Page 99 of Only You

Twenty-Six

The next day, Jack went to his parents’ rental home, alone. He stood on the porch and took a few deep breaths before knocking on the door.

Eileen answered, wearing a big smile. Then she glanced behind him and said, “Where’s Kayla?”

“What? Can’t your son visit by himself?” Jack teased her.

“Of course. I just assumed she’d be with you,” Eileen explained. She opened the door wider and motioned him inside.

John was sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle. “No Kayla today?” he asked.

Jack was happy that his parents liked Kayla so much, but what would happen once he told them the truth?

“She went to lunch with her friend Josie,” Jack said. Kayla had repeatedly offered to accompany him, but Jack insisted on going alone.

“Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?” Eileen asked.

“No. I’m good.” Jack was anxious to get this over with.

“You look like you have something on your mind,” John observed.

Eileen sat down across from Jack and eyed him with concern. “Is everything okay?”

Suddenly, Jack felt like a little boy who was about to confess something he’d done wrong. You’re an adult. It’ll be fine. He sat up straighter. “There’s something I have to tell you. It’s about me and Kayla.”

Eileen’s eyes widened. “Oh my God! You’re getting married!”

“What? No,” Jack said.

“Slow down, Eileen. Let the boy talk,” John said.

Boy. That was exactly what he felt like. “Anyway, it’s kind of a funny story.” Jack often used humor to smooth things over, and he hoped it would work now.

“Tell us,” John prompted him.

Jack inhaled deeply. “I know you two have been wanting me to settle down—get married, have kids, and all that. So, I came up with this idea.” Jack paused and took a deep breath while his parents looked at him expectantly. “I asked Kayla to pretend to be my girlfriend while you were here, so you would think I was on the right path. It took some convincing, but Kayla agreed to do it as a favor for me. Plus, she was irritated with her roommate at the time, so that made the decision to move in with me easier.”

John frowned. “You’ve been lying to us the whole time.”

“How could you do such a horrible thing?” Eileen blurted out.

“Wait. I’m not finished,” Jack pleaded with them.

“As if that isn’t enough? You deceived us and made us look like fools,” John said.

“I bragged about you and Kayla to all our relatives. Everyone was so happy for you,” Eileen added, looking forlorn.

Jack forged ahead. “The good news is, Kayla and I are truly together now. We’re in love.”

His pronouncement fell flat as his parents stared at him with expressions of disappointment and disbelief.

“What started out as a fake romance turned into real love,” Jack said, desperately trying to convince them.

John shook his head, and Eileen’s shoulders drooped. “True love doesn’t begin with a lie,” Eileen stated.

She’d spoken quietly, but her words hit him like a hammer to the head. Jack went silent.

“She’s right. That’s no way to start a relationship. How can you even be sure that it’s real?” John questioned him.