How to Marry Your Frenemy (How To Rom Com Series Book 1)

by London Casey

  Lake leaned forward and blew out the candle in front of her.

  “My name is Joni,” Joni said. “That’s my real name. My husband and I were happy. We were living our dream life. There were ups and downs. Marriage isn’t easy. Don’t let anyone tell you that.” Joni smiled at me. “And as fast as something can go right, it can go wrong. My husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May and the day after Christmas the same year he passed away. We celebrated that Christmas together, him in his hospital bed, me in a chair, watching our favorite movies. His death proved to me just what life meant. So here I am.”

  Sunny blew out her candle.

  The room was mostly dark.

  Minus my candle burning.

  They all looked at me.

  “Speak it,” Joni said.

  “The truth,” Lake said.

  “Trust us,” Sunny added.

  I nodded.

  “I’m Callie,” I said. “I spent my entire life proving to everyone I don’t need them. Proving that I could take care of myself and my mother alone. I wanted to take on anything that a man would do because my father left us. I wanted to be the best, no matter what. I took a job that was bad for me and worked to prove myself. I met a man who challenged me. When I was offered money to marry that man, I did. Because I could never back down and never act as though I was a woman with feelings. I fell in love with that man. I loved him so much… I still love him so much. All the dirty secrets and truths rained down on us and crushed what we had. Confusion. Doubt. Worry. I married for money and ended up with a husband I love. Only I don’t have him anymore. He’s gone. I’m here. And… I… I accept… my fate.”

  I shut my eyes and blew out the candle.

  Then I started to cry.

  “Here, take this lucky tissue,” Sunny said.

  “Is that your boob tissue?” Lake asked.

  Sunny tangled a white cloth in front of my face.

  “Please don’t touch that tissue, Callie,” Joni said.

  “It’s been cleaned,” Sunny said.

  “It was just in your bra,” Joni whispered.

  “I’m clean,” Sunny said.

  “You were just with Bill last night,” Lake said.

  “That was a secret,” Sunny said.

  “Oh, Sunny, you’re with him again?” Joni asked.

  I started to laugh.

  They all looked at me.

  I took Sunny’s boob tissue and wiped my face.

  “I owe you all an apology,” I said.

  “For what?” Joni asked.

  “For the way I’ve acted,” I said. “I’ve always judged you. I’ve treated you like you’re less than you are. I was so rude to you all…”

  “We’re here now,” Lake said.

  “I want to believe,” I said. “The sayings. The candles. The rocks. The energies…”

  “Then just believe,” Sunny said. “Just tell the universe what you want. Open yourself to receiving. Don’t be afraid…”

  I nodded.

  I opened my mouth, ready to fall into it.

  Yeah, that’s right, I was going to fall into the energy. Only because I could actually feel it. Their stories were real. Honest. They were raw and painful. They weren’t hippies looking for peace and drugs. They were strong women who lived through hell and could tell stories about it. The same with Mom. She lived through so much pain and could never take a moment because she had me. And I was always so loud and fast… and annoying.

  “Okay,” I said. “What I want is-”

  “Some lemonade,” Mom said as she walked into the room.

  “Uh, not quite,” I said.

  “Yes, you do. Drink it.”

  I took the cup from her. “Is this spiked with something?”

  “Yes,” Mom said. “It’s my voodoo stuff.”

  She wiggled her fingers at me.

  I rolled my eyes and sipped the lemonade.

  I quickly put the cup down. “Oh… wow… sorry, Mom, that’s terrible. That’s the worst lemonade I’ve ever had.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah. Nobody could make lemonade like you,” she said.

  “My lemonade stands saved us,” I said.

  “Yes they did. And now this lemonade is going to save you. Stand up and go see where it came from.”

  I slowly stood and walked to the front of the shop.

  I didn’t see anything or anyone.

  At least not until I got to the front door.

  That’s when I saw a lemonade stand out front of the shop.

  With someone standing behind it, pouring little, plastic cups of lemonade.

  Jackson.

  I pointed to the cups. “You should stop pouring these.”

  “Why?” Jackson asked.

  “They’re disgusting.”

  “The lemonade?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “You have too much lemon in it. It’s too sour. You have to have the perfect balance between lemon and sugar.”

  “Thanks for the feedback,” he said.

  “What is this?” I asked.

  “I was snooping through your drawers once and saw the picture of you with the lemonade stand.”

  “You… what?”

  Jackson grinned. “Yeah. I was looking for some kinky sex toys. There weren’t any.”

  “I don’t own any kinky sex toys, Jackson,” I said.

  “I know that now. But I also know that the lemonade stand meant a lot to you. What you were willing to do to survive. It takes a lot to be that young and have that drive.”

  “No choice,” I said.

  “That’s why I’m here, Callie…”

  “To sell crappy tasting lemonade?” I asked.

  “Your mother still owes me for the cup she took,” he said.

  “Send me the bill,” I said. “Oh, and don’t quit your day job.”

  “Too late, Callie.”

  “What?”

  Jackson stepped out from the lemonade stand. “Too late. I quit.”

  “You quit your father’s company? Why?”

  “Vince told me a story about you and him,” Jackson said. “I didn’t believe a word.”

  “But…”

  “I trust you, sweetie. What I saw that night looked really bad. Vince said he was paying you to go away. I don’t believe that. In the moment, I got lost. I’m sorry for what I did. For what I said.”

  “Jackson… no… I’m the one who’s sorry. When he started talking to me, touching me and writing that check…”

  “It’s done and over with.”

  “You really quit? That was supposed to be yours.”

  “It was never going to be mine,” Jackson said. “Vince ruined it all. I made him release the money he’s been hiding for years. I’m far from done with him. I’m going to expose him for the piece of shit he is. As far as my father’s legacy goes… or my legacy… I’m going to do what my father would have done.”

  “Which is?”

  “The right thing,” Jackson said. “I’m going to start my own company. Go back to what my father taught me. Vince can fly his fat ass to space. That’s fine. As far as everything else goes…” Jackson moved closer to me. “I’m going to do the right thing here. I love you, Callie.” He reached for my face and stroked my cheeks. “I think I’ve loved you for years. From the second I saw you, I loved being your friend. I loved being your frenemy. I loved arguing. I loved the way you’d walk away and look back at me with those evil eyes that are so beautiful and addicting… I just…”

  “I love you, Jackson,” I said. “You asshole.”

  I jumped at him.

  The energy between us was wild.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I said energy… and it was real.

  We kissed as his hands moved down to my sides.

  He picked me up and I grabbed his arms, feeling hard muscle.

  I never kissed anyone the way I kissed Jackson right then.

  I fought back the urge to cry. />
  “I never wanted to hurt you,” he said to me.

  “You didn’t hurt me,” I said. “I hurt you.”

  “I hurt myself,” he said. “I fucked up and let you into my heart.”

  “Wow. That’s not really romantic, Jackson.”

  “Who said I was going to be romantic?” he asked with a grin. “I’m still the same man you married. I just sell lemonade now.”

  “Please, whatever you do, do not sell that lemonade to anyone ever,” I said.

  “Oh, look, a lemonade stand,” a woman said as she walked by.

  Jackson swung his foot back and kicked the stand over. Lemonade spilled all over the sidewalk.

  “Closed for repairs,” Jackson said.

  “Closed for good,” I added.

  He curled his lip at me. “Don’t piss me off, Callie.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” I asked.

  I lifted my eyebrow.

  “We have an audience watching,” he whispered.

  “I know. I can sense them.”

  “Oh? Did you go over to the hippie dark side?”

  “That’s right,” I said. “I have a voodoo doll of you. So if you mess with me, I’ll hurt you.”

  “How big did you make the dick?” Jackson asked. “I want to make sure it’s accurate.”

  I shook my head.

  He snuck a kiss.

  I snuck one back.

  Then we kissed again for real.

  Behind me I heard the door to the shop open.

  “Hey, Sunny,” Lake said. “Can I have your boob tissue?”

  “Sure,” Sunny said. “As soon as I’m done.”

  Sunny blew her nose.

  Lake then added, “Never mind.”

  Jackson broke the kiss and stared down at me.

  “Don’t ask what a boob tissue is,” I whispered.

  He looked down at my chest.

  He smiled.

  “Will you two just leave and handle your business?” Mom called out.

  I cringed and started to blush.

  “You should listen to your mother, sweetie,” Jackson whispered.

  I moved to my toes and kissed him one more time. “Then pick an apartment, take me there and fuck me.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Jackson

  I stood outside the gym with Liam, Cole, and Lincoln. The other guys had already come and gone.

  The street was busy, like always.

  I had a sense of home that I couldn’t remember ever having.

  “This is going to get wild,” Cole said to me.

  “I know,” I replied. “That’s the point.”

  “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but this will probably take the company down,” Cole said.

  “That’s the point,” I said.

  “You’re putting Vince behind bars,” Liam said.

  “Where he belongs,” I said. “Let all the fraud come out.”

  “You know, Jackson, it might touch back to your father,” Lincoln said.

  “Are you suggesting my father was a fraud?” I asked.

  “Not at all,” Lincoln said. “But a guy like Vince… he’ll take everyone down with him.”

  “My father is dead,” I said. “That’s the brutal truth. There’s nothing Vince can do now.”

  “Jackson is right,” Cole said. “My guys have an airtight case. Vince’s best bet is to walk away in cuffs, pay the fines, and do his time. In silence. If he tries to make any noise, it’ll blow up in his face worse than anything he can imagine.”

  “That’s why I wanted you and your guys on it, Cole,” I said.

  “I can’t believe this shit,” Liam said. “What a prick. All those years. Lying. Cheating. Stealing. He fucked you over, Jackson.”

  “I knew all along,” I said. “I just thought I would eventually get the company myself and I could fix it. My father taught me how to work hard and sometimes stay in silence. I shouldn’t have stayed in silence for this long.”

  “At least you got a wife out of it,” Lincoln said with a grin.

  “Not so fast there,” I said. I patted my bag. “I’ve got the divorce papers right here to have signed.”

  “I don’t get that,” Liam said. “You’re going to get divorced but stay together? How does that work?”

  “This was all fake, Liam,” I said. “We want to start over. When the time comes to get married again, we will.”

  “I still don’t get it,” Liam said.

  “You’re just jealous Jackson got married and divorced before you could even convince Miranda to pick a date,” Cole said.

  I stepped back and put my hands up. “Look. I didn’t say it this time.”

  “Fuck you all,” Liam said.

  “Drinks tonight?” Lincoln asked.

  “Tomorrow,” I said.

  “Busy night with Callie?” Cole asked.

  “Well, we are getting divorced. I should be there for her. She might cry.”

  “You’re thinking about divorce sex already,” Liam said.

  “Of course I am,” I said. “What’s life without sex?”

  “Liam’s life,” Cole said. “He’s not getting laid.”

  “What the hell is your problem?” Liam asked.

  We all started to laugh.

  Liam got a ride and left.

  I thanked Cole again for helping me with Vince.

  After hearing what Vince really did to Callie. And comparing that to what he told me… it was time to dig around. Long story short - Vince was a thief. He’d been lying, cheating, and stealing for years. Not just the company my father started either. He wasn’t going to have one hammer hit him.

  He was going to have the whole fucking hardware store come crashing down on him.

  And I didn’t feel bad about it for one second.

  When Cole and Lincoln split, I got myself a ride and sat in the backseat with my hand on the bag.

  Life was a fucked-up mess sometimes.

  I was going home to get a divorce from Callie.

  Callie came through the door and stuck her tongue out at me.

  “Tell me that wasn’t the longest day ever…”

  “Not for me,” I said.

  “You barely work,” she said.

  “I’m sorry?” I asked. “I’m running a new company.”

  “We are running a new company,” she said as she walked to the fridge and got herself a beer.

  “You weren’t there today.”

  “I had to help Mom.”

  “Exactly.”

  She turned and curled her lip. “Don’t be a dick.”

  “Too late, sweetie.”

  “I’ll have you know, I have things worked out now.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “Misha is working for the shop.”

  “And for us?” I asked.

  “She wants the work,” Callie said. “Her student loans are killing her.”

  “Tell you what,” I said. “We get this thing off the ground and as a Christmas present, we pay off Misha’s loans. Don’t tell her either.”

  “Wow. That’s really nice to suggest. Something going on between you two?”

  “Misha? Me? Yeah. I thought you knew.”

  “Jackson,” Callie growled.

  “What?” I asked. “Those glasses…” I groaned. “You know I love making a mess of those glasses…”

  Callie pointed at me. “Watch yourself. You sound like your uncle.”

  “Oh, ouch,” I said. “That was cold.”

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  She took a step and I grabbed her by the waist.

  I kissed her like a woman with her beauty should be kissed.

  And we didn’t do those fucking stupid pecks. I wasn’t out to kiss my aunt here.

  This was my girl. This was my woman.

  This was the one I loved.

  I kissed her to remind her of that.

  Our kisses were minimum one minute long.

  No matter whe
re we were either.

  I tasted her mouth and she groaned into mine.

  “Hey,” I said, breaking the kiss. “It’s time to get divorced.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said. “Cool.”

  I got the papers out and put them on the counter.

  “You first,” I said.

  “Hell no,” she said. “You go first.”

  “Callie, come on…”

  “What?” she asked. “Why can’t you sign them?”

  “I don’t know. Ladies before gentlemen.”

  “Oh, screw that,” she said. “Sign them.”

  “You don’t want to sign them.”

  “Says who?”

  “Me,” I said. “You want me to go first… so you could throw it in my face later. When we’re fighting about something, you’ll say ‘you signed the divorce papers first…’”

  Callie scoffed. “Do you really think I’m that cruel?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Wow. Wait a second. You don’t want to sign them either.”

  “Says who?” I asked.

  “Me,” Callie said. “You want to be married to me. You love me that much.”

  “I never said that,” I said. “Are we doing this or what?”

  “Go ahead,” she said.

  “Nope.”

  “What the fuck, Jackson?”

  “What the fuck, Callie?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “I’m not signing them,” I said.

  “Neither am I,” she said.

  “You are so damn stubborn,” I said.

  “Then leave.”

  “I’m not leaving.”

  “Then do something about it.”

  I slammed my hand to the divorce papers and pushed them away.

  At the same time, we grabbed each other’s shirts.