Page 67 of Faking With You

Grayson’s never been this standoffish, so I have a feeling he knows something I don’t.

Mac

Where are you?

Grayson

Matt’s

Mac

On my way.

I pull up the address from the birthday party a couple weeks ago and start driving. I notice a few cars in the driveway and on the street when I pull up. I head to the front door, and it’s pulled open before I even have a chance to knock.

“We’re in the kitchen,” Grayson says.

I nod, and he closes the door behind me and follows me into the kitchen where I find Matt and Josh. Caleb and the kids are playing in the living room. They’re all watching me in a way they never have before.

“So you fucked up,” Matt says, jumping right into it.

My head jerks back at the comment. What the hell does he know? I turn to look at Grayson, who’s leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. The air in the room is cold and unfriendly, the complete opposite of what it felt like being here for Jayden’s birthday party.

“I woke up this morning and instead of getting to spend the morning in bed with my wife, she opened the front door to find her best friend on our porch with suitcases and she collapsed in her arms crying.”

I let out a breath and run my hands down my face. “Is she okay?” I ask. No one answers, they all just stare at me. “What happened to the chatty bunch?” I ask.

“Well, everyone is here in my house because all of our girls ran out this morning when Hannah called them. Grayson and I have already received texts saying you're banned with no further context, and I’m afraid to ask Zo for more information. What the fuck did you do?”

I sink into a chair at the kitchen counter. “I think it’s more what I didn’t do.”

Matt rolls his hand in front of him for me to continue. I explain the agreement Eliza and I made, leaving out the details of her virginity and just saying something I could help her with. I end with telling them about my father arriving this morning and leaving with him to have a meeting so Eliza could sleep.

“You’re an idiot,” Matt says.

“Yup,” Grayson agrees.

“Not the smartest move,” Josh adds.

“You fell in love with her, didn’t you?” Caleb asks.

I grip the back of my neck. “There were feelings of some sort before we entered the arrangement. I was intrigued by her. Then I really got to know her and yes, I fell in love with her.”

“Does she know?” Grayson asks.

“Circling back to the it’s something I didn’t do. I didn’t tell her. Instead what I did was something insane. I went out and bought a ring with plans to propose to her today while we were in London.”

They all look at me like they’re seeing and hearing things.

“You haven’t told her you love her and you bought her a ring?” Matt finally asks.

I nod.

“Please tell me none of us were that stupid,” Grayson says, and all eyes turn to him.

“Who the fuck are you to say anything, you married your wife while drunk in Vegas and then made her stay married to you for ninety days,” Josh says.

“All your crazy stories the other week told me to go big, I went big,” I say.