Page 61 of The Fake Play

“I’m about to become a dad, and you’re quizzing me about a TV show?”

“Fine. Let me put this another way. You’re not prepared to be a dad, Luke.”

Her honesty hits me hard. Whitney isn’t cruel, she’s straightforward, and hearing this from her means something different than if it came from anyone else.

I might need to reassess but I refuse to back down. This is fate binding me and Keke together, and I’m not about to let anything stand in our way. Obviously, Keke’s birth control failed. Our child was meant to be, and no one is going to convince me otherwise.

I shake my head. “You’re wrong, Whitney, and I’ll prove it. I just need time.”

Whitney sighs. “Okay, but you need to understand the gravity of this, Luke. This is?—”

“I’m about to tell the woman I love that I’m excited to raise a child with her! Do you think the gravity isn’t understood?”

She folds her arms over her chest. “The auction raised close to a quarter million dollars for the shelter, and now it’s all overthe websites. More eyes are on you, and on Keke, than ever before.”

“That’s good, right? It means more awareness for Happy Harbor.”

“Sure,” she says slowly, “but?—”

“Then I did my job, and Keke did hers,” I interrupt, determination seeping into my voice. “Right now, we need to figure out things as a couple. Me and Keke. I need to get home.”

“We need to come up with a game plan to dispel the rumors that maybe it’s not your kid.”

“Itismy kid.”

“I know that, but for the team’s sake, we need to get ahead of this?—”

“No.” I have to put my foot down. I realize Whitney’s top priority is the team, butmypriorities have shifted entirely. “I need to get home to celebrate this news with my child’s mother. Everything else—the auction, the shelter, the team—that’s all just icing on the cake now. If I lose the icing, I still have the cake.”

Whitney frowns, the gears in her mind grinding away. “Alright, just… be careful. This is big, Luke. Don’t rush into it without thinking it through.”

I nod, but all I can think about is Keke, and the fact that I’m going to be a dad. The truth is, I’ve already fallen for her, and want to spend my life with her. A baby is a bonus.

I dash out of the venue, the cool night air knocking some sense into me.

As I speed home, I question everything I thought I knew about myself. Could I really do this? Arguing with Whitney about it was one thing, but the reality of it is another. The question gnawed at me as a sense of responsibility settled over my shoulders.

It’s always been something I’ve avoided, preferring to make light of anything too serious, always bringing the good times with me. Hearing I was going to be a dad flipped a switch in me. That kind of responsibility brings new purpose, and now, the world looks different.

If I lost my job, I’d survive. I had enough money in the bank and if I ever needed anything, I had my family to lean on. Hell, I could even volunteer at the shelter for the rest of my life, if I wanted to. I had everything in place to live a good life, and I wanted that good life with Keke.

The drive home felt both agonizingly long and exhilaratingly short. I didn’t know much about kids, other than I’ve always wanted them. Being the youngest in my family and living far away from everyone meant I was out of my league when it came to that kind of thing.

But I’m more than willing to learn.

A haunting question comes to mind. Does Keke want to keep the baby? The thought sends a shiver down my spine as images of her dance through my mind. Her laughter, the way she challenges me, the warmth in her eyes when she looks at me—it all comes rushing in, reminding me why I fell for her in the first place. It’s real, despite the façade of our fake relationship.

I want her to be the mother of my children. I want her for life.

Am I good enough for her? For our baby? No, probably not. But I’ll work hard every day to prove I’m trying to become the man they deserve.

I take a deep breath as I pull into my driveway, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. Keke is probably angry, hurt, and scared.

This is no longer a game. I need to step up and be the man I know I can be, the man she needs me to be.

Chapter 26

Keke

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