Chapter Six

 

AUGUST

 

It’s been a few days since I agreed to go along with pretending to be Colton’s wife and it’s been one huge whirlwind. Although Tegan wasn’t too thrilled with the idea, I made her promise not to tell anyone not even my mother. I didn’t want her to be worried about me, and Lord knows she always was.

I didn’t want to give up the fantastic apartment I had so I made the decision to renew the lease that my landlord was so anxious for me to sign. Despite my protests, Colton insisted on paying for my rent while I was living in his home, so that I could still have my own place whenever this façade was over.

Over the past few days, both Colton and I have been through a lot together including meeting for the first time, our one-night stand, Colton helping me pack up most of my belongings and meeting his son for the first time.

We also went to home furnishing stores to get some pieces that we wanted to incorporate into his house so that it looked more like a woman lived there too. I appreciated the fact that Colton wanted my input on everything because he wanted it to look as realistic as he could make it. We didn’t want to have any pieces in the house that did not look like something I would have picked, especially for his bedroom which was technically our bedroom even if I wasn’t sleeping in there physically. It just had to look like I was.

Despite the situation and everything we were going through in such a short period of time feeling awkward and uncomfortable, it’s gone off without a witch. I didn’t necessarily play the doting housewife, but I was around enough to participate in Colton’s daily routine at home so that his son, Chris, could get used to my presence in case he was to get interviewed, but I doubt Colton would allow that to happen if he could help it.

Chris, on the other hand, wasn’t adjusting to the new circumstances well and I felt sorry for him. He’s already had to deal with his mother being gone at such a young age, but to find out some random woman that he didn’t know was thrown into his home life. It was a lot for a child to deal with and we couldn’t and shouldn’t ask him to. He needed to adjust to it on his own time and in his own terms.

Chris had been understandably and noticeably upset from the beginning, and the only way he had been able to voice his anger was to throw daily tantrums and throw things around the house every single day I’ve been here which hadn’t been that long yet.

The one bright side of the situation was that I have been able to make a dent in my writing and I’ve found a lot of inspiration in this house, surprisingly. I’d be further along by now if I weren’t plagued by the thought of Chris. I’ve done everything I could do to bond with him or at least try to let him know that I understood what he was going through.

I’ve even tried to get him to talk about how he’s been feeling because not talking about it was going to create further issues in his development, but he wasn’t having any of that so for the most part, I’ve left him alone.

I found out from Colton the other day that his deceased wife, Karen, died unexpectedly in a car accident which put a massive hole in both of their hearts and I wish I could sympathize what they were going through but I didn’t really know, and I didn’t think it was right of me to pretend to.

“August? We’re home.” I heard Colton call out from the foyer.

I descended the long, windy staircase from the 2nd floor where Colton had given me my own private office that I could work in. It took a minute or two, but I found them in the enormous kitchen, having their own private conversation.

“Hi guys, how were your days?” I asked with a cheery tone.

“We both had a great day, didn’t we buddy?”

“Yeah!” Chris answered enthusiastically.

“Hey buddy, why don’t you take your ice cream into the living room and watch a little television. August and I need to have a grown-up conversation.”

“But you said I couldn’t eat in the living room, and I’m not supposed to watch tv until after I finished my homework,” Chris questioned.

“I know buddy, but I’m making an exception today because I’m so proud of the way you’ve been handling all of these changes lately. Just don’t make a mess in there. As soon as August and I are finished talking, I want you back in here finishing up your ice cream and then onto your homework.” Colton instructed.

“Okay.” Chris frowned a little and took his bowl and backpack out of the kitchen.

“Hi.” Colton exhaled as he addressed me officially for the first time today.”

“So, what’s up? Did something happen?” I asked. Colton looked distracted and exhausted, almost like something was weighing heavily on his mind.

“Not exactly, but there might be a little wrinkle in my plan.”

“Oh?” I sat on one of the island barstools opposite of where he stood.

“Well, it looks like the judge that’s assigned to our case has approved the request that my-in-laws move in with us temporarily. Apparently, they think Chris may not be safe under my care.”

“That’s bullshit. How can they do that? Can they even do that?”

“I don’t know, probably. My parenting is being questioned obviously especially because they wondered how a kid can fall off a balcony without it being a matter of neglect.” he shrugged.

“Do they think you pushed him off of it or something?” I questioned.

“No, I don’t think so, but they definitely think I’ve been neglecting him and not providing adequate care. They don’t think it would have happened if I was taking better care of him. My in-laws know how I am about work and know that I’m always distracted by it. They know that I probably wasn’t paying attention when it happened.”

“Were you?”

Colton just shrugged which I took as a sign that it probably was right. He was a workaholic that was more concerned at the time with what was going on in his business than what his son was up to.

“So, what do we do now?” I asked. I’ve never been in something like this and that sinking feeling that maybe this was a colossal mistake, hit the pit of my stomach, but it was too late now.

“Well, for one thing, you’ll probably have to move into my bedroom for the length of time that they are here.”

“That’s definitely not a good idea. What about our agreement?”

“We aren’t sleeping together, we just have to sleep in the same bed for a while. Look, I promise I won’t touch you,” he said.

“I don’t know…” I bit my lip. It was a nervous habit of mine.

“August, if they find you sleeping in a separate bedroom as my “supposed” wife, then they aren’t going to believe we are really married, or they will believe it but assume we’re having marital problems. Which they will only use that as leverage. They’re already suspicious about it because they haven’t heard about you ever.” he explained.

“Why would they be suspicious, it’s not like you’re obligated to tell them anything that’s going on in your life.” I preached.

“Well, they are entitled to be a part of Chris’ life, they are blood relatives. They also know that Chris hasn’t mentioned a woman in my life since we lost Karen, so they must be more suspicious of me than they typically are. I wouldn’t put it past them in assuming that you’re one of the mistresses that I had before Karen died.” he shrugged.

“You were cheating on her?”

“No, August. I meant I wouldn’t put it past my in-laws to come with that lie. They already think the worst of me. They always have.”

“This is definitely a big wrinkle like you said, and it’s becoming a bigger problem than I thought it was going to be when I agreed to do this. Maybe if we back out now or tell them…”

“Oh, no no no. There is no backing out. Admitting that I made up our relationship just adds onto the perceived guilt they’ve already placed on me. They think I’m an unfit father because somehow, it’s my fault that Karen died. Please, August, stick with me on this. I need you.”

“Colton…”

“Please, August. I’ve already lost Karen, I can’t lose Chris also.” he pleaded.

Those eyes. It was something about those eyes that pulled at my heartstrings. I couldn’t say no to them.

“Alright. I’ll stick with you on this until the end."