by J. P. Comeau
Four weeks.
I had to stay married to Brenden for four weeks.
“Your Honor!” he exclaimed.
“Brenden, don’t,” I whispered.
The judge slowly turned around. “Yes?”
Brenden huffed. “What in the world are we supposed to do for a month? Just sit around and wait for our next court date to come up? We’re both busy people. I own the premier real estate agency in Vegas. Kelly here is starting her own fashion line. We don’t know if we’ll be--.”
“You want to fight my order? Fine. Let’s back it up a bit. Not only will you stay married for a month to make sure this really is what you two want, but now you get to live together and act like a married couple.”
I snapped back to reality. “You can’t do that.”
The judge glared at me. “Would you like to test that bet?”
Brenden took my hand and squeezed it hard to get me to shut up. And it worked.
“Yes, Your Honor. We’ll make it work,” Brenden said.
The judge nodded. “Good. Now, get out of my courtroom. I’ve got another couple just like you to see in the next few minutes.”
I murmured beneath my breath. “Try not to ruin their lives, too.”
“What was that?” the judge asked.
Brenden started scooting me towards the door. “Nothing, si--Your Honor. Nothing at all.”
“Mhm. And if you continue to argue with me, you two will spend the next month in jail for contempt of court. Your case is dismissed.”
I felt Brenden guiding me out of the courthouse. I felt him leading me to his car. But, when he opened the car door for me, I turned to look back at the courthouse. The brick facade had worn down with time and looked as cold and unforgiving as the judge. Brenden placed his hand on my shoulder as a tear streamed down my neck, and I felt him brush it away with his fingertips.
“Four weeks will fly by, okay?” he asked.
I was in too much shock to make a rebuttal, though.
“Mr. Hearthstone!”
I slipped into the car as the woman from the front desk came rushing up to Brenden.
“Mr. Hearthstone! You forgot your formal orders from the judge.”
I shook my head. “You can burn them for all I care.”
Brenden took the papers. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“And I don’t,” I snapped.
He closed my car door and quickly walked around to the other side. After sliding behind the wheel of the car, Brenden’s eyes danced over the sheet of paper. Even from the corner of my eye, I saw his face turn white as snow. So, I plucked the paper from his hands and read it myself.
“My God, he really is serious,” I murmured.
Brenden swallowed hard. “At least we don’t have to share finances or anything.”
“And I suppose this means I’m moving in with you since there’s no room for you at my place.”
“Most likely.”
I squinted. “It says here that we are ‘required to file a weekly report’ with his clerk? Is this man serious?”
“Apparently.”
I scoffed. “At least it can be done online.”
“This is such horse-shit.”
I handed him the official paperwork. “I know. But, it looks like there’s no way out of it.”
He cranked up his car. “I guess this means we should go start packing you up for the next four weeks.”
“What in the world are we going to tell everyone? What am I going to tell Roxy? And you know Karina won’t stop breathing down my neck until--.”
“To be honest, I don’t really care what your sister and friend are going to think about this.”
I paused. “Right. Yeah.”
“The only thing I’m concerned about is making sure we come out of this with our friendship intact.”
“Wait, really?”
He cranked up his car. “Yes, really. Because if I lose you in all of this, I might just stalk out that judge and do him in myself.”
I didn’t know what to make of his words, so I stayed silent. Part of me wondered if lying to the judge about what happened would have helped our case. But, my guess is it would’ve only made things worse. We meandered through town, navigating traffic, and rushing through yellow lights to get me back to my place. However, when I looked up at my apartment complex to find the window of my bedroom, I froze.
I don’t want Roxy to see this.
“If you want, I can send someone to help you instead of helping you myself.”
I nodded slowly. “That might be better.”
He sighed. “All right. You head on up and start packing, and I’ll see when I can get a mover or somebody over there. It might not be until tomorrow morning, though.”
I opened the door. “That’s fine. That works for me. It’ll give me time to find a way to explain this insane situation to my sister.”
“Do you really have to, though? I mean, who the hell cares what they think? Right now, all we need to think about is--.”
I stepped out of the car. “On second thought, never mind.”
He paused. “Wait, what?”
I dipped down to see him. “I can take care of myself, thanks.”
“Kelly, wait. You’re going to need some sort of help to--.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong, Brenden. Because I really don’t. You’ve helped enough. And if you really can’t see why explaining this to my best friends is a priority to me, then that only confirms my fears.”
“Which are?”
“The fact that you really aren’t capable of caring about other people.”
Then, I closed the door and walked inside. Not bothering to look back. Because if he really didn’t get it--if he was really going to chastise me for wanting to talk with Karina and my own damn sister about it--then our decision at the end of these four weeks would be an easy one.
Because I’d never share my life with someone so narrow-minded and so fucking selfish as to put his reputation before my own damn needs.
12
Brenden
The Next Day
Kelly whispered with her sister. “I don’t want to do this, Roxy. There has to be another way.”
Roxy rubbed her back. “It’s not going to be that bad. I mean, look at this condo! It’ll just be the penthouse honeymoon suite, except for four weeks instead of one.”
“Yeah, and no sex.”
I tried to act like I didn’t hear them talking, but it was hard. Hauling boxes in with Clint while he gave me side glances and held back his snickers wasn’t helping much. And now, to add the cherry on top of an already screwed-up cake, one of my best friends was angry with me.
For good reason, too.
“Hey, come on. Cut him some slack. He did everything right, and it still bit him in the ass. Give him some room,” Clint said.
Roxy scoffed. “Well, next time? Tell him not to reroute our plans without our knowledge, and we’d be fine.”
Clint lowered his voice. “He was just trying to do what was right for the your sister.”
Roxy bucked up to him. “And Kelly can take care of herself. You know, since she’s a grown-ass woman with her own business.”
I walked past my brother, bickering with Roxy, and headed to the guest bedroom. Where Kelly insisted on staying. I mean, I couldn't blame her. But, part of me was disappointed that I wouldn't be waking up to her every morning. Man, what a rush that had been. What a wonderful memory that was for me.
“Just drop it,” Kelly said flatly.
I placed the box on top of the dresser before backing towards the doorway.
“Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Or thirsty?” I asked.
“If I am, I know where your kitchen is now.”
I nodded slowly. “Would you like some takeout for tonight? You know, to take it easy?”
“What I’d like is for you to leave me alone. Thanks.”
I turned to walk out of the room and found Clint behind me, pursing
his lips. I glared at him before I charged back down the hallway, ready to remove myself from the situation completely. Maybe Kelly could stay here, and I’d take a vacation somewhere. We could forge and lie on the weekly reports and get out of the mess without ever having to see one another.
Then again, if we’re caught, we’re in bigger trouble.
“You got anything else!?” Roxy yelled.
Clint grunted. “Nope. I got the last one. She’s all emptied out.”
Roxy sighed. “Awww, look at this room. It’s so big. And roomy!”
“That’s usually what a room is, yes,” Kelly hissed.
“But, I mean, look at it. The flowers he set out for you. The decorative towels. The desk! That desk is new. I know new furniture when I spot it. He pulled all of this together for you at the last minute. Isn’t that nice?”
Clint turned around and looked at me, chuckling as I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t give a shit what he did. I just want to get through these next four weeks,” Kelly said.
Roxy tried to console her. “Girl, just try to look at the bright side. There’s no sense in both of you being miserable, especially with this condo. I mean, look at the view you’ve got from your desk! That’s all of Vegas, girl. And he’s got a balcony.”
“With a hot tub!” I declared.
Clint barked with laughter. “Like that’s getting you out of this.”
“You can leave now. Thanks for your help,” I said.
Kelly poked her head out of the room. “He can stay as long as he likes.”
I rolled my eyes. “And here I thought you didn’t want to act like we were married.”
“Don’t you give me lip.”
“Then, don’t sass me like I’m your husband.”
Clint cackled. “Joke’s on you, then.”
I pointed at him. “You. Out.”
Kelly fought me on it. “He stays.”
And before I could catch myself… “I’ll throw you out, too, if you keep on like that.”
Everyone came to a dead standstill while Clint shook his head. He made his way for the elevator as Roxy’s jaw fell to the floor, and I watched Kelly slink back into her room. Fucking hell, seriously? Did no one see the situation it was putting me in?
Roxy stared at me. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Try not to toss her out a window.”
I shook my head. “You know I didn’t mean-”
“It doesn’t matter what you meant. Because once you say something, you can never take those words back. You can never undo the damage you do with them. So, try not to break my sister in the next four weeks.”
My brother and Roxy left, leaving me alone. In my condo. With a woman that hated my guts. I stalked over to my couch in the living room and flopped down, then lobbed my head off to the side. I stared through the wall of tinted glass and out towards the expanse of Vegas. The whole of the world laid out before me, and I was a prisoner in my own condo.
With a woman, I wanted to enjoy instead of hate.
I don’t know how long I sat there. I’m not sure how much time passed. But, the soft pitter-patter of feet pulled me from my trance, and I saw that the sun was setting. My stomach growled with exponential hunger. I felt myself growing light-headed.
However, when Kelly sat in front of me on the loveseat, I focused my attention on her.
“I want to apologize, but I feel that’s overdone at this point,” I said.
She nodded. “Probably.”
I looked back out the window. “This place is yours as much as it is mine for the next four weeks. Whatever you want, I can get it for you. Whatever you want to eat, I can whip it up. You just let me know.”
She paused. “You can cook?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Well, now, you do.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry too, Brenden. This is… rough all around for everyone. And Roxy’s incessant teasing this morning didn’t really help matters.”
“Yeah, well. Zane and Clint aren’t exactly letting me off the hook either.”
She giggled softly, and the sound warmed me from my toes to my nose.
“Kelly, this really doesn’t have to be a miserable month. We have the ability to make the best of it. If you want, you can look at it as a vacation. And you’re not far from your own place, so you can always go see Roxy.”
“Can she come here?”
I looked over at her. “Of course, she can. She’s just as welcome as you are.”
Her face hardened. “Thank you.”
I sighed. “What did I do now?”
“I just don’t know how in the world I ever trusted you to do something like this. I keep kicking myself, thinking, ‘this is exactly how Brenden’s plans always turn out.’ I hear the stories all the time. I’m just not sure why I convinced myself this time would be different.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint. But this isn’t all on me. Just like you said at the cookout. We both hold responsibility in this. So, I’d appreciate it if you acted like it.”
She stood. “It’s not my fault you screwed up.”
I stood. “No, the man who owns that chapel screwed up. Remember? You admitted to that, too. Don’t turn this on me because you’re frustrated and want someone to blame. I don’t play that game with anyone.”
Her eyes filled with fire. “You know what? I think I’m just going to spend the rest of this month in my room. Just to make it easy on you.”
“If you want to make that decision on your own, that’s fine. You know, since you’re such an independent woman.”
She stomped toward her room. “You’re such an asshole. I don’t know why in the world I ever wanted to do this with you in the first place.”
“Takes one to know one!”
And the only sound that greeted me was the sound of my guest door being slammed.
Yep. I’m in the deepest shit I’ve ever been in, in my entire life.
13
Kelly
I wiped at the tears coating my cheeks and drew in a deep breath. I had to stop crying. I had to stop being a weak little woman who grew frustrated at the drop of a hat. I leaned my back against the door and closed my eyes, forcing my heart rate to slow down. Forcing the tears to stop.
Forcing myself to grow a damn backbone.
“Come on. He’s trying. Let the man try,” I whispered.
I opened my eyes and gazed around the room. The navy walls contrasted the white crown molding and the white baseboards. The sprawling king-size bed had a beautiful white fabric headboard with silver rivets trailing along the outer edges. And the desk that sat right in front of the window overlooking Vegas was sleek. It sat on wheels so I could roll it anywhere, and the height looked to be adjustable with a small crank on the underside of the top itself. But, nothing could have prepared me for how luxurious the bathroom was.
I gasped as I walked inside.
“Holy mackerel,” I whispered.
The white marble countertops shimmered with a soft silver texture. The jetted bathtub looked like it had been hand-carved from a beautiful white stone. And that stone matched the materials used to create a walk-in shower without a door. It led me down a very small corridor before dumping into a rotunda that had a waterfall shower head and little holes with black protrusions that dropped my jaw to the floor.
“The shower is a mist sauna, too?” I murmured.
For a moment, I found myself taken with the room I’d occupy for the next month. But, the idea of it being for the next four weeks stirred my frustration all over again. I cared about Brenden. I really did. He simply didn’t make sure things were locked tight with the plan, though. And it’s because of that last-minute recklessness that I’m married and living with him for the next month.
I sighed as I walked out of the shower.
Part of me wanted to soak in the tub until I turned into a prune. Part of me wanted to try out the sauna in the shower. But, part of me wanted to flop onto the bed and slee
p the next few days away. I heard footsteps pattering above my head, and I went back out into the bedroom. I saw my suitcases and boxes stacked neatly in the corner near the door, and I figured I could start unpacking. No use in living out of boxes and bags for that amount of time.
Then, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
“I can’t believe this condo has a second story,” I murmured.
‘Condo’ was a toned-down word for what the place really was. Which was a miniature mansion suspended in mid-air with a gorgeous view of the town.
I held my breath as his footsteps came down the hallway. I heard him pause just outside my door, and I looked down to see his shadow filtering through the small crack at the bottom of the door. I placed my hand on the doorknob. Now that I was a bit calmer, maybe we could talk.
But, once his footsteps started walking away, my hand fell away from the knob.
So much for that idea.
His footsteps didn’t stop until I heard his front door open and close. Then, I found myself alone in that gargantuan place. Did I go outside and explore? Did I walk upstairs to see what the second level was like? Did I get some food? Did I stay in here?
I didn’t want to do either of those things.
Right now, I needed my Daddy.
“Hey there, sweet pea.”
I sat on the edge of the bed with my cell phone against my ear.
“Hey there,” I said.
“Uh, oh. What’s wrong?”
I snickered. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”
“I know this tone of voice. I only hear it whenever something is bothering you, too. What’s on your mind?”
I sighed. “If I tell you, you promise not to get angry?”
“Oh, boy.”
“What?”
“Only your sister prefaces stuff she’s done like that. Something big is wrong, isn’t it?”
I paused. “Let me start from the beginning, okay?”
“Why don’t you start with the punch line, and I’ll ask questions?”
