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“Oh fuck, sorry, man. I forgot,” Greg apologizes.
He waves it off. “I just need a rough idea of the full story because it might be relevant later on. I’d keep my nose out if it weren’t literally life or death.”
Creed sits down and starts the story over, where he bumps into her at a coffee shop and asks her out on a date, and I pick up from there.
“He brought her to a bar where I was waiting for them. We pretended it was a coincidence that I was there. And when Creed asked if I wanted to join them, Avery didn’t protest. We spent some time getting to know each other, and I’ll admit, by the end of the night, I could see why Creed liked her so much. When we told her how we were looking for a slightly different kind of relationship, she was shocked.”
“She looked like a cartoon character, her eyes were so wide.” Creed laughs. “But she agreed to give it a try, and it progressed from there.”
James crosses his legs. “Explain the green card thing.”
“I’m Canadian. I spent a large chunk of my time in the States as a kid because my mother married an American soldier and relocated. I spent more time here than I did back home. When my stepfather died, my mom kind of lost it. Bouncing from one guy to the next, and each was as bad as the other. I started acting out and ended up getting into trouble. The usual teen stuff to start with: vandalism, trespassing, drunk and disorderly. I was an asshole, but I skated under the radar until I got caught stealing a car.
“The judge had been friends with my stepdad. He cut me a deal. I’d have a record, but I wouldn’t serve time as long as I enlisted. And I did. That’s where my path crossed with Hawk and the others. Did thirteen years before I took a bullet and blew out my knee. I was given a medical discharge and sent home. It took over a year of PT to walk again, but I did it, and during that time I met Gramps. He offered me a job, and I said yes. I was on a mission when Luna inherited Apex. When I returned, it was to find a letter from immigration. I was being deported. I tried to fight it. The problem was, I couldn’t get a green card to stay in the States because of my record, even though I had served honorably in the US military. That left marrying someone. To be honest, I didn’t think that would work either, but it was my last shot.”
“Did you really just want a date when you met Avery that day? Or did you see a green card when you helped her?” Greg asks quietly.
“I really did like her, but…” He sighs in defeat. “Yeah. She was young, innocent, and easily impressed. She was perfect.”
“You didn’t mention the green card thing to her at all, did you?” James shakes his head.
“I didn’t want her to think that was my only reason for popping the question after just six weeks. I mean, sure, it was a part of it, but I’d already started falling for her by then. And the fact that she was willing to be shared with Hawk… Man, I felt like all the stars had aligned or some shit.
“I told her after we were married. I remembered playing dumb, that I’d been in the States so long I forgot that was even an issue.
“We’d flipped a coin, knowing how it would turn out. Made it funny. Legally, I was the one who had to marry her for obvious reasons, but she didn’t know that then. She thought it was all by chance—married to me, first baby with Hawk. We had an official ceremony and then a second one with Hawk, too, and she took both our names and wore both our rings. She bought it because she loved us.” Creed’s voice cracks. “And even after, when she had to be interviewed by immigration, she was oblivious. She trusted us, and that was the end of it.”
I speak up. “The day she left, Creed and I were arguing in the kitchen.” I imagine Avery standing on the other side of the door with tears running down her face as the truth spilled out.
“I got a letter from immigration a few weeks after our second anniversary saying I’d been granted permanent citizenship.” Creed rubs his face.
I swallow, remembering the rings she still carried around on a chain in her bag. Rings I felt so uncomfortable giving her, even though I’d do anything for Creed. Hell, I would’ve married him myself if that was the only option left.
“She heard you,” Greg concludes.
“We didn’t know then, but yeah, she must have. It didn’t matter to me why we married Avery. I was happy and in love with her. I didn’t want to rock the boat. Hawk wanted to come clean.”
“I knew if she found out later that we only dated her to get Creed his green card, she’d be hurt.”
Greg studies me. “But that wasn’t all of it.”
Creed looks at me and frowns.
“Creed had his green card. He didn’t need to stay married to Avery anymore. Neither of us did. I felt like shit for how it all played out, and she started talking about trying for a family and was I ready to be a dad, and it was all just too much.”
“I was so pissed at you. I asked you why the fuck you’d want to leave her when we had everything we wanted. I asked you if you loved her.”
I bow my head.
“You told him no,” James surmises, but I shake my head.
“Worse. I said yes. Of course, I love her.”
Greg groans. “And she knew it was a lie.”
“It wasn’t, but I didn’t know it then. I was so twisted with guilt. I didn’t know how I felt until it was too late.”
“God, when you guys fuck up, you really go all out.” James stands up. “What are you going to do now?”
