Page 278 of The First Time
My stomach drops. Meryl is a sweet woman. Loving. It's not fair.
But then I gave up on life being fair a long time ago.
I offer Blake my hand. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you." He takes it. "She's always worried about me. After my father, it makes sense, but I don't want her to die worrying."
"What about your father?"
He ignores my question. "We need to sell this. We need to convince her we're madly in love."
"Why not tell her the truth?"
He looks me right in the eyes. "She thinks her marriage cursed us. She's still guilty she stayed with him."
"But why?"
This, too, he brushes off.
I stare back at him for a few moments, but his expression stays a wall. He isn't going to explain.
I dip my hair, rinsing out all the shampoo and most of the product. When I surface, Blake is waiting with a bottle of conditioner.
He runs it through my hair. "If you have any objections, I'd like to get them out of the way."
"You're pretty much at my mercy," I say. "I mean, you've already proposed to me. You can't find a new fake girlfriend now."
His fingertips graze my forehead. "I want you. Not anyone else."
"You're stuck with me."
"No, I want you."
I pull back and duck my head into the water to rinse the conditioner. Thoughts swirl around my brain. Objections. Encouragement. That voice that screamsyou still need his money.
I barely know Meryl, but I know enough to want her happy.
Even if it's a lie. A lie that makes you happy must be better than a truth that hurts you.
Tension builds between my shoulders. It doesn't feel right. It feels like more bullshit. "So we're… what, we're going to get married ASAP? So she's there?"
He nods.
"How are you going to plan a wedding that fast?"
"I could have a wedding planned tomorrow if I wanted." His voice gets low. "Money can buy just about anything you want."
"It can't buy me." Not my core. Not my love. Not my will. If I'm doing this, it's because I believe it's the right thing to do.
Something in him changes. He nods. All steely and determined. "You've already signed a contract."
"And you've already said you want me. Just me."
He nods. "You're a good negotiator."
"Maybe. I just want to survive this." I bite my lip. "My sister will hate me for lying to her."
"Your sister will understand." He stares at me with big, earnest eyes. "This is for her future too, isn't it?"
