Page 52 of The Proposal
He exhales. “One, we try to get the annulment. If that fails, we get a divorce. Pros … it’s straightforward. Cons … we’ll both get annihilated in different ways.”
Yay. “And two?”
He looks at me, then at Brock, and back at me. His gaze is wobbly. “We stay married.”
“What?” I yelp.
“It’s just an option. You asked for the options.”
My mouth hangs open. “I’m not staying married to you.Have you lost your mind?”
“I don’t mean for real. I just mean …” He groans. “I don’t know what I mean.”
I snort. “I hope you can back that statement up with a reason, considering you had the guts to say it.”
He takes a step away from my brother. “Look, this sounds … Well, I know how it sounds, okay? But one option we have is to stay married for a little while. We take the steam out of the media. We play it off like we did it on purpose. Like … it’s real.”
“Oh, come on,” Brock says, laughing in disgust. “You can’t be serious.”
I glare at him. “Leave. Be quiet or leave.”
“Or what?”
“Or …” I glance quickly at Renn. “I’ll call security and have you removed. This is my suite now.”
Renn turns his back to my brother and covers his mouth. His body shakes as he suppresses a laugh.
Brock’s eyes widen.
“I’m kidding,” I say. “But I’m also not. I understand you’re worried and not vocalizing that in the best way. Considering the situation, I’m willing to overlook it. But I’m a grown woman, Brock. I appreciate you. But either be helpful or leave.”
“What’s gotten into you?” he asks.
“I’m wasting a perfectly good birthday on this bullshit. It’s irritating me a little,” I say.
“Oh fuck.Blakely, your birthday …” Brock says, frowning.
“Yep. Happy birthday to me.”
“Happy birthday, Mrs. Brewer,” Renn says, testing the waters.
“Renn—” Brock starts.
I hold up a hand—which he never likes—and pray he stops talking.
Walking back and forth across the room—from Brock to the llama with a cigar—I weigh my options.
If we get an annulment, our lives go up in flames. We’ll survive it, but it’ll be a nightmare for a while.I’m not looking forward to all the trash that will be spewed my way. But I survived that once before, so I can again.
If we stay married, there might be some smoke, but we could avoid an inferno.Maybe. It also might drag out the whole thing and waste more of my life with a man who isn’t for me.
Renn’s eyes are clear and concerned. Even though the answer is obvious, he’s not pressuring me to do what’s best for him.
“Oh, that I’m a little punk. That I probably just cost myself my job and him two years and a deal worth three-quarters of a billion dollars. I’m careless and selfish. You know, the usual.”
I don’t know Reid Brewer, but I hate him.Fuck that guy. Who says that to their own son?
My hand shakes as I run it over my head. “Renn?”
