Page 49 of Faking It With the Single Dad

Her eyes drop to the ground. “I don’t know. Sometimes, it feels like everyone’s waiting for us to fail. Like they’re just sitting there, ready to say, ‘I told you so.’”

I take a deep breath, considering my response carefully. “Bella, the only people who matter in this equation are standing right here: you, me, Luke, and Alice. That’s it. The rest? It’s just background noise. They can say whatever they want. It doesn’t change anything.”

She studies me for a moment, her expression softening. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“I do,” I say without hesitation. “And I’ll keep believing it until you do, too.”

Before she can respond, Luke lets out another victorious cheer, this time holding up the coveted stuffed dinosaur.

“I did it! I did it!” he shouts, running over to show us.

Bella laughs, the sound light and genuine as the tension melts away from her shoulders. She ruffles Luke’s hair, her smile brighter than I’ve seen it all day.

“Great job, kiddo,” she says, her voice full of pride.

Alice pouts playfully. “What about me? I want to win something too!”

“Let’s go find a game for you,” I say, scooping her up and spinning her around. She squeals with laughter, and for a moment, the whispers and stares fade into the background.

As we move deeper into the park, Bella’s hand finds mine again, this time with less hesitation. She leans closer, her voice just loud enough for me to hear.

“Thank you,” she says softly.

“For what?”

“For making it easier,” she replies. “For being here. For…everything.”

I squeeze her hand gently, quietly reassuring her with my presence. “Whatever challenge comes our way, we’ll face it together. Let the town gossip. Let them stare. The only thing that matters is us,” I say.

As we leave the park, the kids clutch oversized stuffed animals and their laughter echoes in the night air. Bella and I walk behind them, our hands brushing occasionally.

“Today was fun. Thank you,” she says quietly.

“It was my pleasure,” I say, stopping to face her.

She looks up at me, her eyes searching mine. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“I’m very serious about this. I promise.”

Her lips curve into a small, hesitant smile. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Maybe,” I say, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “But you’re stuck with me now.”

As we reach her place, the kids race inside, their energy seemingly endless. Bella lingers on the porch with me, the night quiet around us.

“I meant what I said,” I tell her. “About us. About everything.”

She hesitates, but then she reaches for my hand, her fingers curling around mine.

“I know,” she says softly. “And I’m starting to believe it.”

Chapter Nineteen

Bella

Iwake up early on Sunday morning. Knowing I have an outing planned for tonight makes me unable to sleep in. I head to Luke’s room, which he now shares with Alice, to check up on them. Luke and Alice are still fast asleep. I chuckle because I know why they’re so exhausted—they spent hours playing a very competitive game of tag at the park yesterday. I let them sleep because I know there will be no rest for me when they wake up in a few hours.

My thoughts are occupied by Ryan right now. I wonder what he has planned for today. He’s been on a business trip for a few days, but he’s due to return today, and he plans on taking me out.

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