Marrying My Fake Boyfriend

“Hey, Jarrett.”

Brad stopped, his mood dissipating. Jason stepped out from the shadows beside the door. His mouth was set in a thin line as he glared at Brad. Brad met him with a glare of his own.

“What are you doing here, Colney?”

“I came to see you.”

“I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling.”

Jason sighed and folded his arms. “Your marriage is a sham. I know it. You know it. Cherrelle knows it. Hell, even her parents know it.” He shook his head. “You won’t get away with this.”

“With what?” Brad demanded. “Can two people who love each other not get married?”

“Stop lying to me, Jarrett. You don’t love her. You just want her money.”

Brad resisted the urge to laugh in his face. It was like the pot calling the kettle black. “Actually, I don’t. She’s offered me money several times for even little things, but I’ve always refused.” If you didn’t include the $100,000 she had paid him for playing along in her charade. “I pay my own way and I won’t accept help from anyone.”

Jason’s eyebrow slanted. “That so?”

He clearly didn’t believe him. Brad sighed and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

“Look, Colney, I love Cherrelle.” It was the first time he had said it out loud and it felt good. Really good. “That’s the end of it.” He lowered his hand and stared defiantly at Jason. “I love her. I always have. You are not going to break us up, no matter how hard you try.”

“You sure about that?”

Brad barked out a laugh. This was getting farcical. “Are you that greedy to have more money that you’re prepared to break up a marriage so you can sneak in?”

“Not greedy.” Jason shrugged immodestly. “Just ambitious.”

“In your case, that amounts to the same thing.” Brad stepped up to him, noting with satisfaction Jason moving away. “Accept that a forced marriage between you and Cherrelle will never happen. Cherrelle is already my wife, and I’m going to make sure it stays that way.”

Cherrelle. His wife. If only they could stop it being pretend. Jason surveyed him thoughtfully for a moment as if weighing his options. He scoffed quietly.

“Enjoy it while you can.” Then he smirked. “It won’t last long.”

Brad was left staring after him as Jason walked away. He had no idea what Jason was going on about, but he was sure he wasn’t going to like it. At all.

*****

Cherrelle checked the items in the bedroom with the items on her checklist.

“Right. Dress is in its cover, hair and makeup ladies are coming at 7 and will use the room next door, the bridesmaids’ dresses are out, and the shoes are lined up. What else? Do you think we’ve missed something, Ma?”

She looked around in search of Emily. Her mother was sitting at the dressing table, staring unseeing into the mirror. She looked like she was off in her own little world.

“Ma?” Cherrelle went to her and touched her shoulder. “Ma, are you okay?”

Emily jumped as Cherrelle touched her and shook herself before looking up at Cherrelle with her usual serene smile. “Sorry, dear, you were saying?”

Cherrelle was worried. It wasn’t like Emily to wander off in her own thoughts at a time like this. Putting her cell phone with her checklist down, she knelt beside the stool her mother sat on.

“You’ve been rather distracted today. Is anything the matter?”

Emily sighed. “I’m sorry, Cherrelle. Things have got a bit too much for me lately.” She gave a slight shrug. “I guess I’m a little conflicted.”

“Then talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

In the last few weeks since they had started working on the wedding plans, their relationship had got better, resulting in Cherrelle becoming closer with her mother. It was nice to be finally close to the woman with everything else going on in their family. And Emily seemed to be coming out of her shell, showing sides that Cherrelle had never seen before. But she liked it.

It proved that Emily was human.

Emily took a breath before she spoke. “I don’t think you’re marrying Brad for the right reasons,” she said slowly. “But you’re an adult and you have to find out for yourself. Your father and your sister…” She paused and looked down at her hands. “I cannot apologize enough for their behavior. It was completely abhorrent and very unfair to you.” She bit her lip. “They shouldn’t have done it.”

“No.” Cherrelle had begun tensing up once her father and sister had been mentioned. “They shouldn’t.”

She was still furious at them for trying to ruin her wedding and her relationship with Brad. Logan seemed to understand that she was still angry and kept out of the way while Serena showed up long enough to give her a sneer before sauntering off.

Cherrelle had no idea how she was related to either of them and was quite prepared to wash her hands of them. And if not for her mother, she would have done it that night.

She was going to have to tell Brad. He needed to know about her feelings. Maybe they could get this wedding to be the real thing for a real marriage. Cherrelle knew she didn’t want anyone but Brad Jarrett as her husband. This time for real.

Emily leaned forward and took her hand. “Is it possible you can let them come to the wedding for a little bit?” she pleaded. “Just an hour or two…”

“No,” Cherrelle cut her off sharply. She sighed and started again. “I’m sorry, Ma, but both of them have crossed the line. Pa has always wanted to be in control of something and have it his own way. Serena is the same but with men. I’ve had enough of it and I don’t want them there.”

“I understand.” Emily looked downcast. She sighed. “I’ll just be a little lonely, that’s all.”

“Your brother and sister are coming. And Brad’s dad and stepmom are lovely people. You’d get on really well with them.”

“I’m sure I will.” Emily bit her lip. “I’m just not used to going anywhere without your father.”

Cherrelle had never seen her mother so insecure before. Logan had made her so dependent on him that when left to go out on her own, Emily didn’t have a clue. She squeezed her mother’s hand and gave her a comforting smile.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” She was stopped from saying more by her cell phone ringing. Glancing at the caller ID, Cherrelle smiled as she answered. “Hey, honey.”

“Can I see you now?”

Brad sounded brusque, gruff. Cherrelle blinked. What was wrong with him? He never spoke like this on the phone. Something had to be wrong.

“Erm, sure. I’ve just finished at Ma’s. Where do you want to meet?”

“Your apartment.” Brad took a breath. “I want to talk.”

That didn’t sound good. Whenever someone said that, it didn’t bode well. Cherrelle swallowed down her worries and tried to sound upbeat.

“Okay. See you in forty-five minutes.”

“See you.”

Brad hung up, leaving Cherrelle confused. Brad didn’t sound right. Something was really wrong.

Was he going to end it now? When they were so close? She couldn’t bear it if he did.

“You okay, honey?”

Cherrelle bit her lip. “Brad wants to talk.” She gave Emily a wry smile. “That sounds rather ominous, doesn’t it?”

“It’s probably nothing.” Emily smiled. “Go on, go see your husband.”