The Backpack Bride (Give a Bookish Girl a Biker #1)

Chapter Nine

Roxy

T onight’s the night.

The night I tell Axel about Christian’s and my plan.

I’ve been replaying what I need to say to him over and over in my head for the last half-hour while he crushes me in his favorite video game. But somehow, everything I come up with makes me sound crazy.

Who am I kidding? I am a little crazy for doing this.

“Aw, come on, Rox.” He tosses his controller on the couch. “It’s like you’re not even trying.”

“I am trying,” I insist, even though he’s right. My mind couldn’t be further away from being chased by one of his zombie alien avatars.

“Look, you don’t have to play if you don’t want to.” His gaze slides to mine, perturbance radiating from him.

“It’s not that I don’t want to play.” I carefully set my controller down and run my hands down my thighs. “There’s just something weighing on my mind. Something I need to talk to you about.”

Axel sits up a little straighter. “What’s up?”

I breathe deeply, trying to build up the nerve to just spit it out. “You know how things are kind of up in the air with me adopting you?”

He nods, a little pinch forming between his brows.

“Well.” I swallow. “I decided to make an executive decision that will help our case. But it’s...well, it’s drastic.”

“Okay.” Dark eyebrows raised, he waits for me to continue.

“You see, there’s this guy at work.” My stomach clenches. “I mean, I have this boss at work. Well. He’s not really my boss, but sort of my boss?” Sweat pebbles along my brow and I quickly wipe it away. “Anyway, he’s rich.”

Axel sputters a laugh. “Okay.” Again, he holds out the last syllable of that word like I already sound nuts. “So, what?”

I forge on, despite the way my stomach tightens into a knot. “So, he saved me from this creepy intern who kept flirting with me. Fired him when he caught him harassing me in the break room.”

“Whoa, you never told me about that.”

“Duh, I didn’t want you to worry.” Axel’s expression turns stormy, but I keep going. “Anyway, he’s a nice guy. A good boss. And...he might’ve caught me crying in the supply room at work when I found out you were skipping detention.”

Axel’s gaze lowers to the floor. “Oh.” Shame seems to weigh down on him, and I regret bringing up that part. Now isn’t the time to reprimand him.

“So when he saw me upset, he asked what was wrong, and I...I confided in him.”

Axel scoffs. “So you told him about your delinquent nephew who makes your life a living—”

“Hey.” I stop him with a scolding glare. “That’s not true and you know it.”

“What? That I’m a delinquent?” He huffs, shaking his head. “You know I am.”

I reach out to him and soften my tone. “Axel, please. I love you. No matter what you do or don’t do, that’s never going to change.” I take another deep breath and decide to get it all out before this conversation goes off the rails by way of teenage angst. “That said, I made a decision that will change our little family dynamic for a while. But...I’m hoping it’ll be a good change.”

He eyes me with a wary look. “What did you do?”

“The guy I told you about?” Axel nods. “Well, he and I have decided to get married. For practical reasons.” When Axel’s mouth drops open in shock, I hurry to explain the rest. “Look, the courts think you need a strong father figure in your life since you’re a flight risk. They don’t like that I’m single and that my resources are so limited. But joining forces with Christian will take those excuses off the table entirely. We’ll look like a more united front.”

“You mean we’ll look like a legit family.”

A breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding escapes me. “Yeah. Yeah, exactly.”

Axel’s dark brows pull together as he chews the inside of his cheek, clearly absorbing all I’ve laid on him. “Is he nice to you?” His soft-spoken words tug at my heartstrings.

“Yeah,” I answer back. “Yeah, he’s very nice. Not just to me, but to everyone at the office. His reputation is...” I exhale a little laugh. “Honestly, it’s kind of annoying how perfect he is.”

Axel’s mouth twitches. “Nobody’s perfect, Rox. I’m sure you’ll find that out once you live with the guy.”

I nod, ready to broach the next topic. “Would you be okay with that? Moving in with him, I mean?”

He shrugs. “Would I have a choice?”

“Yes,” I respond immediately. “You always have a choice with me.”

He goes back to chewing the inside of his cheek and staring at the floor between us. “Will I have to change schools?”

“No.”

“Will I get my own room?”

I crack a smile. “Of course.”

He nods, then meets my eyes. “Will this be permanent?”

My heart fractures a little at the uncertainty in his voice. “No. At least...that’s not the plan.” I sigh. “I don’t have feelings for him beyond friendship. We’d just be doing this until I get to adopt you, and he—” I stop, unable to divulge Christian’s secrets. “He convinces his dad he’s a committed family man.” There. That’s partly truthful.

Axel grunts. “So we’re all just kind of...faking it?”

“For the time being, yeah. Do you think you can go along with it?”

He scratches the top of his head, then lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “I’d be down. If you really think he’s a good guy.”

I smile. “I know he is. And I think he’d be a really good influence on you if you allow him to be.”

Axel scoffs and gets to his feet. “No thanks, but I’ll tolerate him as long as you need me to.”

My heart swells at his faith in me, even while worry niggles in the back of my mind. This could all go really well or really bad. All we can do now is wait and see.

I wasn’t expecting to ever experience love at first sight in my lifetime. But for once, I can say with complete honesty that I am in love. With Chantelle—Christian's beautiful, spunky, hilarious friend. I have to admit that when she texted me and came on strong with a million questions about the wedding reception she’s planning for us, I was a little scared. But now that I know that’s just her and she’s actually very sweet and considerate, I could easily call her an insta-friend.

“Okay, so what are you thinking,” she asks, filing through the rack full of wedding dresses we’re staring at. “Short, long. Mermaid or princess style?” When I don’t provide an immediate answer, she turns to me with a smirk. “You’ve never thought about this before, have you?”

“Of course I have.” Just not since I was five. “Okay, so maybe not as an adult, but definitely when I was a little girl.”

She turns back to the dresses, going through them one by one. “Fair enough. Maybe we should have you try on a few different styles. Then you’ll know which one you like best.”

“Is that really necessary?” I ask. “This isn’t even a real wedding. Does it matter what I look like?”

Chantelle whirls on me so fast I nearly tumble back onto the pink velvet sofa behind us. “Of course it matters . Roxy, just because you’re getting married for practical reasons doesn’t mean this marriage doesn’t matter . You’re still signing the papers, aren’t you?”

“Yeah but—”

“And,” she cuts me off. “You’re still committed to staying in this thing for as long as you need to in order to keep Axel, right?”

“Right. It’s just that—”

“Stop downplaying the importance of this event.” Chantelle’s big brown eyes pierce into my soul in a way that makes me want to hide. “While it may be true that this is a marriage of convenience, it’s still a marriage . Of lives and goals and ideals. Both of you are taking control of your lives by joining forces. And that’s a beautiful thing worth celebrating. At least, I think it is.”

“But it’s based on a lie.” I look away, unable to hold her stare.

Placing her hands on my shoulders, she gives them a squeeze. “I get how horrible that makes you feel, Roxy. Believe me, I do. I lied to everyone I love for a long time.” There's a sad tinge to her voice that brings my attention back to her face. “And I am certainly not the person who should be giving you advice when it comes to things like this, but I believe you’re both doing this for the right reasons. You’re doing this for Axel. For your brother. And even for Christian, though I know he’s not the driving force behind your decision. I can tell you, though, that he deserves his happy ending too.”

“Is his dad really that bad?” It’s hard to reconcile the picture Christian paints of Mr. Price with the man I see at work once a week. He’s the epitome of confident self-control. Successful. Intimidating. But he also seems fair and kind.

Chantelle lets out a sigh as she releases me and goes back to looking at the dresses. “He’s not a horrible person, no. But in talking to Holt who grew up with Chris, I’ve gathered that he’s really hard on his kids. Christian’s always been the one to try to please him. Like, to the point of dating certain women just because his dad told him he should.”

I make a face. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. And every time he bends over backwards for his dad, it backfires, it sounds like. I think he’s just done with it all.”

I join Chantelle in riffling through the dresses, my heart aching a bit for all Christian’s been through with his dad. I know what rejection feels like, and it never gets easier. “It makes sense why he’d want to do something like this, then. To take what he feels like his dad owes him.”

Chantelle hums her agreement. “I think it’s also about honoring his grandfather’s memory. He was more involved in Christian’s life than his dad was, from what I hear.”

“I-I didn’t know that.” Something sharp twinges in my chest at the realization that there’s still a ton I don’t know about my future husband.

“Hey,” Chantelle says, putting a hand on my forearm. “You couldn’t have known. You guys are still learning each other. But it’ll come. With time.” At that, she faces the rack again and gasps. “Oh my gosh, look at this one!” Pulling out a midi-length mermaid style dress, she holds it up to my body. “This would be stunning on you!”

I glance down at the dress, liking the way the silk and sequins catch the light. “It’s gorgeous.”

“K, we’re trying this one on.” She gently lays it over my shoulder, then moves on to another. “Oh, this one too.” Before long, I’m standing in a dressing room, trying to finagle an expensive wedding dress over my too-full bust.

“Chantelle.” I wince. “I don’t think this one’s going to fit.”

Without even a knock, she whips back the dressing room curtain. “Here, let me see.” By some miracle, her tiny hands smooth the gown over my entire body, then zip up the back. “There.” As she retreats to take me in, a wide smile spreads across her face. “Wow, girl. This might be the one.” She motions to the mirror. “Check yourself out.”

I turn and my breath catches. Never did I imagine that I’d wear a dress like this, nor that I’d actually look good in one. The high-quality silk hugs my curves in all the right places but doesn’t cling to the parts of me I’d rather hide. There are just enough sequins to be tasteful without being too much, and the length hits just below the knee. My light brown skin contrasts beautifully with the ivory dress, even though the color pricks at my conscience.

“You don’t think it’s...I don’t know...” I falter, choosing my words carefully. “ Wrong for me to be wearing white?”

Chantelle’s expression softens as she adjusts the thin strap on my right shoulder. Meeting my eyes in the mirror, she says, “No, Roxy. I don’t think it’s wrong for you to wear white. This is a new beginning in your life. It’s okay to celebrate that.” Her tone turns teasing. “Besides, I didn’t think this relationship was romantic.” When her eyebrow arches in question, anxiety churns in my stomach.

“You’re right. It’s not. Guess I just thought...” I chuckle. “Well, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Taking another long look at myself in the mirror, my breath eases out on a sigh. “All right, then. I think you’re right. This might be the one.”

“Perfect.” She claps her hands together and folds them under her chin. “Now it’s time to find a veil.”

“Hang on,” I say before she gets too excited. “Let me check the price. I forgot to even glance at the tag.” I spin to find the thing, but Chantelle grips my hand.

“You don’t need to check the price. It’s covered.”

A laugh bursts out of me. “Excuse me? By who?”

Chantelle’s eyes sparkle under the bright dressing room lights as her mouth twists into a smirk. “By your future hubby, that’s who.”

“Whoa, wait.” I cross my arms under my chest. “Christian and I did not discuss this. I had planned on buying whatever I’d need for this party. I don’t want him footing the bill for everything.”

“He said you might say that.” Chantelle mimics my stance. “He also said that since he came up with the idea, he would be paying for everything. Right down to the nail polish you’ll be wearing.”

My mouth drops open. “But—”

“No buts, babe.” Before I can stop her, she disappears back through the curtain. “Now let’s take that thing off and get you dressed. We’ve got a matching veil to find.”

Being in a fake relationship has made this past week fly by. Not only was it full of wedding shopping with Chantelle, but Christian and I have stayed up late having “phone dates” to get our stories straight. It’s been fun getting to know him, but also kind of weird. Because we’re not really dating, but also...we are.

Then there’s the work dynamic. While I’ve been focused on settling into my new role with Mr. Talbert, Christian’s been making sure everything goes smoothly with the Bon Loup campaign. All week long I’ve had lunch in his office because he says it’ll lend to our story. Now his secretary knows me by name. Also weird. We haven’t really had a chance to interact with each other outside of his office, but people keep sending me odd looks. Like they know we’re together. Chris assures me that’s a good thing.

At first, I was worried what Mr. Price would think once he caught wind of our relationship, but he’s been mysteriously absent all week. Someone said he’s not feeling well, but I haven’t heard Christian confirm it.

I’m just leaving Christian’s office after another one of our lunches together when Aja passes me in the hall. “There you are,” she croons, running up to me and grabbing my wrist. “Did I just see you come from Price Junior’s office? Again ?”

A shy, uncertain smile crosses my face. “Um, yeah. You did.”

Her mouth drops open. “What, are you guys... dating ?”

I purse my lips to hold back a smile and give myself permission to lie. “Actually, we’re sort of...more than dating.”

Aja’s brown eyes practically bug out of her head. “Oh. Em. Gee. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope,” I say with a shaky laugh. “I’m not.”

“So you guys are...serious?”

I glance over my shoulder and lower my voice to add to the drama of the moment. “We’re serious enough to be getting married next week.”

Aja blinks at me wide-eyed just before she elicits the most ear-splitting squeal I’ve ever heard. “Roxy!” She wraps me in the tightest hug ever, bouncing up and down.

“I know, it’s crazy.” Literally.

“It’s awesome is what it is!” She pulls back to look me in the eye. “You’re just a secretary! And he’s a freaking billionaire! It’s like the plot of a romance novel!”

I decide to ignore the you’re just a secretary remark, but my smile still fractures. “Yeah, it really is.”

“So am I invited?” She lifts her eyebrows in a suggestive gesture.

“Oh. Yeah.” I swallow. “I mean, we’re getting married at the courthouse, but you’ll totally be invited to the reception.”

“The courthouse?” The sheer disgust in her voice makes me stiffen.

“Yes, the courthouse. I didn’t want a big fancy wedding.”

Her jaw nearly skims the floor. “And you’re telling me he—a Price —is okay with that?”

“He’s more than okay with it,” I say, pressing a hand to my stomach to settle my nerves. “It was his idea.”

“Wow, really?” Aja shakes her head in disbelief. ”I am so happy for you. Also completely jealous.”

I huff a nervous laugh. “Thanks? I guess?”

Her phone buzzes and she jumps. “Shoot, I gotta go, but keep me updated! I’d better get an invite!”

My chest expands on a full breath as she walks down the hall in the opposite direction. Guess Christian and I can mark convincing everyone off our to-do list. Now that Aja knows about our upcoming marriage, the entire building will be abuzz with the news.

Yay for me.