Page 12 of From Best Friend to Bride
He was right, but… “I’m still not going to marry some random guy just to divorce him in a few months. One, I don’t have the money to pay anyone off for that kind of arrangement. I’m not a billionaire heir in a Korean drama.”Much to my chagrin.“And two, this is Nana we’re talking about. She’d force me to get married tomorrow as her ‘final wish’ then stick it out for another five years just to piss me off.”
Fred chuckled. “That’s exactly the kind of thing Nana would do.”
I pulled my jumper up around my chin, snuggling into the soft fabric. “I know she means well. She just wants to see me happy, and she wants to know that there’ll be someone there for me when she’s gone. That doesn’t mean I can just get married on a whim to some guy just to make her happy.”
“Deli, you don’t have to get married to some guy just like that.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“Why don’t you marry me?”
I froze.
That crazy arsehole.
Marry him?
What the heck did he mean by that?
I jerked my head up, leaning back, and stared at him. He looked back at me with the most nonchalant expression on his face, as if he hadn’t just asked meto fucking marry him.
“Did you just propose to me?” I asked. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I wouldn’t call that a proposal,” he replied slowly, scratching his chin with one long finger. “But it solves your problem, doesn’t it?”
“Jesus, Fred. You say it like you’re offering to wash my dirty car for me.” I shuffled back on the sofa, putting some distance between us. “I can’t marry you.”
“Why not? Face it, Deli, you’re deep in the shit right now. Nana is like a dog with a bone when she gets an idea in her head, and right now, she’s adamant that you have a secret boyfriend.” He rested his arm across the back of the sofa. “You might be able to get away with it if not for one thing.”
“What?”
“I’m the only guy you spend any time with.”
I pressed my lips together. “That’s not true.”
“Si doesn’t count. He’s your boss, and he’s twenty years older than you.”
“He’s single.”
“Then marry Si.”
I shuddered. “Don’t say such things. His daughter is only five years younger than me.”
“Exactly. How are you going to convince your grandmother that you have a secret boyfriend when everyone knows you haven’t been on a date in over a year?”
Wow.
Everyone was just beating me up lately, huh?
“How did you get from that to suggesting we get married?” I reached up and tied my hair into a ponytail, pulling the hairband from my wrist. “Do you know how insane that sounds?”
“Actually, it’s the only sane way to get you out of your predicament.”
I blinked at him. “Explain.”
“Aside from your lack of dates and me being the only guy you ever see, the reason is simple: Nana loves me.”
“That’s not the argument you think it is.”
