The Billionaire's Fake Marriage: A Single Dad Next Door Romance

by Sarah J. Brooks

  How would it look if I suddenly said I wasn’t really married? There was no way Ashley would go along with letting Izzy come to my house. After seeing just how agitated she was, I could only imagine what a scene Ashley would cause if she learned I’d been lying about being married.

  So even though I desperately wanted to stop telling the lie, I couldn’t stop. I had no choice. And if continuing with the story meant that Lilli couldn’t keep dating me, then I’d have to learn to live with that because I was moving forward with the lie.

  On Friday evening I flew out to Jacksonville. I couldn’t sit around my house another moment knowing that Lilli was just a few steps away. She had looked so upset after our conversation.

  I pulled into the parking area at the airport and the loneliness of the moment hit me. I was taking the jet all by myself. Lilli wasn’t joining me. No one else was joining me. Perhaps I should have just taken a commercial flight, it did seem like such a waste as I walked up the steps and was greeted by the two pilots.

  “Just you tonight, sir?” The co-pilot asked.

  “Yep, just me.”

  The statement alone felt empty. I walked past the couch where Lilli and I had been sitting on the last few flights and instead sat in one of the large reclining chairs. I buckled my seatbelt and automatically started reading the newspaper to kill the time and keep my mind busy.

  All I wanted was to forget about Lilli, but my mind swirled with thoughts of her and everywhere I looked I was reminded of the trips her and I had taken.

  We only knew each other for a few weeks. Certainly, I could get over a girl I’d known for such little time? But Lilli was different. I had been different with her and I knew it was going to take a little longer for me to push through the loss of this relationship.

  As the plane sped up and readied to take off, I couldn’t help but laugh as I remembered how Lilli had grabbed onto the seat in fear the first time we flew together. I even grabbed the leather tightly myself as the nose of the plane lifted off the ground and pointed toward the sky.

  My pilot did love his steep ascends and I noticed it more than ever after flying with Lilli a couple of times and seeing how uncomfortable the climb made her. I laughed a little at how I was holding on so tight and even felt a little more nervous than I normally did. She’d changed my view of flying and actually made me more afraid than I had been.

  Knowing Lilli had changed a lot for me and that we connected so genuinely gave me hope I’d someday find another woman that I matched up with so well. She was funny and relatively drama-free, I hardly knew that was possible in women these days. Most women wouldn’t have been able to deliver that breakup conversation without turning things negative, yelling or making it into a huge scene. But even while breaking up with me, Lilli had kept her cool.

  I couldn’t concentrate on the newspaper as the flight continued on, so I opted to grab a nap instead. It would be nearly midnight when I got into Jacksonville and I had already told Ashley I was coming to visit with her bright and early at eight o’clock. A little extra sleep might calm my nerves and give me the focus I needed to get through this day.

  If I could just make it through this conversation with Ashley, I knew she would see it my way and be willing to let Izzy come stay with me. I meant it when I said I would draw up whatever papers she needed. I didn’t want to take Izzy from her and that was the truth. I’d always known that Ashley and Izzy had a special bond and keeping that intact was important for both of them.

  The car rental company had a car parked at the terminal for me as usual, and after a short drive into town, I was getting checked into the hotel. The clerk smiled at me and was very polite, but I hadn’t seen him before when checking into that hotel.

  I carried my backpack with me up to the room and opted out of having the bellhop help me. Of course, they gave me the same room that Lilli and I had stayed in. I had forgotten that they were so good at customer service and remembering details like that.

  The room felt oddly empty as I walked in and instantly went to the window to look out over the city. That’s what Lilli had done on both our previous visits and it calmed me down a little to do the same thing.

  I closed the curtains though and stood looking over the bed. Lilli had slept on the left side both times we were there, so of course I climbed into the right side of the bed when I got in. The quiet in the room was especially deafening as I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep.

  Maybe it was my nap that threw off my sleep cycle, or perhaps it was because I really wanted Lilli there with me. But either way I barely got a wink of sleep.

  I felt a little zombie-like as I went down to the lobby and waited for the valet to get my car. I held my hand over my coat pocket where I had the photos of Lilli and me from our wedding shoot. The urge to look at them overcame me and I pulled the enveloped out while I waited. But just as I was about to look at them, my car pulled up so I slid them back into my pocket.

  On the drive to Ashley’s treatment facility I was so lost in thought that I’d forgotten to even turn the radio on. I only noticed it when the clicking of the blinker caught my attention as I was pulling into the treatment facilities parking lot.

  The outside of the building looked especially bleak as I walked in and I couldn’t help but gaze at the razor on top of the ten-foot fence. Life was more serious than ever for Ashley. I went through the normal check in process but had to wait much longer than I had on my previous visit. There were nearly a dozen people in the waiting room this time, probably because it was Saturday morning and not the middle of the day. A visit in the morning meant families could still support their loved one and then go about their weekend as normal once they left.

  Nearly an hour after arriving I was finally called back to see Ashley. I handed my personal items to the guard and followed him into the area where he did a quick pat down. It was the same guard as the last time I visited, but he didn’t seem to recognize me at all. His white hair and furry brows looked past me as he did his job and then walked me to the same table I had sat in the last time.

  There were six different units at this facility, so only a few of the visitors were in the same unit as I was. I looked around and watched as they visited with their loved ones and I hoped that Ashley was in a better mood than she had been on our last visit.

  When the guard brought Ashley from her room, I knew right away she was doing better. Her blond hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and although she didn’t have any makeup on, her face was clean and free from the oil and sickness that had covered it on our last visit.

  Ashley even smiled at me as she joined me at the table. I smiled back in complete shock at the changes I was seeing.

  “You look good,” I said as we sat there for a moment.

  “Thanks, I’m feeling good. I’m sorry you had to see me like that before. It’s been a rough few weeks, but I’m finally feeling like myself again.”

  “Wow, I’m really happy for you Ashley. I know this all can’t be easy on you.”

  “It’s not. And I’ve been trying to avoid the inevitable truth that I’m going to jail. But my counselor and I have been talking about it and I think I’ve finally come to terms with that.”

  “You have?”

  “Well, I guess you can never totally be okay with it. But I’m doing everything I can to get a lesser sentence and I did give my lawyers permission to try for a plea bargain. Before, I almost strangled the poor guy when he mentioned it, but now I know he’s just trying to help me get out of here before Izzy turns sixteen.”

  “I’m so sorry Ashley. No matter what has happened between you and me, I’ve always thought you were a great mother.”

  It was the truth. I’d only been willing to give up on seeing Izzy because I knew she was in good hands. Despite Ashley’s recent shortcomings, I still thought she was a great mother to Izzy.

  “I wasn’t the best I could be over the last year. I’m going to have to deal with that. But I do want to talk to you ab
out the custody. Izzy is doing well here with my parents. I know they are old and she’s not as happy as she could be, but it’s a stable environment.”

  “Ashley, my life is different than it was when we were together, or even the years after that. I’m more settled now. I don’t take nearly as many trips and I have the freedom to cancel them all together now. Izzy would be my one and only priority.”

  “What about Lilli?” Ashley asked.

  It was a reasonable question to ask me if my wife was also a priority. I hesitated to find the right words. Lilli’s voice replayed in my head as I tried to find the courage to tell Ashley the truth. Ashley was doing well, she seemed like she was in a good spot, and if there was ever an opportunity for me to make things right, it was that moment.

  “Of course and Lilli too,” I said.

  My heart sank at my own weakness.

  “Do you have photos of her?”

  “Yeah, I brought some from our wedding photo shoot,” I said as I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and handed it over to Ashley.

  “You didn’t have to bring your actual wedding photos,” Ashley laughed. “Any photo would have done fine for me. I just wanted to see what she looked like.”

  I rolled my eyes as her parents insisted that I bring wedding photos. They clearly had their suspicions about my story and were trying to catch me by telling me I needed to bring wedding photos. But the joke was on them, because I had just handed over a stack full of fake wedding photos in an effort to continue covering up the lie that I never meant to tell.

  “She’s very pretty,” Ashley said as she looked through the photos. “But you always did go for the pretty girl,” she said cheekily as she did a little vogue pose for me.

  “Thank you.”

  “Izzy says that Lilli is really nice as well and my parents said she didn’t seem like a party girl?”

  “Yeah, she works as a nursing assistant and is going to start school to be a nurse soon. She’s young, so there’s a little partying, but not anything like you and I use to do.”

  “I’m happy for you Devin. I know I seemed like a total bitch on our last visit, but I want you to be happy. Hell, I want to be happy myself someday. I think the two of you will be able to take care of Izzy just fine while I’m dealing with all of this.”

  “Really, you’re going to let Izzy come stay with me?”

  “Yeah, she will have a hundred times more fun with you than here with my parents. But you’ve got to get her into school and you’ll need to keep on her to do her homework. She’ll probably want you to sign her up for a ton of dance classes, so make sure and check the schedules first,” Ashley continued on with a ton of details about raising a daughter that I’d never even imagined.

  “She will need to go bra shopping soon and it’s okay to let Lilli take her. She’s not going to want to go with you. Trust me on this. And make time to spend with her at night. Izzy really loves to read, and if you read the same book as she was then you two could talk about them. I did that and it was our special thing.”

  “Ashley, you’ll still be able to read books in prison. I think we’ll leave that as your special thing. Then you two can talk about the books when we come to visit.”

  “You’ll come and visit?” Ashley asked as she started to tear up.

  “Of course. I’ll bring her as often as we can. At least once a month. And I’ll have some papers drawn up so you feel comfortable that Izzy can come back with you when you’re ready. However long that is.”

  “She might end up with you for the rest of her childhood,” Ashley said through her tears. “I could get over ten years if they don’t agree to a plea bargain.”

  “Izzy is my daughter. I’ll always take care of her.”

  “Devin, I’m so scared. This whole thing has been such a disaster. I can’t believe I’ve made such a mess of my life.”

  “We all make mistakes,” I said partly thinking about the ones I’d made in my own life.

  “Yeah, but you’ve never made one like this. I’m sorry you and Lilli have to deal with this whole mess. Please tell her I appreciate everything and she’s welcome to come visit the next time you two are in town.”

  “I’ve made some pretty big mistakes in my life,” I said as my mind spun with the memories of my own shortcomings.

  Ashley was in rehab taking control of her life and making good decisions for the first time in several months. It was funny how she was now my role model as I wrestled with the whopper of a lie I’d been telling.

  “You’re lucky to have Lilli now. Don’t make the same mistakes you made with me,” Ashley said as she reached her hand out and put it on top of mine.

  We were both in tears as we sat there silently for a minute. There was finally some closure to our relationship and it felt good. We were blabbering teary eyed idiots, and it had taken us ten years, but we finally found a good spot to end our relationship on.

  “I should get going,” I said as I wiped away the tears. “Thank you for agreeing to let Izzy come stay with me.”

  “I better get going too. I’ve got a group therapy class starting soon,” Ashley said as she shrugged her shoulders. “And I’m kind of excited to tell everyone that you and I are in a good spot now. Take care of yourself Devin and tell Izzy that I love her.”

  “I will.”

  Ashley pushed the photos back toward me and turned to walk away. The top photo was the one the photographer caught when I first looked at Lilli after turning around. The emotion in my eyes was intense and there was a tear forming on the edge of my eye. It was a compelling photo and surely helped convince Ashley that my lie was true.

  “Wait, Ashley,” I said as I held the photo in my hand.

  “I need to tell you something and I hope you won’t hate me and change your mind about everything.”

  She stopped and walked back over to her chair to sit down. I held onto the photo and tried to gather enough strength to tell her the truth.

  “What’s up?” She asked.

  “I’m not really married. I lied to your parents when they first told me what happened because they insisted I wasn’t responsible and I wanted them to believe that I was. Then the lie got out of hand and I had to continue it. Lilli is my neighbor. I convinced her to come out here and help me. It was a lie, I’m so sorry. Please let Izzy come with me still.”

  Ashley was silent as she looked through the photos on the table and finally grabbed the one that was in my hand. She took a long time analyzing it and I felt like I was going to puke from the stress of the moment and the unknown of what she might do next.

  “So you’re not in love with this girl?” Ashley asked as she held the photo.

  “Well, actually I think I am in love with her but she broke it off over this whole lying thing.”

  “She broke your fake marriage off?” Ashley asked a little confused.

  “We became close. We went on some dates. She met Izzy. And basically, she said she couldn’t keep seeing me because of the lie.”

  “So was it really a lie?” Ashley asked.

  “Yes, it was. I’m so sorry.”

  “But I don’t think your feelings for her were a lie. Look at this photo. You can’t fake emotion like that. You care about her, don’t you?”

  There it was, the truth of all truths. I did care about Lilli. It had been eating me alive to think I wouldn’t even get a chance to make things work between the two of us. I’d ruined the first good relationship I’d had in ten years. Only I could do something so stupid.

  “I care about her very much,” I finally admitted.

  “Devin, I knew you weren’t married. Look at these photos, not a single one of them has an engagement ring and my parents said Lilli didn’t have one when she visited either. Trust me, a girl is going to show off her engagement ring if she’s marrying a catch like you,” Ashley laughed.

  “You knew?”

  “Well, I wasn’t positive but I had a suspicion.”

  “But you said yes to Izzy co
ming to stay with me?”

  “Because it’s the right thing Devin. Despite what you might think about my past behavior, I genuinely have only been thinking about what was best for Izzy. And after talking to her and hearing how well the two of you got along, I knew she would never forgive me if I didn’t let her come stay with you.”

  “Wow, okay. Wow,” I said as I tried to hold back the tears.

  “So now you have an entirely new problem,” Ashley said as she held the photo up toward me. “You love this girl. I remember this look. I remember it the day Izzy was born and you looked at her like this. You love Lilli and you have to go after her and fix this.”

  “She won’t see me,” I said.

  “She’s in love with you Devin, she’ll see you. Don’t let another day go by. Get your ass home and fix this. I’ll have my parents get Izzy ready and you can come back next weekend and get her.”

  “Do you really think Lilli will forgive me?”

  “Devin do you really know so little about women? She cares about you. She cared so much about you that she tried to make you do the right thing. Even though it took you a little while, I suspect she’ll be happy to hear that you finally came around and did the right thing.”

  “Shit, okay…” I clenched my hands as I tried to think through how I could possibly get Lilli to agree to see me again.

  “Look at you man. You’re so nervous and look like you might pass out. I’m pretty sure you love this girl.”

  “I thought it might be love, but then I talked myself out of it.”

  “Always a man. Don’t talk yourself out of anything. Get your butt on that plane and get home. Do something uber romantic and win your girl back,” Ashley said as she stood up and gave me a goodbye hug. “I’m counting on you not to mess up this time.”

  “Me too,” I said nervously as I gathered the photos and slipped them back into my pocket. “Thanks Ashley.”

  “Go already. I’ve got a group to get to,” she said as she dramatically waved me away.