20. Maeve
20
maeve
“What did you just say?”
He didn’t say that. He couldn’t have. In my fear and grief, I’m now hearing things.
“Marry me, Maeve Banks.”
I’m frozen as I wait for him to give me the good ol’ “Bazinga!” How many times can I be on Punk’d in a week?
But he doesn’t move. Not an inch. If anything, his devilish smile that I clearly remember from that first night together is coming out in full force.
“You’re fucking serious, aren’t you?”
“Never more serious about anything in my life.”
Holy shit…he’s for real.
And he’s out of his goddamn mind.
“Marry you! Marry you? Logan, and I say this respectfully, you’re fucking crazy.”
I jump up from my spot on the couch and immediately start pacing back and forth in my living room. “How can you even suggest that? In what world is that the thing to do?”
I’m starting to make myself dizzy from the circles I’m walking in, but somehow the notion of getting married again is sending me further off my axis.
“Love, how about you sit down and let’s talk about this?”
That stops me mid step. “Don’t call me Love. And there’s nothing to talk about, because it’s not happening.”
Logan doesn’t reply, but I can feel his eyes on me as I walk back and forth.
“What are you looking at?”
“Just waiting for you to get out your initial feelings. Or are you going to be stubborn for a little while longer?”
Sometimes I forget how much audacity this man has. Why am I surrounded by men who think they fucking know everything?
“We can talk, but that’s not going to change my answer,” I say as I sit down. But not because he asked me to—because I’m lightheaded.
“Can I at least explain my reasoning?”
“Fine,” I groan as I lean back on the couch. “But just so you can talk this out and we can agree that this idea is ridiculous.”
“Challenge accepted.”
I snap my head to him. “That wasn’t a challenge.”
“We’ll see.” Logan sits on the couch so he’s facing me. I don’t return the look, but that’s because I’m scared that in my vulnerable state I’ll either kiss him, punch him, or worse, agree to marry him.
“Logan, I appreciate this. I really do. But getting married does not fix the problem.”
“You sure?” he says. “You said it yourself; he thinks he has the upper hand because he’s now married. So, if we get married, he doesn’t have that card to play anymore. Anything he can do, we can do better.”
I purse my lips and cross my arms over my chest. Point one goes to Logan, because while it’s a juvenile response, it’s true.
“Second: I’m not sure what Vivian brings to the marriage, but I’m pretty sure she’s not Logan Matthews.”
Okay, now he’s saying things I can dispute. “You’re right. She’s not. However, doesn’t it scream that something is off when the Logan Matthews is suddenly married? And not just that, but to a woman no one in the world knows? That you go from dating actresses and models and pop stars to a cougar single mom who’s decorating your house? The alarm bells are flashing, Logan.”
“Counterpoint.” He pauses for an instant, and I swear in that time his eyes go from focused to laser beams. “Logan Matthews jumps from relationship to relationship so fast because that’s just who he is. But when he sees the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with, he doesn’t hesitate to make her his.”
Oh no, vagina! You stay still! Do not—I repeat, do not—clench at his words!
But my pussy is a traitor and apparently remembers the night that it came out of retirement.
Oh, does it remember…
“Okay, fine, let’s play devil’s advocate.” I begin. “Let’s say, and this is just for the hypothetical, we get married.”
His grin is unsettling. “Of course, hypothetically speaking…”
“So we’re married. Everyone thinks we’re just this happy, lovely couple. How would it work?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, am I moving Jayce to your home? Who are we telling the truth that this is a marriage of convenience? That also means that I have to play the dutiful wife to Logan Matthews, which means parties and appearances and what not. This is more than just you doing me a favor, Logan; this is a train that could just keep rolling and become more and more out of control.”
He nods, and for the first time since he brought up this ridiculous idea, I feel like he’s stopping to think. “Yes, there are logistical things to figure out, and we would. I wouldn’t do this without you and I sitting down and having a very long and detailed conversation.”
“Well that’s a start.”
“But I can answer a few of your questions.” Without asking, or hesitation, Logan takes my hand in his. And without thinking, or hesitating, I give it to him.
Because I’m clearly insane.
“Yes, I’m guessing we would have to move in together. And frankly, I realize that moving Jayce is difficult, especially with his schooling. So I’ll move here.”
Excuse me, what? Live with a boy? No, thank you.
“You’ll move in here?”
He shrugs. “Sure! Why not? Your home is lovely. My home is a wreck right now, with the decorating and parts still under construction. Plus, that house is too large for just one person. Maybe I’ll just sell it.”
My eyes pop out of my head. “You are not selling that house. Not after what I’m about to do to it.”
“Okay, then,” he says with a smirk. “But for now, I’ll live here.”
“Logan, be serious, you’d move out of an actual mansion to move in here?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “Maeve, I’d live anywhere with you.”
His gaze doesn’t budge. His hand tightens around mine.
And I know I’ve said this to myself roughly twenty times in the past ten minutes, but holy shit…he really wants to fucking do this.
“Why are you really doing this, Logan? Why would you help me?”
He lets out a big breath. “Because I care for you Maeve. Even if this marriage is a sham, and after this is over we go back to client and designer, I’ll always care for you. And when you have the means to help someone you care about do something so important, you move heaven and earth to do it. Or in our case, get married and move to the suburbs. Plus, a marriage for me means a few months of distraction to keep my board from realizing I’m a one-hit wonder. Kat will be delighted.”
I shake my head. This can’t be happening. I can’t be actually considering this, can I?
“Logan, I can’t ask you to do this. Yes, sure, being married would even the playing field. Yes, it might help me in the courts with custody, but…”
He shakes his head. “No buts, Love. And you didn’t ask. I offered. Because as someone who grew up with a shitty mother and a shittier father, I’m going to make damn sure that the good mums keep their kids.”
And that’s it. That’s what’s going to break me.
I am a good mom. I do what I have to do for my kiddo. And yes, sometimes that means bouncing him around houses so I can make a living. And sometimes it means him staying up a little late because I want to see him before he goes to bed and I’m working late.
And now, apparently, marrying a billionaire I once slept with.
“I do.”
It takes a second for Logan to register my words.
“You do?”
I nod. “For Jayce. I’ll do what I need to do for my son.”
“Exactly,” he says. “We’re going to make sure he stays exactly where he belongs.”
Yes. He’s right. This is for Jayce. No other reason.
Not one other single reason…
“So how is this actually going to work?” I ask. “There’s…I don’t even know where to begin.”
Logan just shrugs. “Neither do I. But I know someone who might…”
“Holy shit, this is amazing! My guy graduated from PR dating to PR marriage!”
On the drive over here I had a sliver of hope that Kat would be the rational adult in the room. That she’d talk me and Logan out of this ridiculous idea.
Not so much.
In fact, after hearing our story, she might be the most into it out of anyone present.
“Really?” I ask, hoping to break her from her excitement. “You don’t see any massive red flags or warning bells about this?”
“Oh, they’re glaring, blaring, and as red as the bottom of my favorite shoes, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing. For both of you.”
Good Lord, what am I getting into…
“Okay, I can see you’re freaking out,” Kat says, leading me to one of the chairs in front of Logan’s desk. “Let’s talk this out.”
“Please,” I say, suddenly feeling a migraine coming on. “First of all, before we go any further, do we think this will actually work?”
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know,” Kat says. “I’m not a lawyer and certainly know nothing about divorces and custody agreements. But, I do agree that if Josh’s biggest advantage over you is that he’s married and can provide a stable home—which is horseshit, but here we are—then marrying Logan evens that out.”
“He also said I travel too much and have to arrange rotating childcare because of that. And that essentially Vivian will be staying home to help raise him while he’s at work. I don’t have anything to counter that…”
“Easy,” Logan jumps in. “We’re at work when he’s at school. When you have to travel, I make sure that I’m home. And vice versa. Also, when you run the company, you control most of your travel. Plus, and remember, I’m obscenely wealthy. Paying for a nanny, or supplemental child care, is nothing.”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to have you spend your money on us.”
“If we’re married, what’s mine is yours.”
“No! Absolutely not!” I exclaim. “First of all, we’ll be signing some sort of contract, or prenup, or whatever it may be. This isn’t real, Logan. We’ll be married on paper . We’re not combining finances. We’re not splitting bills. And I have money too. Not as much as you, but I do well for myself. If we need a nanny, I’ll pay for a fucking nanny!”
There. I said it. The biggest hill for me to die on.
I might need his help in this way, but I don’t need his money. I don’t need his name. I just need to prove to a likely super-conservative family court judge that I’m married and stable so I can keep primary care of my son.
That’s it.
“She’s right,” Kat says. “I mean, you two can figure out the money thing. But contracts do need to be signed. NDAs need to be arranged. I need to know who we’re telling, how we’re spinning this, and what the story is for the press. Because Logan Matthews suddenly getting married is going to make news.”
I look over to Logan, who already has his eyes on me. “Are you okay with that, Maeve? You’ll be in the papers. On the blogs. People will look at you. Paparazzi will follow you. They’ll think you’re just another in my long string of women.”
I think about it for a second. “I don’t love the idea of being followed, watched, and written about, but if that’s the price to pay to keep Jayce, I’ll do it.”
“I understand it’s a lot. And if you are adamantly against it, we’ll find another way. I don’t want you to lose Jayce. But, this helps us both. I become a family man and keep the distraction train rolling. You get a husband, a family unit, and can fight fire with fire against your ex.”
I let that sink in. He’s right. And as much as I’ve tried to think of ways over the past how-ever-many hours of making sure Jayce stays with me, I hadn’t been able to think of a thing that wasn’t quitting my job.
Which I refuse to do. It was never a problem until now. Which also tells me something else is up.
But I don’t know what that is, and I don’t have time to go chasing theories. What I do know is that Josh is married. And he does have a traditional family now. So as much as I hate this, and wish there was any other way, this is what I have to do.
I have to become Mrs. Logan Matthews.