Pretend It's Love(23)

How awful knowing that she not only betrayed him, but that it was with a  family member. Someone who should have put him first. Every time they  had a family function he'd have to face the infidelity, the lies. It was  a never-ending punishment.

No wonder he'd wanted someone by his side at the wedding.

"Oh my God, that's awful."

"Yeah, apparently he came home and found her packing her bags with his  cousin standing right there." Gracie shook her head. "But I didn't want  to exclude her, she is family, after all. I'm sorry, I would have  mentioned it earlier but I assumed you knew."

"I didn't." Anguish turned over and over in her stomach. "It's an awful story. I feel terrible for him."

"Don't feel too bad." Gracie slung her arm around Libby's shoulders. "He's got you now."



"If you put your hand any higher I'm going to have to let my girlfriend know I cheated on her today," Paul said.

The older gentleman checking the inseam for Paul's tuxedo pants shook  his head and muttered something to himself. The whole thing was a little  too intimate for Paul's tastes. Not to mention that his junk had been  touchy since his night with Libby. Any mention of her name caused a reel  of X-rated memories to flood him, and that had … unsociable consequences.

But those thoughts quickly lead to thinking about Libby's declaration of  belief in him at the bar … and he had no idea what to do with that.

"This is a professional operation, Mr. Chapman," the tailor said drily.

Des shot Paul a look. "Stay still and it'll be over in a moment."

"That's what she said." Noah grinned and ducked when Des's hand came flying toward him.

"Get all your jokes out now," Des warned. "Because I'll cause you a world of pain if you ruin my wedding."

"Lighten up, man." Noah slung an arm around Des's neck. "Gracie might  have your balls in a sling once you sign the paperwork, but you're still  ours for now."

"Paperwork has already been signed, Noah. It has to be done before the wedding."

"But you sign something on the day, isn't that why you have to have witnesses at the wedding?"

"It's basically a fake. If you haven't done the real paperwork before then the marriage isn't valid."

"What about Vegas weddings? Can't I get hammered at the casino and then  marry a stripper on a whim?" Noah shook his head. "What's the world  coming to?"

"I think the laws are different in America," Des pointed out. "Your random stripper wife fantasy may come true yet."

"Just goes to show how much we know about weddings," Paul said, turning  around and holding out his arms when the tailor instructed him to.

"I'll be happy when it's all over and we can go back to talking about things other than flower arrangements and speeches."

Paul finished up with the tailor and then swapped places with Des. He  itched to change out of the suit and back into his jeans, but they had  at least another twenty minutes of checking and measuring to ensure the  custom tuxedos were perfect for the big day.

"How do you think Libby will handle seeing Sadie at the wedding?" Noah asked.

Paul blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's always unbearably awkward when she and Mich-"

Paul held up a hand.

"He who shall not be named," Noah said, making quotation marks with his fingers, "end up in the same room as you."

"She doesn't need to meet Sadie." Paul folded his arms across his chest.  "I've done pretty well avoiding her all this time; there's no reason  that can't continue."         

     



 

Noah frowned. "You have to deal with it at some point."

"You're one to judge; when was the last time you spoke with your mother's family?"

Noah's face hardened, and Paul immediately regretted the words. His  situation was nothing compared to what Noah went through growing up.  Calling that out was just a dick move.

"I didn't mean that," Paul said, sighing. "Things are so new with Libby,  I don't want to screw things up by delving into my fucked-up history  with Sadie and that letch who happens to be related to us."

The truth in his words unsettled Paul. He hadn't told Libby the whole  situation with Sadie because he didn't want her pity. Asking her to  pretend to date him was a tactical move, one he'd put aside his pride  for. He didn't need to rub salt into the wound by telling her that his  ex had left him for an upgraded version.

"So you haven't told her about Sadie," Noah pressed. "Are you crazy? You're just going to let her find out on her own?"

Paul shrugged. "I don't know what the big deal is, I don't have to tell her everything."

"When she finds out she'll know that you're keeping things from her. You'll be in the doghouse, my friend." Noah nodded sagely.

"And you know this from your string of successful relationships with women?" Paul quipped.

"Sticks and stones. I grew up with three foster sisters. I know women."

Des looked over his shoulder, earning himself a stern word from the  tailor to keep still. "They're having a baby-she's not going anywhere  and neither is he. You have to get over it. It blows, but that's  reality. Tell her Sadie will be there."

"Unless you're just keeping Libby around for a bit of fun … " Noah looked  at Paul with a glint in his eye. He knew exactly how to push his  buttons. "I mean, that's more your style, isn't it?"

"She's not just a bit of fun," he said the words so vehemently that his  whole body tensed like he was bracing himself for a physical blow.

The thought had been weighing on him all week. The fact that they would  be parting ways in two short weeks had settled over him like a dark  cloud and dampened any pleasure he should be feeling about proving Sadie  and his family wrong.

This is not how you're supposed to feel about a fake girlfriend. You're not supposed to feel anything.

Maybe it was a mistake sleeping with her. He'd expected that it would go  the same as with any of the other women he'd bedded in the last few  years wherein he'd feel less interested afterward, not more.

He certainly never stewed over the idea that the relationship would end.  But thinking past the wedding to when he and Libby would be no more was  like looking into a bottomless pit. It wasn't a place he wanted to go  and yet confronting the way he felt about her was equally unappealing.  Why couldn't she just be like everyone else?

"You're hooked, man." Noah clapped a hand on his back. "She's working her lady voodoo on you bad!"

"I haven't seen him like this in a long time." Des grinned. "I got that  look on my face when I met Gracie. Be warned, bro, it's a slippery  slope."

It was indeed a slippery slope, and he was sliding headfirst at full speed.





Chapter Eleven

Thanks to Gracie's mother's militant event planning, the kitchen tea was  packed with activities, meaning Libby didn't have time to think about  her recent discovery. She threw herself into helping coordinate the  games and assisting Cecilia, Gracie, and Gracie's sister, Emmaline,  wherever possible.

"Thank you for your help today, dear," Cecilia said, motioning for one  of the caterers to come so she could hand them an envelope.

"The extra pair of hands was great." Emmaline smiled as she stuffed the  crumpled wrapping paper into a garbage bag. "Mother wanted to get people  in to run the whole thing, but I thought it would feel more personal if  we did it as a family."

"That's sweet," Libby replied, collecting a handful of paper and handing it over.

A few guests remained, including Sadie who looked as though she wanted  to curl up on the couch and go to sleep. While the other women occupied  themselves, Libby watched Sadie talking to a few of Paul's aunts. She  couldn't imagine Sadie and Paul together the way she had when she'd seen  him with Cassie the other night.

Sadie seemed nice, but she looked so formal, so polished. Nothing like the kind of girl Paul would date.

But what did she know? The reason she was dating Paul was to help her  business, and he'd suggested it because there was something in it for  him … not because he was attracted to her.         

     



 

Why do you care if he's attracted to you? It's not a requirement for the job.

But it had become clear that his opinion did matter and that Libby had  crossed the line by daring to feel sorry for him upon discovering the  truth about his ex … not to mention her recent idiotic display of truth.  They'd said up front that emotions were to be kept completely out of it.  She couldn't breathe a word of this to Paul.

Libby picked up a couple of empty teacups and carried them into the  kitchen to be washed. The catering crew had done most of the cleaning,  and the dishwasher whirred as it churned through yet another batch of  dishes. She placed the cups on the counter.

As she went to leave the kitchen she heard her name, though it was  obvious the person was talking about her and not to her. Flattening her  back against the wall next to the alcove that lead to the hallway, she  strained to listen above the gush of water in the dishwasher.