Chapter Twenty-One
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LENNON
“Take a selfie with me,” I say, plopping on the couch next to him, so close that our shoulders touch.
“Another one?” he asks with a laugh, side-glancing at the way my body presses to his.
I hold out my phone until our faces are in the frame. “Can you at least look like you’re happily married?” I tease, scooting even closer. “Put your arm around me or something. We’re supposed to convince them we’re newlyweds and all.”
Hunter clears his throat, rubs his hands over his jeans, then wraps his arm around me. It falls to my hip so I can lean into him, my shoulder resting against his chest as my forehead presses against his cheek. “Say cheese!”
I hold my phone up again, and we look into the camera. Hunter’s forced smile makes me laugh. “Can you at least pretend you don’t hate pictures? I need to load my Instagram with a variety of photos of us. My parents and their nosy friends will no doubt ask to see some.”
Considering my parents always wanted me to get married in the church, they’ll definitely be suspicious. So I made a fake Instagram account, started loading pictures with overly sappy posts, and followed all kinds of random accounts so they’d follow me back. I have to make it as believable as possible.
“Let’s try a few more,” I say, scanning through our other pictures. It’s been over a week since Hunter suggested this plan, and we still have a lot to do before we leave in two days.
When I tuck my legs under my butt and wrap my arm over his shoulder, he tenses. “What? Is this not okay?” I ask, feeling self-conscious.
“Oh no, it’s fine.” He clears his throat again as if he needs a second. “I just don’t like taking pictures.”
I furrow my brows. “Really?” Brandon and I took hundreds. “Too much of a manly man?” I tease, and he cracks the tiniest of smiles.
“Nah, it’s fine. We’ll take all the ones you need,” he says, leaning in close to me when I put my phone up again.
I snap three in a row, resting our cheeks together like the super cheesy couple we’re pretending to be. Part of me wants to laugh at the irony, the fact that I haven’t ever seen Hunter with anyone serious and now here he is taking selfies with me.
“Do you mind if I kiss your cheek?” I ask, looking over the photos.
“What?”
I snap my eyes up to his when the word comes out hoarse.
“For a picture,” I confirm, noticing his nervousness. “This was your idea, remember?” I snicker, and his shoulders relax.
“Yes, I know…for you ,” he reiterates with a grin.
“Hunter,” I say softly. “I know you want to help me out, but if this is going to be too uncomfortable and awkward, I won’t be upset if you want to back out. I know you probably don’t have a lot of experience with relationships and maybe didn’t realize everything we’d have to do to make this look real, so?—”
“Lennon, stop,” he growls, turning to face me. “I’m not backing out. I said I’d do whatever you needed, so don’t be afraid to ask, okay? I can handle it.” His words come out confidently, and though a tinge of guilt surfaces at what we’re doing, I know it’s the only way. Once I confirmed my visit with my mother, she was so excited. I told her I had a surprise guest coming as well but never said who. She’ll be getting a son-in-law and a grandchild all at once.
The corner of my lips tilts up, and I nod. “Okay. Thank you, Hunter.”
I reposition myself on the couch until I’m practically on his lap. We’ve been quizzing each other all week long, sharing as many details about our childhood and pasts as possible. It’s definitely made us closer, knowing more about him and what his family life entailed. So even if all of this goes wrong and my parents don’t buy it, at least one good thing came out of it, and that’d be the growth and strength of our friendship.
I raise my phone once again, then bring my lips to his cheek and click the button. As I pull back, Hunter laughs. “I think I blinked.”
That makes me chuckle. “It shouldn’t be this hard to get a picture.” I press my photos app and look. “Oh my God, Hunter!” I nudge him with my shoulder.
He’s full-on sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes, sabotaging the shot on purpose. I can’t stop laughing, though, because it’s Hunter in true fashion. Always messing with me.
“That’ll have to do for now. Actually, I kinda like it.” I shrug, putting a filter on it, then uploading it to my fake account. But first I need a super cheesy caption.
Speaking out loud as I type, I say, “Every day is filled with love and laughs with this guy! Two red hearts. Hashtag newlyweds, hashtag love of my life, hashtag married life.” Then I click post.
Once it’s on the feed, I turn my phone toward Hunter and show him. “Whatcha think? Are we the cutest fake couple ever or what?” I snicker, thinking about the ridiculousness of this all. He has no idea how intense things will get when we arrive. Considering my sisters won’t be there, all of the attention will be on me. Fucking joy.
Hunter narrows his eyes at it and scrolls through the dozens of pictures I’ve posted. Everything from our morning coffees to “breakfast in bed” and movie nights. Some are just pictures of our legs as we lounge on the couch, but I know we’re gonna have to keep it up even after we’re back home. My mom will probably have the entire congregation follow me for updates on us and the baby.
“The Mrs. Manning,” he reads my handle aloud. My profile picture is of the two of us with my ‘married’ name beneath as “Lennon Manning.”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “I thought it was cute. And cheesy.” Chuckling, I study him and watch as his breath hitches and jaw tightens. I’m not sure what kind of response I was expecting, but he looks affected. Maybe the reality of what we’re doing is settling in. Maybe he thinks he’s betraying Brandon, or hell, maybe he realizes his life will never be the same once we do this.
I know those thoughts have crossed my mind. But I’m the one with no options. He can still back out.
“Yeah, it looks nice. I’m sure they’ll buy it.” He nods, handing my phone back.
I grab my notebook from the coffee table and check off where I wrote “Daily Instagram post” under the Friday column. Ever since we decided to do this, I started making a daily to-do list so I don’t forget anything. Getting our stories straight, learning everything we can about each other, and taking pictures and posting them on social media are a few tasks I have listed. If we’re going to pull this off, we have to do whatever it takes.
Speaking of which…
“I have a weird request,” I start, then pull in my bottom lip and wait for his response.
Hunter went to grab a beer for himself and a bottle of water for me. He thinks I need to be hydrated twenty-four seven and forgets as soon as I drink it, I have to rush to the bathroom so I don’t pee myself. I’ve been getting up at least three times at night, which is annoying when I’m warm and comfortable in bed for once.
“Any weirder than faking a marriage?” he mocks, taking a sip of his beer and setting my water down on the coffee table. Hunter plops down on the couch, leaving space between us.
I decide to let it go, figuring Hunter’s in a weird mood tonight. Since we’ve been sharing more details about each other, I think it’s made him more vulnerable than usual, and I don’t want to push it.
Getting up, I ignore his comment and walk to the kitchen table where I had set out a few items that I still need to pack. There’s a stack of notecards with random things about ourselves written on them as well as some with our “couple” information. I know the name of his first pet was Reagan, after the president. His first kiss was with a girl named Brittany in second grade. His brother’s name is Hayden, and he lives in New York with his girlfriend, Savannah. Hunter’s middle name is John after his great-grandfather on his mother’s side. His birthday is November 23rd and lands on Thanksgiving every six years. His favorite holiday is Christmas because growing up, it was the one day of the year his family was “normal,” and his dad didn’t make work a priority. He told me funny stories of his uncle dressing up as Santa and how he found out the truth one year when he discovered a bag of presents in the laundry room.
We’ve talked so much and dug into some deep shit, it almost feels like it’s been over a week since we started sharing details about one another. I like knowing more about him. It makes me feel confident that we’ll look like a legit couple to my family.
“Lennon.” Hunter’s voice has me jumping out of my skin.
I turn around with my hand over my racing heart. “Shit, you scared me.”
I didn’t even hear his footsteps behind me. He’s holding his beer in one hand and brings over my bottle of water I left in the living room.
“Sorry. I said your name a few times, but you must’ve been in your head again.” He smirks, then hands me the water. “Wasn’t sure if you wanted this or not.”
My shoulders fall, and I grin. “I’m fine, but thank you. Baby’s already using my bladder as a trampoline.”
His brows shoot up to his hairline, making me burst out into laughter. “You can feel that already?”
I shrug, uncertain. “I don’t know, but lately, I have to pee once an hour.”
“That’s gonna be a fun plane ride for you.” He snickers. “Good thing it’s not a long flight.”
“Right.” I sigh. The anxiety about telling my parents hits me. Hopefully after the initial surprise, they’ll be supportive and won’t ask a million questions even though we’re preparing for it.
“My nerves are gonna be shot anyway,” I admit, lowering my eyes, then turn back around to my lists and notecards.
“Well, you won’t be alone, so try not to stress too much,” he tells me, and I feel him behind me. The guilt of what he’s agreed to eats at me, though I try to push it away. Hunter wouldn’t be doing this if he didn’t want to, but because he’s so willing has me wishing I could repay him someday for what he’s subjecting himself to.
“I’ll try,” I say softly.
Hunter walks back into the kitchen, the fridge door opens and shuts, and then he’s by my side again.
“Lennon.”
“Huh?”
“You said you had a weird request before,” he reminds me. “What was it?”
“Oh, um…” A blush rises to my cheeks. “It’s nothing. Never mind.”
“C’mon,” he urges. “You know I won’t say no.”
That has my lips tilting up a bit. “It’s too much right now. Forget it.”
Hunter sets down his beer, grabs my shoulders, then makes me face him. He gazes into my eyes and gives me a pointed look that tells me he’s not going to drop it. “Ask me.”
My breathing picks up, and nervous butterflies form in my stomach as I look at the man who’s going to be my fake husband for who the hell knows how long.
Sucking in a deep breath, I release it slowly, then nod. “Okay, but you can say no if you want.”
Hunter drops his arms and crosses them over his chest. “Sure.”
His tone lets me know that won’t be the case.
“I don’t know how to ask this, so I’m just going to come out with it,” I tell him, though I’m trying to convince myself to do it.
“Please do,” he encourages.
“We’re gonna need to kiss,” I finally blurt and swallow hard as I wait for his reaction. He stands firmly, not moving or speaking. “If we want to convince my parents we’re newlyweds, ones who are pregnant, they’re going to expect us to be…touchy-feely. In love. So instead of it being weird around my parents, maybe we should…practice first.” My voice cracks at the end, and I feel like I’m an inexperienced teenager all over again.
“Okay, I was not expecting that,” Hunter finally replies, brushing a hand through his hair, then over his chin with a couple of days’ worth of stubble. I’ve learned it’s a nervous tell, which makes me feel better knowing I won’t be the only one who feels awkward.
“I understand if you say no. It’s a lot to ask. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s odd, right? Sorry, forget it. I don’t know what I was?—”
“Lennon,” Hunter interrupts my rambling. “I didn’t say no. I just wasn’t anticipating it, but you’re right. We’ll need to act like we’ve done it a time or two.” He cracks the smallest of smiles, which eases my mind a bit. “Probably a good thing, so then we don’t act like two virgins on prom night.”
I laugh, the tension fading. “Well, considering they demanded I wait until my wedding night to lose my virginity, it’s not uncommon for couples in my church to get pregnant right away. Most get married only after dating for a short time and announce they’re having a baby a month later. Couples like that, who wait until their wedding night, are noticeably all over each other because they refrained so much beforehand.”
“So pouncing on you in front of your parents is a must,” he teases, taking a step back when I attempt to smack his chest.
“They’re pretty modest, so while they won’t mind touching and kissing, we need to be respectful in their home.” I shrug, thankful for that specific rule.
“Sounds good.” He stands in front of me with an unreadable expression. As he studies me, I know he’s probably waiting for me to make the first move, but shit. I can’t.
“I’m nervous,” I admit with a half-smile.
“Don’t be. I don’t bite.” He winks. “Well, unless you like that sorta thing.”
“Oh my God, Hunter!” I blush hard. “You aren’t helping!”
“Okay, sorry,” he says with a chuckle. “Don’t be scared. We’ll start slow.”
My chest rises and falls. Heavy breaths release from my nostrils as I try to gain some control. I don’t know why I’m so anxious, but kissing Hunter like this feels so…calculated. Weird. Forbidden.
“Okay,” I finally say, not moving.
After a few silent moments, he cracks a smile. “Are you gonna kiss me?”
I cover my face, hunching over in embarrassment. “Ugh. I can’t stop the nerves.”
“Lennon.” His deep voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Just relax, okay?” He takes my hands and places them on his waist, bringing us closer together. “Breathe.”
I release a deep, steady breath as his palms cup my face.
“Do you trust me?” When his eyes bore into mine, I feel as though I’m looking into the depths of his soul. I know without a doubt this man would do anything for me.
“Of course I do,” I whisper, tightening my grip on his hips.
“Good.” He gives me the sweetest smile. “Now close your eyes.”
I do, and a beat later, I feel his mouth on me.
Slow and soft, he presses his lips against mine as he moves us together in perfect harmony. He pulls back slightly, then his tongue traces my bottom lip before bringing us even closer together. My heart pounds so hard, I’m sure he can feel my pulse throbbing in my neck.
Hunter cradles my face as if I’m the most precious thing in the world. Gently, he rubs his thumb against my cheek, and when he slides his tongue between our lips, the kiss deepens, and I unwillingly release a moan. Hunter pulls back slightly, and my eyes pop open, looking right at him. By the expression on his face, he’s asking for permission to keep going, and when I don’t push away, he brings our mouths back together.
His hand slides down my throat, neck, and down my side, sending electricity everywhere he touches. I squeeze my fingers in his shirt and arch my back, forcing us closer together as he cups my ass. Reaching up, I wrap my arms around his neck, removing the remaining space between us. Hunter’s other hand falls from my face, and he snakes his arm around my waist, holding me tight. The kiss grows eager, faster, desperate .
I feel his kiss down to my core. I feel it everywhere .
Mixed feelings surface as his tongue dances with mine, sending butterflies to my stomach as my heart races with eagerness. Each touch feels hot against my skin, and I’m powerless to stop it.
A deep groan releases from his throat, and when I feel his hardness against my stomach, I realize this is escalating too far. Quickly, I push him, stepping back to create distance. That kiss was way too heated and intense to be fake. My breathing quickens, and when his chest heaves, I know it affected him just as much as it did me. My gaze lowers to the noticeable bulge in his jeans. A rather big bulge.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have?—”
“No, I?—”
“I didn’t mean?—”
We can’t get our words out and now it’s awkward.
Why did that feel so damn good?
I’m blaming my hormones.
“That was…” I pause, watching him lick his lips and looking as conflicted as I feel. “Nice.”
Hunter releases a short breath and snorts. “Uh, thanks?”
I study him as he wipes his hands down his jeans, a nervous tick I’ve not seen him do before.
“Guess we won’t have any problems convincing them,” I say, not knowing what else to say. My heart races, torn in two as I think about Brandon—the man I’ll always love—and the man in front of me, who cares for me deeply.
“Guess not,” Hunter replies casually.
We stare at each other, neither speaking or knowing what to do. The silence lingers until his phone rings, pulling us both away.
Hunter reaches into his pocket, grabs his phone, but then declines the call.
“You can get that if you need to.” I pick up my water and walk toward the kitchen before he can respond.
Shit, I could use a shot of tequila right now. If not to erase the inappropriate thoughts from my brain, then at least to give me the courage to face him again. I blow out a breath, needing to calm my racing heart.
Squeezing my eyes tight, I will the images of him hard and aroused out of my mind. It doesn’t work. As I’m sucking down my bottle of water, I feel Hunter behind me.
“Lennon, I’m sorry.” His pained voice crushes me. I know this can’t be easy for him, considering he hasn’t been with a woman since the accident. He probably has the same amount of pent-up sexual frustration as I do and didn’t mean to take it that far.
When I face him, his expression makes me frown. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I reassure him. “It was my idea, remember? I know it didn’t mean anything, and we got lost in the moment.”
His jaw locks as if he’s holding back, but I don’t give him a chance to reply before trying to lighten the mood. “On the plus side, I’m starting to see the appeal other girls had over the years.”
Hunter rolls his eyes with a small smirk. “Would you just let me apologize, please? It’d make me feel like less of an asshole.”
I shrug, giving in. “Fine, but you have nothing to?—”
“Lennon.” He grits through his teeth.
“Fine!” I raise my arms and drop them to my sides.
He inhales deeply, then steps back slightly. “I’m sorry I kissed you that way. I shouldn’t have let myself go that far. It’ll never happen again, I promise.” He sincerely rests a hand on his chest over his heart as if he needs to stop it from bursting out of his chest.
Never?
I swallow at his words, hating that he feels the need to say them in the first place. I’m the one who brought it up, after all.
“Alright, apology accepted.” I tell him what he wants to hear. “But we might want to practice again tomorrow.”
Hunter raises his brows.
“Practice normal kissing,” I reiterate. “Without the possibility of giving my parents a show. Or a heart attack.” I shrug, all dignity going out the fucking window at this point.
Slowly nodding, he grins, then moves away from the counter toward me. “Like this?”
He doesn’t give me a second to answer before his lips are back on mine.