Page 16 of My Fake Lover

A man I had never seen before opened the door. He had gray temples and wore beige linen pants and a matching shirt that was only half buttoned. A leather strap hung around his neck, and he was barefoot. Great. Had Ian opened a commune in his house now?

»Welcome! You’re Max, right?« he asked, and I furrowed my brow.

»And you are?«

»Lizzy’s dad! Call me Dan.« He laughed heartily and shook my hand. »Welcome!« He held out his hand to Ivy, and she introduced herself politely. As she took his fingers, he pulled her to him and gave her a hug. Without being able to prevent it, a soft growl escaped my lips. What was this guy thinking? But now it was clear where Lizzy got her hippie attitude from.

He and Ivy pulled away from each other, but Ivy didn’t seem embarrassed at all. I kept forgetting how good she was with people. Another reason why I had chosen her. She would fit right in here, and I was sure there wasn’t a person in the world who wouldn’t fall for her.

Dan and Ivy immediately started talking about the flight and the drive here as we entered the house. As with the last time, I noticed how rundown the entrance hall was. Hopefully, the check I was giving Ian for the wedding would be enough for him to renovate some of the old shack. Why was he so damn stubborn?

»Wow! I just told Maxie outside how amazing this house looks, but it’s even more incredible inside!« Ivy exclaimed, hooking her arm through mine. As Dan turned around, I gave Ivy a warning glance. Maxie? She shouldn’t enjoy this game too much. Instead of looking embarrassed, she blew me a kiss, and I suppressed a sigh. Her fingers were on my forearm, burning through the fabric of my shirt. As Dan led us through the house and talked about the upcoming wedding, my body grew tenser. The last time I had seen Ian, we hadn’t exactly parted on good terms. Lizzy wasn’t the right woman for him, and I had told him so openly. Of course, he didn’t listen to me, as had always been the case. And now they were getting married. Out of spite towards me? I couldn’t really imagine that. Ian had always been a dreamer and believed in love. He had been too young to witness the moment that belief had died in me.

Before the knot in my stomach grew larger, I directed my attention back to Dan. He pointed to a wide double door with a bronze-colored frame in the living room. »Almost everything is ready; you’re arriving just in time.«

As we stepped out onto the terrace, I was breathless. Now I understood why Ian and Lizzy wanted to turn the wedding into a five-day spectacle. They were celebrating a small hippie festival.

White yurts were set up all over the several-acre garden. Two larger ones dominated the center, with a sort of open space left between them. The light fabric fluttered in the gentle wind that surrounded the property. I recognized the beginning of the forest and my gaze wandered back to the camp.

»What is this?« I asked, and Dan laughed again.

»For my Lizzy, it had to be something very special, and Ian was immediately on board! We’re celebrating their wedding as best as we can! There’s a music and a catering tent, various entertainment offerings like yoga and Reiki. Many of our friends have helped us put this together. We are very grateful.«

»So, we’re sleeping in the tents?« Ivy asked excitedly, clinging even tighter to me.

»Yes! Isn’t that amazing?« Dan replied enthusiastically, and I let out a grunt.

»Where’s Ian?«

Dan pointed behind him. »He and Lizzy are currently discussing some issues with the caterer; apparently, there were some problems I’m not allowed to interfere with.«

»Problems,« I repeated, as if it wasn’t clear to everyone that this whole idea would turn out to be an absolute disaster. I had known that Lizzy had grown up in an unconventional family, but I hadn’t realized the extent. I hadn’t gotten to know her well enough in our two encounters. Ian had been right when he accused me of not giving her a chance. Because I knew this relationship was just another one of Ian’s pipe dreams.

Dan led us across the terrace and down a few steps, through the yurts that were still uninhabited. A festival. Surely Ivy was more familiar with this theme than I was.

I heard Ian’s voice before I could catch a glimpse of his back. He stood next to Lizzy, who had woven white ribbons into her blonde hair. A man stood in front of them, gesturing at a clipboard in his hand. The three were discussing, and I immediately sensed the tension in the air.

Ivy’s fingers felt their way along my arm and took my hand. I wasn’t a hand-holding kind of guy, but in that moment, it gave me some support, and I clung to her fingers as if holding onto a slippery slope.

Ian suddenly turned around, and his face lit up when he saw me. Then his expression turned incredulous as he took in Ivy and our interlocked hands. I hadn’t told him about her before because we hadn’t spoken since.

We stood still, and for a moment, no one moved.

»I’d say Frank and I will sort out everything else,« Dan said and walked away with the man.

Lizzy was the first to speak. »Hi, Max, so glad you’re here!« She hugged me awkwardly, and I endured it. I immediately returned to Ivy’s side, feeling Ian’s curious gaze on me.

»This is Ivy,« I introduced her stiffly, and she and Lizzy hugged, much more warmly.

»Ivy, nice to meet you! We didn’t expect a plus-one, but it’s great that you’re here!« Ian said, hugging her too. His dark blonde hair was tousled as always, and he wore a white linen suit. It felt like he had joined a cult. I slowly didn’t recognize him anymore. He looked like a younger version of Dan.

»Max,« he said my name and hugged me. I returned the embrace and then grabbed his arm.

»Come with me,« I said, and it was clear to me that Ian could feel my anger about this wedding. Although I was a master at keeping my emotions to myself, I couldn’t manage it at all in this situation.

»We’ll be right back. Can you show Ivy her tent, babe?« Ian asked Lizzy, who agreed.

We walked through the rows of tents, and I had no idea how many people the two had invited for tomorrow. It was complete madness! Ian stopped and held open the entrance to one of the larger yurts for me. I ducked down and entered the tent. In the center was a wide double bed with white bedding, a cream-colored sofa on the right side, and a small fridge from which Ian took two water bottles and handed one to me.

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