Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Audrey
During the drive to Ethan’s place, I learned that it was Liam’s mom who blew the whistle so to speak. She thought the four Moms would keep it under wraps until we were ready to say something. Like my mother would keep such news to herself—doubtful. She’s probably picking up my wedding colors or figuring out where we’ll be having the reception. I’m still surprised that nobody thought about looking for me in my room, but I’m thankful for it though.
When we arrived at Ethan’s place, I got to meet the infamous Lily. Max had told me about her, right when they first met her and how she was about to go on a road trip to find her ex-boyfriends. My brother called it a midlife crisis. Which ended up with Ethan falling madly in love with Lily—and vice versa.
They make a really cute couple and I’m glad that at least one of the four best friends has found love. Well, Caleb did when he was young but lost it too soon. Mara left him. No one has ever told me about the reason for the divorce. They’re very tight-lipped about it.
And now I’m in Eth and Lily’s room waiting for her to find just the perfect outfit to lend me so we can take pictures of me and Liam. Ethan already lent my fake fiancé a suit for the occasion.
“What’s the story?” Lily asks as she goes through her closet, her fingers skimming over the hangers.
I furrow my brow. “Story? You already know Max, my older brother. There’s Jacob, the middle child and I’m the baby. I live in San Diego, and I do consulting work?” I say, my voice rising at the end, turning the statement into a question.
She gives me a sidelong glance, her lips pursed in confusion. She shakes her head, her long hair swishing with the movement. “No, I mean, what are you two planning on telling your family? There has to be a story, right? Like how you two reconnected, or . . . how long have you been dating since it happened, and most importantly how did he propose? I’m trying to find holes in your story so you can get it straight by the time you go back to your family.”
“Oh . . .” I trail off, my mind racing to come up with a plausible story, but I come up with absolutely nothing. My palms start to sweat, and I can feel my heart rate picking up as the gravity of the situation sinks in. “We haven’t had time to come up with a backstory or iron out the details of our alleged romance. It’s . . . Liam came up with this a few hours ago. I asked him to wait to tell anyone until I could come up with a plan, and I went to take a nap to avoid the mayhem at my house.”
Lily nods. “But by the time you woke up, everyone was in the know?”
I sigh, my shoulders slumping in defeat. “Yep, and before you could say it, I’ll admit it. We’re screwed. ”
“You’re not, but now everything makes a little more sense,” she says, still rummaging through her closet. Her brows dip in concentration as she pulls out a few dresses, examining each one carefully and then hanging it back in. “Eth asked if I could photoshop some pictures to create the perfect engagement illusion—I think those were his words. It sounded crazy, but . . . I get it now.” She turns to me, her eyes soft with understanding.
Well, at least one of us understands what I’m doing here. During the car ride, Liam and I were trying to come up with places he could’ve proposed that sounded good enough for our families. I guess it’s so that Lily can . . . “If you take the pictures, I have a graphic designer friend who could do it if you prefer.” I offer.
“I am one, too,” she smiles. “It’s part of my trade. That and I paint.”
I point at the beautiful wall art. “Are those yours?
She nods a bit timidly. “Yeah.”
“I love them, you should sell them.”
“That’s one of the reasons we’re opening a café gallery soon.” She clasps her hands together, barely containing her excitement.
“We?” I ask, curiosity piqued. I lean forward, eager to hear more.
“Ethan and I are partnering to bring the perfect place for the art aficionado—and if you don’t like art, you can at least have a cup of coffee or tea with a delicious pastry.” Her smile widens.
“That sounds interesting. If you want me to help you with the marketing, let me know. Liam is really good at it,” I offer his services, because it’s the least he can do after putting his friend to help us with his mess.
“Thank you. I might take you up on the offer. For now, let’s work with this . . . Why are you faking your engagement again?” She raises an eyebrow, her gaze searching mine for answers.
I look down at my hands, fidgeting with my fingers. “Liam’s grandmother is sick, and he wanted to do something nice for her.” My heart clenches at the thought of sweet Grandma Cohen being sick.
“Nice would be sending her on a trip to finish her bucket list, offering to care for her while she’s undergoing treatment, or cooking dinner every night, not a fake engagement,” Lily says with skepticism.
“Though I agree with you, I understand why he did it. Liam tends to be very impulsive and not think about the consequences until way later,” I explain.
Lily raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know him well, but if he’s anything like Ethan or Max, that seems out of character. So far I’ve learned that those two usually plan everything.”
I shake my head, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Oh no, Liam is the opposite of my brother and Ethan when it comes to making up shit to get something they want. He never plans anything. He’s the definition of spontaneous, and highly disorganized.” I chuckle. “Cal is a mix of the three of them.”
“I haven’t met Caleb yet,” she says, her tone curious. “But I assume the four of them balance each other out?”
“I wouldn’t use the word balance, but I guess when they’re together, they make sense.” I shrug and then add, “Though you haven’t missed much. Cal’s as obnoxious as my brother.”
“So, how close are they?” Lily asks, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “Sometimes I think that Max and Eth are just business partners, you know? Like I go out with my friends often, but they don’t seem to be those kind of friends.”
“Don’t let that fool you. They’re tight. Like brothers. The kind of friends who would help the other move a body or just fix a lie so they aren’t caught.” I pause giving her a knowing look as if saying, hence why we’re here. “The four have known each other since they were young—neighbors and all that. I’m almost six years younger than Max, so I really don’t know who met who first. By the time I was trying to catch up to them so they’d let me play, the four of them were inseparable.”
I guess it was kind of fun to run around with them. Max would always get annoyed while Liam would be the one keeping an eye on me in case I fell down or when I couldn’t run as fast as them he’d keep pace with me so I wasn’t left behind. I figure he has always seen me like the little sister he’s never had or something.
“Sometimes, when Ethan talks about them, I envy him. I have plenty of friends, but I don’t have a group like those four, you know. The kind you met during your formative years and you’re still calling each other—or setting up a business together,” she says, her voice tinged with a hint of longing. Her eyes take on a distant look, as if she’s imagining what it would be like to have such a close-knit group of her own.
“The four amigos are great, except when they’re not,” I joke, rolling my eyes. “It was awesome to grow up with them, but at times they were annoying as fuck.” I grin, shaking my head at the countless windows they broke and fires they almost set in each other’s houses.
“Later, you need to tell me more about them,” she says, holding up a black halter top that looks elegant and sophisticated, paired with a set of sleek, form-fitting leggings. “But right now, we have to figure out how to make this look and sound legit.”
My gaze sweeps over the outfit. “All black?” I ask, a hint of skepticism in my voice.
“We’ll accessorize,” she assures me. “It’ll be easier for me to work with the pictures and set them in the background I choose.”
As I take the outfit from her, my fingers brushing against the soft, silky fabric, I can’t shake the feeling of unease that settles in my stomach. This feels wrong, like I’m playing dress-up and creating an entire new narrative, but I have to remember this is for Grandma Cohen. Maybe even for my mother, who really thinks I need to settle down soon. Max and Jacob can be single forever, but not her little girl. It’s the internal misogyny that’s beenthere since childhood.
But I don’t have a choice. We’ve come too far to back out now. Too many people know, including Liam’s grandmother. So I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I head to the bathroom to change. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my reflection staring back at me with wide, uncertain eyes.
But I push the thought away, focusing instead on the task at hand. I slip into the halter top, the fabric cool and smooth against my skin. The leggings hug my curves, accentuating my long, lean legs.
Of course I can do this. This is so easy.
Super easy, right?
One little lie. It’s not like we’re seriously tying the knot.