[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Sidney whacked his leg, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Are you going to talk or just sit there?”

  “Yes. I mean, the date went well.”

  Sidney stared at him. “That’s it? It went well?”

  She seemed bothered by this, and he wondered what was up. And then words just started spilling out of his mouth. “Yes, quite well actually. I think Angie’s pretty amazing.”

  Why had he said that? What was this, high school? Was he trying to make Sidney jealous? How very mature of him. He mentally smacked himself.

  “Well...” Sidney blinked, a bit speechless. “That’s great.”

  “I’m taking her back out tomorrow.” Lie. Why were these words coming out of his mouth?

  “Would you like to put your service on hold, then, while you explore things with Angie?” She fiddled with the quilt hanging over the back of her couch, not looking him in the eye.

  And then he saw it. The out he needed. If he said he was dating Angie, Sidney wouldn’t match him up with anyone else. Perfect! “Yes, please put it on hold.”

  “Okay.”

  They both sat in silence for a few moments, neither one looking at the other, which was stupid. She didn’t want him there. Why was he still sitting on her couch?

  He stood. “I guess that’s about it.”

  “All righty, then.” She looked like she had just swallowed a bug. “Let me know if you change your mind and want another match.” She opened the front door.

  He didn’t want to leave, but there wasn’t anything else to do. “I will,” he said, his chest suddenly feeling heavy. He stepped outside to the sound of crickets chirping.

  “Bye.” She shut the door and he just stood there looking at it awhile, unsure of what had gone wrong. He’d wanted to come tell her about his date—how Angie talked too much, and laughed too loud. He’d meant to suggest they bring out the vanilla ice cream he’d seen in her freezer. Maybe play a little Scrabble.

  Instead, he’d caught her kissing Ted.

  He climbed into his truck and backed out of his parking space. Maybe it was best to make Sidney think he and Angie had hit it off. He needed to stop this obsession he had. Sidney wasn’t going to open up to him, and he wasn’t going to force her to want to.

  It was best to try to forget about the whole thing.

  SIDNEY WATCHED BLAKE’S taillights fade, then let the living room window curtain fall back in place and went into the kitchen. Blake and Angie had hit it off. Of course. Angie was a sweetheart, and Blake was...Blake. Who wouldn’t like him?

  She grabbed a glass from her dishwasher and turned on the faucet, letting it run cold before filling the glass. It was okay that he and Angie liked each other. That’d mean he’d come around less. Maybe she could finally think, without him hovering all the time.

  The water wasn’t very cold, but it cooled her off and quenched her thirst. She needed a shower before bed. Maybe she’d read, instead of going right to sleep. She had nothing scheduled tomorrow and was planning on sleeping in, anyway.

  Her phone dinged and she pulled it out.

  Phyllis: Grayson is flying in for a visit next Saturday. I was thinking we should have a family cookout in the backyard. Can you and Ted make it? 6:00pm.

  Sidney’s heart soared. Grayson was coming! She texted back.

  Sidney: I’ll ask.

  She texted Ted to make sure he didn’t mind attending another family event. His message came right back.

  Ted: Sounds fun. I’ll pick you up at six.

  She sent a confirmation message to her mother and was on cloud nine the rest of the evening. She hadn’t seen Grayson in so long. She couldn’t wait!

  SIDNEY STIRRED THE macaroni salad while listening to her favorite playlist on her phone. She sang along as One Direction belted out a love song in three-part harmony. Her brother’s plane would land in a few hours and her heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

  She and Grayson had been close growing up, which might have seemed weird since she was the youngest and he was the oldest, but she and Natalie had never bonded like that. Maybe because she and Grayson had more in common. They both liked sports and outdoor activities, and Natalie never wanted to do anything but go shopping.

  The salad looked good, so she snapped on the lid and placed it in the refrigerator. She had so much pent-up energy, she decided to put on her running shoes and take another jog before getting ready for the party.

  As she suspected, now that Blake had a girl, he’d stopped coming around. Half of her felt relief. She didn’t have that constant reminder of her crush, and her humiliation. But the other half of her missed him, which she hated.

  Why would she miss him when all he did was flirt and mess with her head? She had hated seeing him flirt with Natalie, but she hated it even more when he turned his charm her way. And that kiss? No man should be allowed to kiss like that.

  She jogged down the sidewalk and tried to push all thoughts of Blake out of her head. She wouldn’t have to see him anymore. She could concentrate on something else. The hot sun beat down on her, and she turned up her music.

  After her run, she showered and got dressed. By the time Ted arrived, she was in a better mood. All thoughts of Blake had left. Pretty much. She grabbed her salad and slid into Ted’s car.

  As he drove, she related funny Grayson stories. He looked over at her and grinned. “You really miss him, don’t you?”

  “Yes. I can’t believe it’s been three years.”

  Ted parked the car. “Well, you don’t have to wait a minute longer.” He nodded toward the front yard.

  Grayson stood there talking with her father. She handed Ted the salad and bolted out of the car. She ran to Grayson and squealed when he picked her up for a hug, swinging her around in a circle. “Sidney. How are you?”

  Grayson’s sandy-blond hair hung in his eyes. He’d gained a little weight since the last time she saw him, and he sported a goatee which made him look ten years older. “I’m good,” she said. She turned around and motioned to Ted, now walking up to them with the salad bowl. “Grayson, this is Ted. Ted, my brother Grayson.”

  Her brother smiled and extended his hand to Ted. “Nice to meet you.” He turned back to her and his smile widened. “Mom says you’re engaged. Congratulations, although I have to admit, I always thought you’d marry Blake.”

  Sidney sucked in a quick breath and then started coughing. “You what?” she choked.

  Grayson laughed. “You were always head over heels for him. I was sure someday he’d wake up and realize you two were perfect for each other.”

  “Who’s perfect for each other?” Blake’s voice came from behind her.

  Sidney spun around so fast she knocked into Ted, who seemed to be enjoying the conversation, based on the grin on his face. “No one,” she just about shouted, while desperately trying not to blush. What was Blake doing here?

  Grayson muttered, “Speak of the devil.” Then he smiled and gave Blake a hug. “I’m so glad you could join us. It’s been forever.”

  “Too long,” Blake said, patting Grayson on the back.

  Sidney swallowed the hard lump in her throat. Of course Blake would be invited. He and Grayson had been best buds. She should have prepared herself.

  Natalie pulled up in her little red Toyota. Grayson left the group to go greet her, and their father excused himself to go check on the grill. Blake nodded at her and Ted and then left to join Grayson.

  Ted clasped her hand. “You didn’t expect Blake to be here, did you?” He offered her a kind smile.

  “No, but it’s okay. Like I said, there’s nothing between us.”

  Ted didn’t look like he believed her, but said nothing.

  “We should go out back.” Sidney took the pasta salad from Ted and led him through the house and out the patio door.

  Her father stood at the grill flipping the hamburgers. When he glanced at them, he smiled. “How are the two love birds?”

  Was this how the whole night was going to go? “Just
fine, Dad.”

  Sidney set the pasta salad on the serving table and lifted off the lid. At least the heat wasn’t so bad today. And she couldn’t wait to hear all about what Grayson had been up to.

  Soon everyone came into the backyard and they sat around the long table her father had set up. Sidney ended up sitting across from Grayson. Natalie sat between Grayson and Blake. They didn’t have enough plastic outdoor chairs, so Ted ended up sitting in a folding lawn chair on the end of the table. He didn’t seem to mind.

  Natalie cozied up to Blake. “What have you been up to?” She batted her eyelids.

  “I’ve been dating Angie Nicholson.”

  “Oh.” Natalie’s face fell, and she folded her hands in her lap.

  Sidney knew how she felt. Every time she thought about Blake and Angie, it was like her insides were being eaten by acid. She just needed to think about something else.

  After her father said grace, Sidney kicked her brother under the table. “What’s it like writing for a show like Forensic Science?”

  “It’s cool getting to be a part of it. The team I work with is great. And the best part is, I sometimes get to be on set. You know, where Ally Young is working.” He raised his eyebrows up and down.

  “Shut up!” She whacked him on the arm with the back of her hand. “You don’t stand a chance with her. She’s a TV star. You’re...you.”

  “I’ll have you know, Ally and I have this thing going.” He put on a smug smile.

  Natalie gaped at him. “You’re dating Ally Young?”

  “Well, not exactly dating.” He picked up his hamburger. “You see, we do this thing where I pretend not to stare at her on set, and she pretends not to notice me.”

  Natalie laughed, and Grayson joined in.

  Ted pointed to the trees just past their backyard. “Are these the famous ‘woods’ you talk about? Where you and Grayson used to explore as kids?”

  Sidney nodded. “Yes. We’d explore in there for hours.” She took a sip of her lemonade and then pointed. “You see that path? If you follow that about a quarter mile, it forks to the left and the right. If you go right, you’ll eventually come to a bridge spanning the river.”

  Grayson wiped his face with his napkin. “Dad told us to never go to the left, because we’d hit quicksand. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized he was pulling our legs.”

  “What?” Sidney shrieked. “That was a lie?”

  Everyone at the table laughed, and Sidney felt her face grow hot. She’d totally believed her father. How was she to know he was joking? Thinking about it now, it seemed ridiculous that there’d be quicksand in Bishop Falls. She’d just never stopped to think about it until now.

  “Dad!” Grayson called out. “Sidney just now found out you were kidding about the quicksand.”

  Her father leaned forward and stared at them. “What quicksand?”

  “Remember when you told us not to go left, because of the quicksand?” Grayson asked.

  “I did?” He blinked.

  Sidney couldn’t believe it. “You mean I spent years avoiding that path in the woods because you were trying to be funny, and now you don’t even remember it?”

  Blake ducked his head so she wouldn’t see him laughing. But soon it didn’t matter because the whole table burst into laughter.

  Ted, probably trying to take the spotlight off her, spoke up. “Natalie, what have you been up to lately?”

  Natalie smiled, and it wasn’t a flirty smile like she usually had on. It was more genuine. “I got a new job.”

  “You did?” Grayson asked. “Where are you working now?”

  “At the animal shelter.”

  “I thought they only took volunteers,” Sidney said.

  Natalie’s cheeks flushed pink. “They do have a few paid positions. I’ve been volunteering there for two years, and when one of the staff left, they asked me to apply.”

  “That’s great,” Ted said, smiling at her. “I didn’t know you volunteered.”

  Sidney didn’t know it either. In fact, it was so unlike Natalie to do something for someone else, she was speechless.

  Natalie’s face brightened and she turned to Ted. “I love working with the animals. It’s priceless when a family comes in and we’re able to help find them a forever pet they can take care of and love.”

  Ted continued to smile at Natalie, and Sidney wondered why her sister was acting so different. She wasn’t her brazen, flirty self. Maybe she was still pouting about Blake dating Angie.

  Gah. Why had she thought about them again, to torture herself?

  As they ate, Sidney and Grayson laughed about old times, and she did her best to ignore the hole in her chest that opened up whenever she thought about Blake and his new love interest.

  Chapter 17

  Blake helped Phyllis clean off the table. He couldn’t quite let Sidney out of his line of sight, even though it was obvious she didn’t want to talk to him. Didn’t want him there. Not that she’d been rude to him. Just more like an uncomfortable shift in their relationship. He’d thought about not coming, but Grayson had been his best friend as a kid, and he wanted to see him again. Plus, if he were being honest with himself, he wanted to see Sidney again, too.

  He’d spent the week flip-flopping between feeling relief that he didn’t have to be set up with anyone else, and beating himself up over lying to Sidney. He hated seeing her with Ted and didn’t know whether her affection for him was real or fake. And he hated that they couldn’t just be honest with each other.

  Ted sat on a lounge chair next to Natalie. They seemed to be in deep conversation, but he wasn’t sure what they’d have to talk about. Sidney was chatting with Grayson. Phyllis went inside to get a wet rag, so Blake wandered over to where Grayson and Sidney were talking.

  Sidney didn’t notice him at first. “And then you ate it! I thought Blake was going to throw up!” She and Grayson laughed.

  Blake made a face. “Are you talking about that worm?”

  They turned to him. Grayson nodded. “Yeah. Your face was so green.”

  “Dude, you ate a worm!” Blake said.

  Sidney punched him in the arm. “You dared him to.”

  “I didn’t think he’d do it!”

  Sidney busted out laughing, and suddenly the awkwardness was gone. It was like it used to be. They talked for a while, remembering old times. When the conversation lagged, Blake walked over to the table and snagged a cup of lemonade.

  When he turned back around, Sidney had vanished. A flash of white T-shirt darted through the trees just beyond the trail into the woods, and he knew where she was going.

  He casually walked through the backyard, then started down the trail. He followed the flashes of white down the twisty path until he came to the fork in the road. Just as he thought, she’d gone left. She’d always been an explorer at heart. He grinned and followed after her.

  He didn’t really know why he was following her, other than his stupid instinct to be near her. He tried telling himself it was to protect her...that she shouldn’t be alone in the woods this close to sundown, but that was a lie. These woods were safe. He just really wanted to be with her.

  The trail twisted for a while, then came to a clearing. He found Sidney sitting on a log that lay next to the riverbank. She was simply sitting there, looking at the river, and the scene seemed so peaceful he hated to interrupt her thoughts. But he couldn’t stand there and watch her without letting her know he was there. He cleared his throat.

  She turned, startled. “Oh, it’s you.” She faced the river again, turning her back on him.

  Oops. She was mad at him. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have followed you.”

  She sighed. “No, it’s okay.” She scooted over. “Have a seat.” She picked a weed and twisted it through her fingers.

  He sat beside her and they watched the sun dip below the tree line. The sky was alight with bright oranges and pinks. They were silent for a few minutes, as nature gave them a show. D
usk settled in, and he turned to look at her.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks, and his stomach clenched. “What’s wrong?”

  She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Nothing. It’s stupid.” She tossed the mangled weed on the ground and smiled despite her watery eyes.

  “Are you upset with me?” he asked, his voice quiet. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her any distress. “I can go...”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  His throat constricted as he watched her blink back more tears. She seemed to struggle with what to say, so he stayed silent. He wanted to put his arm around her...to pull her close, but he refrained.

  Finally, she spoke. “I just miss the way things used to be, you know? Everything changes.” She looked out at the river. “We’re not the same.”

  He let her words sit in the air for a minute. He understood. It would never be like it used to be when they were kids. “I know.”

  She wiped at her cheeks again. “It’s stupid. I know people grow up. We get our own lives. Grayson loves what he’s doing. And you...” Her sentence trailed off.

  What did she mean, and him? What had he done? He waited for her to continue, but she didn’t. After a moment, he decided to ask. “And me?”

  She smiled at him, although her eyes remained sad. “You’re fulfilling your dreams. And that’s how it should be.”

  Blake didn’t understand. What did his job have to do with it? He touched her hand, tentatively, and when she didn’t pull away, he picked it up and laced his fingers through. “What do you mean?”

  SIDNEY COULD HAVE SLAPPED herself. Why had she mentioned Blake? She should have said she missed Grayson and how that was why she was crying, end of story. But no. She’d had to stick her foot in her mouth.

  Now what was she supposed to say, ‘You’re with Angie now, and I feel like my heart is being ripped apart’? That would go over well. She was supposed to be engaged to Ted.

  And now with Blake holding her hand, her pulse was going crazy. Why did she have to let the tears fall? She should have sat there with him, watched the sun set, and ignored her broken heart.