Page 42 of Was I Ever Real

Despite everything, I let out a genuine laugh. “It’s only been like, four days.”

Sunny lets out a small protesting huff, her attention back on the lit up screen, a smirk curving her lips. “Well itfeltlong to me. So what’s new? Fill me in.”

I stare at her blankly, not knowing what to say.

Oh you know, just married and living in the house of the man I’ve openly hated for the past two years. Not to mention that my brother, who’s the leader of a cult mind you, has threatened to drag me back there.

Instead, I open my mouth and say, “hmm, not much really. Just super busy with Connor’s event.”When I’m not too busy getting plowed by him on his desk.

I swallow down my groan, including everything else crawling up my throat.

This is a nightmare.

I power up my desktop and distractedly clack my nails on the desk while I wait. I need to tell her right now—just use my words and spill. But I’m a coward. Instead, I listen to Sunny fill me in on her weekend and whatever work related stuff I’ve missed at the office. I nod, and laugh at the right moments, but my mind is churning out every insult imaginable, all directed at me and my inability to just confess.

What if our relationship can’t survive this? What if she’ll never forgive me?

I don’t want her to see me differently…

That’s it.

I just need to do it. Rip off the band-aid and blurt it out. But it’s as hard as finding the courage to nosedive off a cliff.

“Connor and I are married!” I blurt out the words like a screaming banshee, cutting Sunny off mid-sentence.Great, well done.

At first, I think she didn’t hear me. But that’s wishful thinking. She’s stopped talking and is now eyeing me from across our desks as I’ve hit pause on a movie.

I can taste the dread trickle down my throat, bitter and cold.

“What?” she finally says. Her voice is quiet and laced with disbelief because, why wouldn’t it be?

I nervously play with my hair. “Connor and I are in love, and… and we eloped over the weekend.” The sudden guilt from realizing Sunny might be hurt that I didn’t even tell her beforehand stings, even if all of this is one big fabricated lie.

“Connor,” Sunny mutters, still staring me down like I’m full of shit—because I am. “And you,” she adds, but then falls silent. Starting to sweat, I try to swallow the massive lump stuck in my throat, attempting to conjure up a smile fit for a newlywed. I’m clearly failing because Sunny’s eyes narrow and I’m seconds away from running out of the office.

“What’s wrong?” she says, her eyes boring a hole straight into my soul.

“Nothing… just some happy news, no?” My smile is cracking under the weight of her hazel eyes, assessing me like I’m about to confess a crime.

She’s not buying it. What a shocking turn of events.

I swivel on my computer chair, the small crick of the mechanism now the only sound in the office. We continue to lock eyes and I continue to sweat. We stay like this for what feels like an eternity until finally, I crack.

“Ok fine! That was a lie. We’re not in love, but… wearemarried,” I say with a slight wince.

“Len, what the hell is going on?” she asks, clearly worried.

I groan, my face landing hard into the palm of my hands. “Please don’t hate me,” I mumble through my fingers, too embarrassed to even look at her. I hear her stand up and walk over me but I still don’t look up. Her fingers curl around my forearm and she gives me a small tug.

“Come. Let’s sit on the couch,” she says.

Sheepishly, I let her pull me up from my seat and lead me to the couch near the door. We sit and I avoid eye contact until I can’t any longer. But instead of finding judgment glaring back at me, I only find worry and I’m hit with such an intense wave of feelings, my eyes sting.

Sunny takes my hand in hers, placing it on her lap and squeezes.

“I wouldneverhate you. Just please tell me what’s actually going on.”

I close my eyes while breathing in deeply, filling up my lungs and then exhaling loudly.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com