AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’s such a good liar. Despite the thought, I kept my eyes on his, feeling a vast array of emotions thrumming through my body.
“And you know what, I also learned last night that you’re the kind of woman I’m willing to fight for—literally—and I’ll keep fighting for you, Lena. Always. Will you marry me?” I blinked a few times, the crowd gasping when I didn’t immediately say something. Jackson dropped the microphone slightly, his expression urging me.
“Of course I will,” I finally choked out, my hands over my mouth to hide all the things I felt in the moment. I couldn’t decide if I hated him more in the moment for making it sound so personal, or if it actually made me think we might be friends. But as he stood to his feet and leaned in, grabbing my lips with his, everything faded…
And it was just us.
He threaded his fingers through my hair as our kiss deepened, applause in the background. As he pulled away, I tried to avoid his gaze, knowing that everything I was feeling was written all over my face…
And I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to see that I was really feeling something.
“Here,” Jackson said softly, pulling the ring out of the box. “I, uh, I picked this out for you. I thought it looked like something you’d appreciate. I don’t know.”
I smiled, catching his eye finally. “You actually picked this out?”
“Yeah, don’t be weird about it,” he chuckled. “Everyone is still watching us.”
“It’s beautiful.”
He slid it onto my left ring finger, and it fit like a glove. “There. Now the world knows you’re really mine.”
No, I’m not.
He grabbed my hand and held it up, everyone applauding again. “Here’s to another wedding,” Jackson commented into the microphone. “Though I think we’ll give this one a little more time.”
“Ha ha,” Tyson said, slapping him on the shoulder and shaking his hand. “Congrats, man. I’m happy for you.” He hugged Jackson like it was the real thing, and I found myself backing away from the entire scene. It was all playing out so real. But it wasn’t.
And it was fucking with my head.
“I just need to use the restroom really quickly,” I said, my eyes meeting Jackson’s. “I’ll be back.”
“Don’t be gone too long, baby.” He shot me a wink with amusement all over his face as more people came up to congratulate him. They didn’t really care about me. I wasn’t the famous one—and in that moment, I was so freaking glad.
I spun on my heels, heading for the bathroom and nodding with a smile as people gave me their congratulations. But the smile faded as soon as I was safely in the bathroom…alone.
All the emotions hit me at once, bubbling up in my chest, throat, and then spilling from my eyes.
Why am I so upset about this?
I didn’t have an answer for my own question, glancing down at the ring on my finger. Maybe it was the fact that this was all I really wanted in my life. I wanted love, the ring, the family that came after.
And now faking it made it that much more heartbreaking.
“Lena?” Maeve’s voice came from the other side of the bathroom door. “Can I come in?”
“It’s unlocked,” I choked out, sniffling.
She pushed through, entering the three-stall luxurious room. “Oh, Lena.” She rushed toward me, wrapping me up in her arms. “I knew it was too much.”
I leaned into her embrace. “It’s just…I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m being so emotional about it.”
“It’s because it was so…his speech was so charged.”
“Yeah, I guess, but it’s more that it’s a glimpse into what I want in my life—and this is all just fake.” I pulled away from her, dabbing at my eyes with the side of my hand. I glanced down at the black smears of mascara. “I want the real thing so bad.”
Maeve met my gaze, her face full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Lena. I know you’re going to find the right person someday. You’re only twenty-three. You’re not out of time—and someday, someone is going to say that kind of stuff to you and tell you they love you.”
I froze, recalling the speech. Jackson hadn’t told me he loved me. Maybe there was something he couldn’t lie about—and that made it a little better, surprisingly. “Thank you. Thank you for being here for me.”
