Chapter 21
Clarke
Several weeks into our living situation, we looked like a married couple.
We even felt like a real couple. Since our interview with The Gossip Queen, Will wanted our wedding to be top-notch.
He spared no expense in booking a hotel in downtown Philly for the service and the reception.
Will invited practically everyone he’d ever known.
He was becoming a different man, someone I almost did not recognize. While I was at work, he cleaned the house, did the food shopping, and even started cooking us dinner. I was content with ordering out, but Will wanted to impress me with his limited cooking skills.
Will stood in front of the stove with a spatula in his hand, shirtless with sweatpants hanging off his narrow hips. He swayed to the beat of the tune belting through the speakers, singing the words to the hip-hop song.
I’d watched him cook for the past few minutes. Ripped with muscle, his back muscles were impressive, and his skin tanned to perfection. He looked as if he’d spent all day in the sun.
I loved watching him look so in his element as he glazed onions for the meatloaf he was preparing for us. Cooking was not my strong suit. And there was no way in hell I was going to start soon.
I leaned forward on the counter, my elbows digging into the marble, and observed my gorgeous husband.
It still felt weird to think of Will as my husband.
But we were committed, now more than ever.
Next weekend, all eyes would be on us. All the media outlets and haters who didn’t believe our marriage was legit would have to eat their words.
Will turned off the burner and spun around, startled to see me sitting at the counter. His eyes widened in shock. “Hey, I didn’t hear you.”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
He wiggled his eyebrows, a smirk in place. “You can bother me anytime.”
“How much longer until dinner?” I tipped my nose up and took a whiff. “Smells good.”
“Surprised I can cook?”
“Yeah, actually. Mia told me Ethan used to wait on you hand and foot. Your mom, too.”
“Hey, I’m no Iron Chef, but I can make simple shit like meatloaf. One time, I made a turkey with all the fixings.”
My eyebrows rose at his words. “You cooked a turkey?”
“Yeah. One Thanksgiving, our flight got canceled because of a snowstorm. It bummed Mia not to see our parents. It was her first holiday without our parents. So I cooked dinner for us.”
I smiled. “You’re a good brother.”
“I try.”
“You’ve always looked out for Mia. I like that about you. Your behavior with women and in public leaves much for me to desire. But you’re a good guy.”
He flashed a genuine smile. “A compliment. I’ll take it.”
The doorbell rang, and I was startled at the sound.
“I’ll get it,” I offered. “You should put on a shirt.”
Will smirked, running his hand down his bare chest. “Afraid whoever’s at the door will want a piece of this?”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, my God. Go put a shirt on, you arrogant ass.”
As I turned my back, he said, “Is that any way to talk to your husband?”
The bell dinged again.
I raised my hand as I walked toward the front door. “Go get dressed, husband. We have company.”
Will headed toward the bedroom as I opened the door. My jaw dropped at the sight of my father on the other side. He had dark hair combed into place, his suit pressed to perfection, polished, and with an air of class and sophistication.
“Hey, Dad,” I muttered. “What are you doing here?”
He shoved the newspaper in his hand at my chest. “You got married in Vegas? And to some playboy hockey player, of all people. Please tell me this is a joke.”
I leaned against the door and held out my hand. “No, it’s not a joke. Come in so we can talk.”
His top lip quivered in anger as our eyes met. He shook his head. “I’m disappointed, Clarke. My only daughter… How could you embarrass yourself like this?”
“I’m glad you’re here,” I lied.
He stepped inside, inspecting the place with suspicion. I closed the door and followed him into the living room, where we sat on the couch.
“We’re having a wedding ceremony and reception for friends and family next week. I was hoping you would walk me down the aisle.”
“Hello,” Will said from behind us. “I’m Will.” He stopped beside my dad, his hand extended. “And you must be…”
“Her father,” Dad spat with fire behind his words. “And you must be the jerk who talked my daughter into marrying you.”
Will lowered his hand to his side. “Look, I don’t know what you’ve heard about me—”
Dad dropped a stack of printed newspaper articles onto the coffee table. “Seems you dragged my precious daughter into some scheme, and she’s not playing, boy. So you better get this marriage annulled before I discover the truth.”
“Dad, that’s not happening,” I protested. “We wanted to get married.”
“Please,” he grunted. “You expect me to believe you would get married to this idiot after the shit you went through with Sean and the divorce. Not a chance. And to get married without your mother there? She’s heartbroken.”
“Really? Because I talked to her the day after the wedding, and she sounded fine.”
“She lied.” My dad rose from the couch. “Get this marriage annulled, Clarke. No way in hell you’re staying married to this clown.”
“Mr. Murphy,” Will interjected, and I cringed at that name leaving his lips, showing how little he knew about me.
“My name isn’t Murphy, boy.” He got in Will’s face, and I prayed neither of them was dumb enough to throw a punch. “If you knew anything about my daughter, you would know she took her mother’s last name after the divorce.”
“Dad, please.”
“I will expose your lies,” my dad promised, “and when I do, whatever career you have left is over.”
Will pressed his lips together, looking to me for help.
He did not know how to handle my father.
Honestly, neither did I. We’d had a challenging relationship for most of my life.
He would shower me with money and gifts, but he was never there for me physically or emotionally.
That was why I took my mom’s last name instead of his after the divorce.
“Dad, stop it.” I gripped his bicep and pulled him away from Will. “We’re in love. This marriage is real. I’m not filing for an annulment, so you don’t have to come to the wedding if you don’t like it.”
My dad looked at Will. “I know you don’t need the money. So what’s your angle?”
“No angle, sir. I love your daughter. It’s that simple.”
“Did you love her last month when you had strippers on your lap? Or the many times before that when you were photographed in compromising situations? You seem to have a problem sticking to one woman. And my daughter is no idiot. I didn’t raise her to get taken advantage of by men like you.”
“With all due respect, sir, I’m a much better man than her ex-husband. And I have never shown Clarke an ounce of disrespect.”
Dad pointed a finger at the papers on the table. “Those articles and pictures prove otherwise.”
Will crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m happy to show you how wrong you are about me.”
My dad glared at him, then glanced down at me. He sighed when our eyes met.
“Do the right thing, Clarke,” he said as he stormed out of the living room.
I stood beside Will, nerves shaking through me, waiting for the front door to slam shut. We stared at each other for a long while before I let out a sigh of relief.
“That was worse than I expected.”
“Are you kidding me? That was horrible. No one believes we’re married. And your dad? He just threatened to ruin my career. What if he finds some smoking gun that exposes us as frauds?”
“Only Mia, Ethan, Liam, and Shane know the truth about that night. We know we can trust Mia and Ethan. Want about Liam and Shane?”
He nodded. “Yeah, they’re ride or die. My teammates would take a bullet for me. We don’t have to worry about any of them.”
“Did you write any texts about our relationship?”
“No, I’m not that stupid.”
“Me neither. I’ve lied to everyone but Mia. Your sister is the one person who wants this to work. She begged me to give you a chance.”
He smiled. “That’s my sister, always looking out for me.”
“Because you do the same for her.”
“We’re a family now.” He hooked his arms around me and held me close. “No one can touch us unless we give them the ammunition.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Mine too.”
“I’m sorry, Will. He’s an asshole who gets mad and flies off the handle at stupid things. Whenever I need him, he vanishes.”
He patted my back to soothe me. “It’s all good, babe. He can’t hurt me.”
“You don’t know my dad. He’ll do anything to get you out of my life. After I told him the truth about Sean, he destroyed his law career. Ripped apart every secret in his life and exposed him for the pig he is.”
“I would never fuck other women behind your back.” He kissed my forehead. “I care about you, Clarke. I’m unsure what to make of these feelings, but I can promise you one thing. I will never fucking cheat on you. Never.”
I reached up to kiss his lips. “Then, I guess we have nothing to worry about.”