Chapter Five

Aiden

 

“Were you serious about what you said, about marrying me?” I asked.

Blake sounded like she just woke up, answering the phone with a squeaky voice. It was silent on the other end of the phone for a second after my question, and then I heard her rustling around.

“Yes,” she replied, suddenly sounding very awake.

“Let’s do it,” I blurted into the phone.

I’d thought about it all night. It was a great way to get my mom off my back, but more importantly, it ensured Blake would stay in town. I wasn’t ready for her to leave; she’d just gotten here.

She giggled, agreeing to go ahead with the scheme. “We can’t tell Liam until after,” she stipulated.

“That will be tough. He’s my best friend, and your brother,” I pointed out.

“Exactly, and he may try to talk us out of it,” she injected.

I agreed not to tell my best friend, even though I hated to keep another secret from him.

“When should we do it?” I asked.

“Today, otherwise I have to sign up for another week at the bed and breakfast,” Blake suggested.

I knew I couldn’t keep this plan from Liam for another week, and I knew a week was enough time that something could happen between Blake and Liam, causing her to take off again.

“So, a courthouse wedding?” I asked, a little shocked that Blake didn’t want a large wedding or a wedding at all.

“Sounds perfect to me,” she chuckled.

Holy shit! We were really doing this.

“Okay. Meet me at the courthouse to get our license around four, and I’ll schedule the ceremony,” I directed, and then hung up the phone.

My head was reeling. I couldn’t believe I’d asked, and that she’d agreed. My mom and abuela would be mind-blown, although a little hurt that they weren’t included. I had to talk to someone, and I knew I couldn’t talk to Liam, so I called Luke, another buddy from the SEALs.

He was stoked when I told him about the plan, laughing so hard that my ear hurt as the noise traveled through the speaker of my phone.

“I’ll meet ya there,” he insisted.

“There’s no need, really,” I insisted.

“Nonsense. It’s your wedding day, fake or not, and you need a best man,” he laughed.

It would be nice to have someone there by my side, mainly to hold me up if I started to pass out. This was crazy, wasn’t it?

I showered and found a nice white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. As I dressed, I started to have second thoughts. This wasn’t exactly how I’d envisioned my wedding day, not that I’d really thought about it much.

How would everyone react, especially Liam? I knew my mom and abuela would be hurt, but once they realized it was Blake, they’d understand why we didn’t have a traditional wedding. Blake didn’t have any family, so a wedding wouldn’t be traditional anyway, and my dad wouldn’t be there.

I pulled a tie from my top drawer, slid it under the collar of my shirt, and started fidgeting with it. Shit, this wasn’t something I’d ever done on my own.

In front of the mirror, after several attempts, my tie was finally perfect, well, close enough to perfect.

Before I left my bedroom, I found myself standing at the edge of my king-sized bed. Would we share a bed as husband and wife?

My house had plenty of space with two guest rooms, but neither were furnished. Would it look odd if my mom stopped by and noticed one suddenly filled with feminine décor? This wasn’t going to work. It was silly, foolish, and even though the thought of being married to Blake was appealing, I didn’t think I could actually go through with this fake wedding.

I dialed her number, but there was no answer. Ring after ring, and nothing. Shit! She must’ve already made it to the courthouse, the one place in town where cell phones weren’t allowed.

My palms filled with sweat as I rushed to the front door, my grip loose and slippery on the knob as I frantically worked to open the door and let myself out. I drove fast to the courthouse, hoping to catch Blake before our appointed time for the ceremony. Surely, she’d had second thoughts about this too, right?

I found a parking space right in front of the courthouse, rummaged through my console for change, and quickly fed the meter. For a Friday afternoon, the courthouse was slow, nearly empty as I rushed through the large front doors. A man in uniform stopped me, made me empty the contents of my pockets, and walk through a metal detector before I could enter. It was wasting time. I had to get to her before we stood in front of the judge who would deem us husband and wife.

The man nodded, giving me the all-clear to grab my belongings and head on through the second set of wooden doors.

There she was, standing in front of a tall potted plant, looking towards the entrance nervously. She wore a sundress, lightweight, and pastel in color. Her skin was smooth and looked as though it had been kissed by the sun. Her bright blue eyes met mine with an anxiousness filling them. Her delicate hand lifted, pushing back the locks of her long blonde hair, and there it was, the smile that could stop time.

“You look like you’re a nervous wreck,” she chuckled as I reached her side.

I was.

“This is crazy, isn’t it?” I gasped.

“It is,” she smiled.

That feeling of urgency to stop the wedding faded quickly as her smile widened. There’d always been something about Blake that I secretly loved, even though she was my best friend’s little sister. Maybe this wasn’t that crazy.

“There’s the man of the hour,” I turned to see Luke strolling towards us.

I couldn’t believe he’d actually showed. It wasn’t a short trip, but he made it anyway, even though he knew the wedding was a facade.

“Holy shit,” I exclaimed, gripping my old SEAL brother tightly in my arms.

I pulled back, keeping my hands on his shoulders, scanning the burn marks still visible on his neck, knowing there were more beneath his collared shirt.

I turned to Blake, ready to introduce her to Luke, when I noticed the look of panic in her eyes.

“You weren’t supposed to tell anyone about this until after,” she mumbled.

“I’m sorry, I thought you just didn’t want Liam to know,” I apologized.

“You’re stunning, even more so than Aiden described,” Luke reached for Blake’s hand, holding it delicately in his as he spoke.

Her narrowed eyes widened, and her cheeks filled with a pink hue. Luke always knew how to sweeten up the ladies, a romantic at heart, and not bad to look at, even with the burn scars.

“Thank you,” Blake blushed, a slight giggle in her voice.

“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to marry this one off,” Luke laughed, slapping me on the back as he continued to smile in Blake’s direction.

“That seems to be a theme in this town,” Blake chuckled.

Her eyes moved to mine, narrowing as her expression developed a seriousness.

“Does he know?” she asked softly.

“That this is all a play to get Aiden’s mom and abuela off his back? Sure. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t turn into something more, much, much more,” Luke smirked.

My throat started to close as he spoke. They were words I’d thought of, but would never speak aloud, especially in front of Blake. I could feel the heat in my cheeks, and I knew the color of my skin was turning a bright red as I stood there, speechless.

Our names were called from the clerk’s window, ending the awkward silence after Luke’s comment. I was grateful to be standing at the counter where a small gray-haired woman handed us each a packet to complete.

Luke’s elbow was nudging into my side as I completed my packet. I didn’t dare turn and look at him or acknowledge him in any way. I knew he wanted to wink in my direction, or whisper something about Blake. I was nervous enough already. I didn’t need him poking at me, too.

The clerk took our completed paperwork and ushered us through a tall wooden double door. The carpet was red, matching the fabric on the long benches that filled the room.

I’d been here once before, as a juvenile, when I egged Mr. Rooney’s house on Halloween. The same judge, just older, walked out of the small door behind the judge’s bench.

Blake took a step towards me, her shoulder pressed against my arm, and Luke slapped me lightly on the back.

The room started to spin, and I thought I would pass out. The judge cleared his throat audibly, bringing me back to the reality of my situation. What was I doing? I liked Blake, a lot. I could’ve just asked her on a date. How did we end up here?

Blake’s delicate fingers intertwined in mine, soothing my nerves. I turned to her and smiled as the judge shuffled papers on the podium in front of him.

The ceremony was quick, not romantic at all, but at the end, “You may now kiss the bride,” echoed through the large room.

Luke let out a howl as I stared nervously into Blake’s eyes. I wasn’t sure if I should, if she wanted me to, if she’d let me.

I started to ask, my lips slightly parted, but Blake didn’t give me a chance. She lifted to her tippy-toes, leaning into me, pressing her lips hard against mine. My eyes closed as I took in the floral aroma of her perfume. It was sweet. Her lips were soft and tasted of strawberries.

I lost myself in the moment, parting my lips, allowing my tongue to explore her mouth for the first time. I’d thought about it before, even wanted it. When we were in middle school, playing spin the bottle in Ginger Calhoun’s basement, I’d prayed the bottle would land on her during my spin, but it never did. Instead, I shared my first kiss with Laura, a girl who’d moved away shortly after that night. She had braces and pimples, and her hair was always tangled in a mess. Liam teased me that my kiss ran her off, that she moved far away to escape my gorilla lips for good.

The softness of her lips pulled away, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded, awkward, my eyes still closed, my lips still parted. I shrugged it off, opening my eyes to Blake, my wife. Holy fuck, my wife.

My great-grandmother’s ring was a perfect fit on Blake’s finger, almost as if it were meant for her. She tossed her bouquet of fake flowers behind her, even though no one was there to catch it, and then leaped into my arms as it hit the floor.

She was so happy, her smile so bright, that for a moment, it all felt real. My heart raced at the thought of taking her back to my house, our house, where we’d share a home, possibly a bed, at least until we figured something else out.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Luke grinned, slipping me a cream-colored envelope.

“I couldn’t,” I protested at the thought of taking a gift for a fake wedding.

He laughed, almost a deep growl, as he pushed the envelope into my hand.

“You can thank me later,” he laughed.

“Thank you,” I conceded.

“Oh, and do ya mind if I stay at your place tonight, head home in the morning?” Luke asked.

That question created tension in my muscles, causing my shoulders to tighten and ache. I’d been looking forward to bringing Blake back to the house, our house, alone.

“Before you answer, open your gift,” Luke insisted, nodding towards the envelope I held in my hand.

“Of course,” I mumbled, not wanting to look like I was uncomfortable in front of Blake.

I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a brochure. It was a resort, nothing fancy, but a place hidden in the woods near a lake, complete with a spa and bar. Shit, I needed a drink.

“I know it’s not really a honeymoon, but I thought you two might like to get away, just for the night to figure out what’s next,” Luke smiled.

I turned to Blake, who was standing by my side with a friendly smile. She nodded, taking the envelope from my hand, and then reached towards Luke, embracing him tightly as she whispered something in his ear that I could only assume was a thank you for the thoughtful gift.

Leaving the courthouse was awkward, not like a traditional wedding exit. Luke drove his truck behind mine, and Blake followed in her own car as we drove to my house.

I packed a few things, helped Blake with her luggage, and handed Luke the spare key to the house. He waved towards my truck as we pulled out of the driveway beside my house.

Blake was quiet on the drive to the resort. I fidgeted with the radio, settling on a country station, and decided to take the time to just relax. My skin tingled every time I turned to her, catching her beautiful blue eyes in mine. Shit, that kiss, it was something.

Forty-five minutes passed, and we’d barely spoken to one another. I was relieved when we pulled into the resort parking lot.

Inside, a pretty brunette checked us in, handing me a key to the room, and offering congratulations. I was confused at first. That is until I looked at the key: the honeymoon suite, go figure.

I didn’t say anything to Blake about the room, hoping that maybe she wouldn’t realize it was the honeymoon suite. Once I opened the door, there was no denying the room was meant for new lovers. The bed was round, shaped into a heart, and a large hot tub sat in the center of the room. Holy shit!

Blake stopped at the bed, staring into the heart-shaped mattress, and I thought she was going to quickly protest. Instead, laughter oozed from her lips, growing from a soft giggle to a loud, boisterous thunder that shook the room.

I joined her, the tension releasing from my shoulders with each laugh. It felt good.

“Luke did know this was a fake wedding, right?” she gasped, falling to her back on the bed.

I nodded, sat down beside her, and stared around the gaudy room.

Red carpet, an open bathroom, only enclosed by glass walls, and a bucket of champagne on ice sitting on the nightstand caught my eye.

“You wanna drink?” I smiled, deciding to make the best of it.

“Yes!” Blake exclaimed, rising to a seated position on the bed.

I moved to the galvanized bucket, pulled the chilled champagne from the ice, and worked on uncorking the bottle while Blake waited patiently. The cork finally released, rushed through my fingers quickly, and soared through the room, hitting a lamp and knocking it to its side.

Blake laughed again. I loved that she made things so easy. This was an awkward situation, thanks to Luke, but she made it fun. I laughed as the champagne flowed over my hand and onto the red carpet on the floor.

“I can’t believe we really did it,” she sighed as I handed her a full glass of champagne.

I smiled. I couldn’t believe we did it either, but here we were, in a honeymoon suite, sharing a bottle of bubbly.

“I’ll sleep on the sofa, you can have the bed,” I injected, noticing her scanning the overly-romantic room.

Her smile was sweet, and I took it as appreciation for my gesture.

“I noticed they had a nice bar by the lobby,” Blake pointed out.

Enough said. Champagne was bittersweet in my mouth, and the tension in the room was heavy. I could use a real drink.