Fakecation, page 16
For a moment, he wondered if she was hiding something from him.
Or someone.
It would make sense—why else would she be up on her sexual health if she wasn’t sleeping with other people? She’d only said she didn’t want a relationship, but she could easily have other partners.
She’s not Lucinda, he reminded himself. And besides, this might all be casual for Amelia too. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about what any of this was.
They did need to talk about it at some point.
But this wasn’t the moment for that discussion. For now, he finished getting ready and then met everyone by the door. She had been chugging a glass of water when he got out.
She gave him a thumbs-up that he wasn’t sure what to do with, but he attributed it to their change in relationship. He gave her space as they walked to the car.
“So,” she began, looking out the window, “we went a whole night before it got awkward. That’s a record for me.”
“It’s not awkward.”
“Your face says otherwise,” she said. “When you came out of the room, you seemed . . . different.”
“It’s just something we have to talk about later. That’s all.”
“You know those are the worst words I could hear, right?” She laughed, but it didn’t sound like she was amused. “I mean, we have to talk about something later? And it has you upset?” Her fingers tapped on her knee. “That’s not worrying me at all.”
“It’s nothing bad.”
“Then why can’t we talk about it now?”
“It’s . . . I don’t know how to ask.”
“Anything is better than nothing.”
“Okay, then. Is there anyone else?”
There was only silence. His heart kicked up speed.
“Wh-what? Anyone else with what?”
“You. I mean in general.”
“Like with as in sexually?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Because when you ran out, I got the idea that you’re hiding something, and the last time someone was hiding something was when Lucinda was with my dad.”
The car was silent, and he wondered if it was proof of an omission.
“Oh, shit. First of all, no. There is no one else and there will be no one else. I’m not . . . I would never . . .” She shuddered.
He risked a glance at her. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I don’t have some guy back home that I sleep with, nor do I here. And I wouldn’t go back to them even if I did. Our relationship might be fake, but I’m still dedicated to it.”
“Thank God,” he replied. “I’m sorry I even brought it up. I must have been in the wrong state of mind this morning.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s something we should clear up anyway.”
Her voice was small, and she looked back out the window. Daniel wondered what was running through her head, but they pulled into the breakfast restaurant right after, and Mandy was waiting on them.
“Last day at the beach!” she said, blissfully unaware of any of the lingering awkwardness between them. “I almost don’t want this to end.”
“We’ll come back next year,” Randy said. “Now, let’s get in there. I’m dying for some waffles.”
Daniel knew he needed to get back to being Amelia’s perfect boyfriend, but as they walked in, he wondered if he’d made a mistake in questioning her at all. Most people would have been upset to be accused of keeping secrets.
But she seemed okay. She sat next to him, giving him a small smile.
There was no one else, and that helped him far more than he could express.
“So what do you do for fun, Daniel?” John asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Fun? Unfortunately, my work schedule doesn’t allow for much of that.”
“That’s not good for you. Do you like working out? I live in Atlanta too. Maybe we can hang out.”
“That could be nice,” he replied, but he saw Amelia’s confused expression in the corner of his eye.
Maybe it would have been better to turn John down, but he liked this family. John seemed like the kind of person he could get along with.
It wouldn’t last. Once his and Amelia’s fake relationship was over, so would his fledgling friendship with her brother.
He could enjoy it while it lasted, though.
“What is this?” Amelia said. “You’re connecting with my boyfriend?”
“I like this one,” John said. “We all do.”
He gave Amelia a pointed look, but her eyes darted away.
Daniel glanced over at her, feeling like there was a whole conversation he was missing out on.
“And you’re always welcome out at our house in the middle of nowhere,” Randy added. “Though it may not be your thing.”
“It sounds nice.” He only wished he could see it.
They were interrupted by a waitress coming to take their order, and it hit Daniel just how much he could see living this life forever. With Amelia and her family.
After breakfast, they drove back to the condo, Daniel’s mind still on what could have been.
“S-so, you and John.”
“I don’t have to talk to him again.”
“No,” she said. “It’s not that. He just usually doesn’t go out of his way to connect with others. It’s a compliment, really.”
“I don’t want to make it harder for when this ends,” he said. “So I won’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, about that . . . How long did you want to do this for when we get back?”
That was a complicated answer. “I didn’t have a date in mind.”
“Right, and with the news, I bet it’ll last a while.”
“Yes, but we don’t have to pretend for very long if you don’t want to. I’m sure news like that will linger for months.”
“I said I would pretend to be your girlfriend until it died down. If it’s months, then . . . I’m fine with that too.”
“Because you want to or because you feel like you have to?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I want to. And if in that time period, you did want to take John up on his offer, then do it. I don’t mind. Maybe I could start running regularly too.”
“I think I’d like that.”
“You know what else I’d like?” she asked. “To enjoy the waves on our last day here. Want to go for a swim?”
“Don’t we have errands to run? We could go to Target.”
Amelia’s nose scrunched, and he remembered how badly their previous Target trip had gone. “Can we just skip it for now? I think I want to be in the water. We go back tomorrow anyway, and I have plenty of what we need back in Atlanta.”
“That works for me.”
They arrived at the condo and immediately went down to the beach. The salty air simmered with the memories of the night before, but she seemed content to enjoy the water, and this was their last chance to.
By the end of the day, Daniel had forgotten about all of his problems.
But then, when he was toweling off, he finally checked his phone.
Lucinda: We’re telling everyone tomorrow.
His heart sank. At least his father had given him a week.
Terri: You free? I need an update on your wild adventure.
“Mind if I call my sister?” he asked. “We need to catch up.”
“Of course not,” she replied. “I’ll see you back in the room.”
Daniel watched her go before calling Terri.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry, I was away from my phone for a bit.”
“Don’t be,” she replied. “It’s nice that you’re away from it for once. How is it going?”
“Lucinda and Dad are telling everyone tomorrow.”
“Oh, perfect,” Terri said dryly. “I’m guessing he told you?”
“She did,” he said. “She’s been acting weird since finding out about Amelia.”
“I’m sure she has. Leave it to her to cheat on you, then want you to stay single forever. Good riddance.” Terri blew a raspberry.
“How much wine have you had?”
“None, but the actions of a kid carry over after a while.” She sighed. “And he’s in the other room, so I can’t say what I’m really thinking.”
“I get it,” he replied. “Amelia overheard me snap at Lucinda and I had to tell her who she left me for. It was awkward, to say the least, but she’d find out eventually. Luckily for me, she’s not the biggest fan of Lucinda, either.”
“Really? And how are things going with the beautiful Amelia?”
“Fine.”
“Any feelings turn real?”
“Maybe.”
“And has anything happened?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Chrissy and I have a bet. Mine is that you’ll break before the vacation is up. I’ll win twenty dollars.”
“Then consider yourself twenty dollars richer.”
“Yes! Now, are you officially together, or is this one of those things where you don’t talk about it, and it inevitably blows up in your face?”
“We’re not official, but we did agree to be committed to the fake relationship.”
“Wow, communication, huh? Is she still not wanting to date anyone?”
“I think so.”
“So, how long does this little ruse go on for?”
“No clue. We agreed to end it whenever. Could be months.”
Terri laughed. “Months? Sounds like a real relationship.”
“Maybe one day.”
“Start getting her favorite foods. I’ll plan on making her a table at Thanksgiving, and you two can tell this epic story to us over dinner.”
“I don’t know that it’s going to end up like that.”
“We’ll see. Just tell me if she likes green bean casserole or sweet potatoes, okay?”
“And if you’re wrong?”
“I’ll make deviled eggs just for you. Now, get back to your vacation. I need to tell Chrissy all of this.”
They said their goodbyes, and Daniel took a minute to think on his sister’s words. He could still see it all happening.
But he could only hope it would actually come to fruition.
Amelia was asleep by the time he got back. She was on top of the covers, looking as if she’d fallen asleep on accident.
He got her under the covers before showering and pulling out his book to read. He didn’t get very far into it before the exhaustion from the day hit him, and he followed her into sleep.
***
A resounding knock on the door alerted them both.
“Hey, lovebirds,” Mandy called through the door. “We have to check out soon.”
“Okay!” Amelia called back. “Be out soon!”
As consciousness returned to him, a somber reminder flashed in his head.
Today is the day.
“We have so much to do,” she groaned. “I didn’t pack at all last night.”
They really hadn’t.
“I’ll start,” he said, eager to get his mind off of what was coming. He got up, immediately putting everything in his suitcase. Amelia helped, and they were ready within an hour.
“Are you guys all done?” Mandy asked as they stood outside Amelia’s car.
“Yep,” Amelia answered. “We should head back and start preparing for work on Monday.”
“I get it, but we should all go out to lunch now that I’m feeling better.”
“There’s always the pizza place by our office.”
After hugging Amelia tightly, Mandy threw her arms around him too.
“Now, don’t be a stranger,” she said, pulling away. “We really liked spending this week with you, even if you only had eyes for Amelia.”
Daniel felt his face heat up, and he awkwardly laughed, trying to play it off.
“It’s fine,” Mandy said. “That means you like her, and that’s all I wanted.”
“I really do,” he admitted.
“I guess I’ll see you soon. Both of you, hopefully.”
“Nice to have met you, son,” Randy said, stepping forward to give Daniel’s hand a shake. “You’re a good one.”
“You too,” Daniel replied with a smile.
“It’s so weird not to be riding back with you,” Amelia added.
“It is, but I know coming back to our house makes the trip longer,” Mandy said. “Plus, you have an amazing driver with you.”
“Hah, that’s right. I’m so glad not to have to drive back alone,” Amelia said. Daniel smiled at her before John pulled him aside to exchange numbers.
“I’m serious about you two working out. Both in the gym and in general. You suit each other.”
An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest. “Thanks, John.”
“Just . . . be patient, okay? I think her ex did more than she says.”
“I know the feeling,” he replied truthfully. He wondered if he would have ever admitted what Lucinda did if it weren’t for her and his father telling the world.
“Ready to go?” Amelia asked, walking over to him.
“I think so.” To John, Daniel said, “Thanks for giving me your number.”
“No problem. See you guys soon.”
They waved goodbye before getting into the car. Daniel sat in the driver’s seat automatically, hoping his father would hold off just until they got back to Atlanta.
“I didn’t expect them to like you so much.”
“Really?”
“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she rushed to say. Her face was red. “I just meant that before you came, you were a different person, at least to me. I expected you to be all business.”
“I think I expected to just fake my way through this trip and never be myself.”
“I like the real side of you,” she admitted quietly. “It’s nice.”
He had to fight the urge to look over at her.
And that was when his phone jingled. His heart picked up speed. Could it be the announcement?
Another notification came in. And then another one.
“You know,” he said, his voice tight, “maybe we should top off the tank before we get too into driving.”
“That’s a good idea. Go for it.”
When they pulled into the gas station, Amelia went inside to use the bathroom and grab a coffee while Daniel pulled out his phone.
Michael Anderson had announced he was getting married to Lucinda Jackson—and he’d tagged Daniel in the post.
People he went to college with who knew Lucinda were messaging him, asking questions.
Is this really your father?
Didn’t you marry her?
She’s with WHO?
“Fuck,” Daniel muttered as he read through them all. His stomach churned.
The car door flew open. “Did he tag you in a post?”
“How did you know?”
“Mom is your Facebook friend. She saw it.”
“Your mom saw it?”
“She doesn’t know Lucinda is your ex.”
Daniel groaned.
“That asshole,” she snarled, shaking her head. “What can I do?”
“I don’t know. I have people messaging me and I don’t know what to say to them.”
“Do you have to say anything?”
“I . . . I don’t know. I’m so overwhelmed, and the messages keep coming.”
Amelia took the phone out of his hands, and he blinked over at her, confused.
“Those people can wait,” she said. “I think you need a minute to breathe.”
“But—”
“You know what your dad said, and you know what he posted. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.”
It felt wrong to just put his phone away. So many people were probably waiting to hear his side of the story. They had to want to know what was going on.
But he didn’t want to explain it yet. While he was over his ex, he didn’t want to share the sordid story with people he hadn’t talked to in years. He didn’t want to stare at the post of Lucinda and his father, of all people, remembering the night he’d found out what she’d done.
“You’re right,” he said softly. “I need a break.”
“I’ll hold onto this. Are you okay to drive?”
“Yeah, I am. If I’m driving, I can’t look at social media.”
He drove on autopilot, listening to the near silence of the car.
But then, even that was shattered by his ringtone. He’d totally forgotten that he hooked up Bluetooth while he was driving. They both glanced at the screen in the car, and Daniel cursed when he saw it was his father.
“Don’t answer it,” she urged.
“He’ll just keep calling,” he said through gritted teeth. Before he could think twice, he pressed the answer button on the steering wheel. “What?” Daniel said, too annoyed to answer with anything else.
“You saw my post, right?” his father asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amelia’s jaw drop.
“I did.”
“What do you think? Does it express my love well enough?”
Daniel should have been shocked by that question, and yet he wasn’t. He was more embarrassed that Amelia had to hear any of this. He didn’t even want to risk any more glances over at her.
“It’s fine, Dad,” Daniel said, his voice tight.
“Well, you should like it, son. And let me know if you’re coming to the wedding. Lucinda wants you there.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. It was all he could do to focus on driving. He’d much rather be screaming.
“Actually, he’s busy,” Amelia said, and Daniel was shocked to hear her speak up. “Very busy, actually.”
“Daniel, who is that?”
“I’m his girlfriend, Amelia. And Daniel here is going to be busy with me during your wedding.”
“It’s his father’s—”
“Nope, I don’t care who you are. You’re not forcing my boyfriend to do anything he doesn’t want to. So stop asking,” she said. “In fact, I think it’s weird for my boyfriend to go to his ex-wife’s wedding, so we’re not going to do that. Let your son have some time to deal with you stealing his wife. Okay? Bye now.”
Amelia hung up the call.
“What was that?” Daniel asked incredulously.
“That was me making a decision. He’s a self-righteous ass.”
“He’s going to call back.”
