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“‘Night, Sage the Wise.” His left arm drapes over the steering wheel and winks in his relaxed way.
I laugh and shake my head. He’s definitely a charmer. I’ll have to be careful, or I’ll fall under his spell.
Whoa. Where did that come from? No, I won’t.
There’s no room for error in this plan. That means not falling for my fake boyfriend. I need the money to cover medical bills, and he needs it to follow his dream of establishing a non-profit organization.
Tristan Remington is a blessing that dropped in my life, not a love interest. We seem to get along, too, so it’ll make this ride a little smoother.
Hopefully, it won’t implode. I worry I won’t be enough for what he needs to accomplish. How can having a girlfriend make his parents change their minds?
He believes it’s because they’ll think he’s settling down. I guess he knows best since they’re his parents. I’ll focus on playing the dutiful girlfriend and earning that chunk of change.
I walk into my house and find my parents on the sofa. My mom smiles softly.
“You’re home.”
“As if you didn’t see me pull up.” I shake my head.
My mom opens her mouth to argue, but my dad tightens his grip on her shoulder and chuckles.
“She caught you, darling.”
She slaps his chest and looks at me. “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “I’m tired, though. I’m going to bed.”
Tonight was fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually gone out. Getting diagnosed with lupus changed a lot in my life, including my friendships. Daisy is the only one who stuck around. The rest stopped inviting me places after I had to cancel more than a few times or refused to drink.
I need to take care of my body more than other people do. Drinking alcohol could have disastrous consequences on my health. And going out until two or three in the morning means my routine and my body are thrown out of whack.
It’s made my parents concerned about my social life and emotional well-being. I’d rather be alone than be with people who can’t understand my reality now. If they can’t accept that, then they were never true friends.
With a deep sigh, I wash my face, get ready for bed, and take my meds. I need sleep. Thankfully, I’m off tomorrow, so I can take the day to relax and rest. And figure out the best way to handle this situation with my parents.
Eventually, they’ll hear about my relationship with Tristan. Word spreads in Hartville. I can’t tell them the truth, or they’ll be disappointed in me for accepting such a deal, but lying to them doesn’t sit well with me.
Maybe I’ll dream of a solution. Wouldn’t that be great?
My phone dings and I grab it as I lay in bed.
Tristan: My dad wrote to me about dinner already. Best gf I’ve ever had, he totally bought it. If you’re free tomorrow, let me know and we can get together to discuss our plan of action. Thanks again.
My heart stammers. This is good. It’s what we want.
Sage: Sounds good. I’m off work, so I’ll be free
Tristan: Great. See you tomorrow, Wise Sage.
I place my phone on the nightstand and close my eyes with a smile.
It should feel wrong to do this for money, but we really are helping each other. Really. I’m helping the world by doing this so Tristan can create his organization and spread joy and love.
That’s what I tell myself as I drift off to sleep, somewhat easing the pang of guilt that steadily beats in my chest.
It’s all for a greater good.
9
