Page 47 of A Chance for Us
“Just go so your mother doesn’t freak out,” I tell her with a chuckle.
She and Melia leave, and the room phone rings a few minutes later. I answer it with a very deep groan. “Hello, Stella. I’m not going to run. I’m just freaking fine—pissed off because our stupid older brother took my whiskey—but I’m not channeling my inner track star.”
“That’s great. Well, not about the whiskey though,” a soft voice replies.
Maren.
“I thought . . .”
“That I was Stella?” she finishes.
“Yeah.”
“I was having my own little freak out session before. Devney had to calm me down—again.”
I sit on the bed, leaning on my knees. “Glad I’m not the only one.”
“Look, I called because I wanted to tell you that it’s okay if you don’t want to do this. You’ve given me and my father a weekend that is something I’ll cherish forever. While I know it won’t be easy to back out, I would never hold it against you. If you could just let him walk me down, we can object or have someone else object. I know it’s not giving him everything, but it’s something. I bet I could convince Devney to cause a scene and tell everyone she’s still in love with you. Sean wouldn’t mind . . . much.”
I huff. “No one would believe that.”
She already had her chance to marry me and didn’t take it.
“Maybe not,” she agrees. “Whether or not you want to end it, I will always appreciate you for agreeing to any of it. There would be no hard feelings, and I never should’ve asked you to do this in the first place.”
The words I wanted to hear just a few minutes ago somehow feel wrong now. I know how her father feels and there is no way Maren wouldn’t resent me if I took this away from them.
“Are you in your dress?” I ask, not sure why this matters more than anything.
“I am.”
“Hair done?”
“Yes?” Maren says it as a question.
“Well, I’m in my tux, and everyone is already heading to the venue. It would be a shame to waste a perfectly good reception.”
“Oliver,” she says softly, “Even though the vows we’ll speak aren’t real, and even though we’re just pretending, I imagine this is still hard.”
I’m doing this to help a friend and to give a man who is dying something to hold on to. I’m not like my father. I’m not using anyone around me to gain something. The only risk is to myself, and well, I’m fucking used to that pain.
“I’m vowing to be there for you, Maren. Yes, I have strong feelings on marriage and divorce, but . . . it won’t be legal, and it’ll make your father happy.”
It’ll make you happy.
That is really the driving force on why I’m doing this.
“I just want to say that you, Oliver Parkerson, are one of the most incredible men I’ve ever known, and it’s an honor to be your fake bride. I’ll see you soon?”
“I’ll see you soon.”
She laughs softly. “I’ll be the one in white.”
I hang up and stare at the phone, wondering what the hell is wrong with me. She just gave me an out, and I couldn’t take it.
“Quarter for your thoughts.” Stella’s voice is right beside me.
“It’s supposed to be a penny.”
