all they did was further piss me off. I didn't need anyone's pity, especially any member of Avery's family. Not after all that had transpired so far.

"Is he even Christian?" Nathaniel asked his mother. Turning to me, he asked in the same breath, "What's the name of your denomination?"

Silence was my response. What did he expect me to say? I'd already told him I wasn't religious. It went without saying that I didn't belong to any church. I shrugged, metaphorically brushing off Nathaniel's questions like I would an annoying gnat. My eyes met Becca’s. Was there humor behind her gaze?

"I'm sure we will get to know each other better over dinner," Evelyn announced, rising to her feet. Everyone else followed suit, trailing after her.

My pulse quickened at the idea of being in the same room as these people. Avery reached out his hand and I hesitated, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Part of me wanted to stay seated, avoiding any potential discomfort or conflict. But another part of me understood that Avery needed me and I didn't want to let him down. With a hesitant sigh, I finally accepted Avery's hand.

The way it felt in mine, hard and warm, was like a lifeline in an endless sea. He led me into the dining room. It was elegant and opulent. Another crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the room. There was a long, polished wood table with high-backed chairs lining each side, all perfectly set with fine china and silverware. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a place where secrets and alliances were forged over silver platters and sparkling wine glasses.

Servers walked in wearing black suits with the same emblem I had seen the butler Edmund wear, crested on them. Platters of bacon-wrapped scallops and cocktail meatballs were served, and then the wine was brought in, our glasses topped off.

For the umpteenth time, I wished I had the resources to put more effort into my appearance. My white button-down shirt and black pants looked drab, especially when compared to what the servers wore.

As Joseph leaned in, a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. "So spill it, how did you lose your stripes?"

I felt the man's piercing gaze on me, and I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. Every fiber of my being was screaming for me to lie, search for a believable explanation, to protect myself and my secrets. But my conscience tugged at me, begging for honesty. I took a deep breath and reluctantly spoke."I... um... made a mistake and went against orders," I confessed, my inner turmoil evident in my shaky voice. My stomach turned as I waited for his reaction.

The man's expression remained unreadable, leaving me wondering if I had made the right decision by revealing even this much.

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