Page 16 of Pretend You're Mine

"What's your plan now?" Evelyn chipped in. "Are you going to consider heading to college for a degree or something?"

No, lady, it's not gonna happen. I barely can afford to eat."I'm not sure yet. I like to think of this as a phase, or a journey. But whatever it is, I'll think of something along the way. There is no rush about it." I left the words hanging between us.

It took too much effort to try not to look like the bum that they were intent on making me out to be. The simmering passive aggression would not let up no matter how polite I chose to sound.

Evelyn wrinkled her nose at me. "That's not good enough. You should have a life plan, son."

I'm not your son. I already had a mother. Don't need another one.

Her grating tone made me realize I wasn't cut out for this... this condescending attitude, the air of superiority that rich folks have over the less fortunate. I'd reached the end of my rope. Forty-five minutes into our arrival and I was mentally and physically exhausted. I couldn't do this any longer without losing my mind.

None of them would stop unless I put an end to it. And there was only one way I could do that without disrespecting Avery's family. Taking the next bus out of town. I would stay the night, get my cash for the hours I'd worked as a fake boyfriend and leave the next day.

I yanked myself back to the present and acknowledged what Evelyn said. "I've heard you, ma'am."

Several minutes passed with no one talking. Only the sounds of cutlery clicking against china filled the silence. I kept my eyes on my bowl, eating the soup slowly and deliberately, making sure not to spill a drop on myself.

In my previous life, before I'd become a dishonored veteran, I would have been charming, funny, sharing stories about the fun times I'd had with my mom, but tonight wasn't the time. Neither was it the place. In fact, I struggled to recall the last time I had genuinely felt happy enough to be charming and funny. To make matters worse, the atmosphere here was far from warm and friendly. My car wasn’t as cold as the reception I'd received here. If this was what I'd been missing out on by not having a family, I’d take a hard pass.

For the first time since we had been seated next to each other, I glanced at my fake boyfriend.

Beside me, Avery sat ramrod straight in his seat like there were thorns on the cushion that wouldn't let him rest his back against it. His skin had paled and his fingers rubbed shakily against the material of his trousers in repetitive motions, wearing a hole through it, but it was probably an attempt to self-soothe. He wasn’t talking, he was barely pretending to listen and he was only taking these tense, shallow little breaths. Something was obviously going on with him, and it was more than just tolerating your family being kind of snide to your partner.

All feelings of weirdness over being so close to another man were instantly forgotten as my natural protector mode got triggered. I grabbed Avery’s hand and moved closer to him, trying to get his attention.

“Are you okay?”

He sat there looking lost, spellbound. Nothing seemed to penetrate the haze he was in. I looked around the room; all eyes except Avery's were looking straight at me.

“What's going on? What’d I miss?” I asked no one in particular.

"Is this your first time seeing him like this?" At my nod of assent, Joseph continued. "He has always been like this. Soon he will snap out of it.”

Nathaniel's signature sneer focused straight on us. "He would have snapped out of it earlier if y'all had stopped coddling him and addressed the issue straight on. This is embarrassing."

"Nathaniel Branson! You can't say that about your cousin."

Even though it was a relief to finally see Evelyn could stand up for her son, the look of exasperation on her face as she took in the scene annoyed me.

Their callousness and Avery’s obvious distress set off every warning bell I had.

I shifted my seat closer to Avery until our knees touched each other.

"Can you hear me, Avery? I'm here for you. It's okay now." My concern resonated in every softly uttered word. I needed to drag Avery out of whatever void he had settled into.

Again, there was no response. Avery stared at my moving lips absently. Holy hell, I’d only ever seen this during my stint in the military.

In an attempt to ease his nerves, I slid my hand over his, hoping the warmth of my touch would be an unspoken reassurance. I felt Avery’s tension like a live wire as he gripped the edge of the table, his breath uneven. Panic etched lines on his face.

Leaning in, I murmured soothing words only he could hear, my hand gently rubbing circles on his back. And then I was... I was compelled to... to reach out and gently palm his cheek, still talking to him softly and trying to get him to snap his attention back to the present. I told him to breathe.

Avery looked at me a little wild-eyed, like he was aware I was talking, but it wasn't enough. I lowered my hand and rested it on my lap. His family was still around, their judging eyes practically boring holes into both of us. But seeing him lost and overwhelmed, I found myself thinking,Screw it.He deserved someone in his corner, even if it pissed off every single person in the room. Maybe especially because of that. I leaned in closer, my voice dropping low as I murmured, “I'm here for you, Avery.”

A thought suddenly struck me. I don't know where it came from. But I was willing to try something I was never taught in mental health first aid. It was probably a stupid idea, but it might be enough to make up for the vacuum of affection that Avery’s family was offering him. Something tender. Becca had excused herself to go entertain the kids. I had to do something different to reach Avery wherever he'd gone. I closed my eyes, digging my fingernails into my palm. I deliberated on what I was about to do. This would change everything.

Refusing to let the niggle of doubt overwhelm me, in that fragile moment, my lips brushed against his forehead, a gentle gesture meant to offer solace. But as the warmth of the shared moment enveloped me, the atmosphere shifted. The room faded away, leaving only the two of us suspended in an intimate bubble.

I spontaneously cupped his cheek again, forcing his eyes to meet mine. My breath caught in my throat. Even as confused as he looked, I wasn't blind to the fact that he was gorgeous, objectively speaking.

---