Read Online The Pretend Fiancé by Lucy Lambert - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lucy Lambert
Ads: Link
stepping back out into the hall.
David shrugged as he patted his pockets to make sure he still had the key before following her out. He really did look a little weird wearing those clothes. He'd always been a slacks and button-down guy. For a second, Gwen entertained the thought that he might be trying to win her mother back, to rekindle something. But that was a silly, Parent Trap pipe dream, she knew.
"A bit uptight and proper for me. Reminds me of my gram, who grew up in the Depression. Severe, disciplined, judging, all that. I didn't much like the way she was glaring at you and Aiden at the party. Why?"
Hearing the words from her father helped, made her feel like he, at least, would always be on her side.
"No reason. You think mom's in?"
"How should I know?"
"You're being a great help," Gwen said. They reached the door to her mother's room and she lifted her hand to knock but paused.
"Forget something?" David asked.
"No, it's just... Nothing. it's nothing," Gwen said, except she didn't knock.
Thus far, she'd been plowing through all this stuff on momentum, on that singular desire to keep Aiden and for Aiden to keep his life the way it was.
But the cost of doing so chose that particular moment to hit her. I'm about to ask my two parents, who can hardly be in the same room for five minutes without getting into a screaming match, to put their own happiness on the line for mine.
She didn't even bother asking herself if she was being selfish. That was obvious.
"Are you sure, Gwenny? You seem off. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" David said.
"I'm sorry, dad, I just can't. I need to think about things."
"I'll come with you," David said, beginning to follow her down the hall.
Gwen stopped, turned to face him, and shook her head. "I think I just need to be alone. Please?"
David spread his hands in submission. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened, and she knew he was concerned. "Okay. Just remember that I... Or we, I mean, we're here for you. It’s not so bad between Barb and me as I think that you think it is."
"I know," Gwen said.
She could have gone back to her suite, but she didn't. Aiden waited for her back there. Aiden, who would notice immediately that something was up and would eventually coax it all out of her. And, feeling the way she was at that moment, he might even be able to convince her to back out of the whole thing.
So instead she fled down the hall, heading in the general direction of the elevators. When she rounded a corner, she let off on the gas a little. Her dad's eyes had followed her as far as they could, chasing her.
Gwen leaned against a section of wall between two doors, clutching the file holding the new contract to her chest. "What am I doing?" she muttered.
Why did it matter so much that Aiden keep his job at Carbide Solutions? He'd already made it clear to her, more than once, that he could and would leave if that's what it meant to stay with her.
Then again, he'd also put his signature down on the various dotted lines of this contract.
It all swirled around in her head like water in a whirlpool, never staying still long enough for her to fix on any one point.
So she went to the bank of elevators and jabbed at the button to go down. It lit at her touch. She jabbed it again and again, making the tip of her finger sore. Her eyes flitted impatiently about the place, ignoring the small bouquet of flowers set on the table against the wall and the pieces of classical art in their gaudy wooden frames.
Why is it everywhere I go, the elevators always have to be so painfully slow?
Finally, the doors slid open and she stepped inside, thankful the car was empty. She prodded the button for the ground floor.
Unlike the hallway and the elevator, people filled the lobby. Guests with their little wheelie-luggage, busboys manhandling it all onto carts, smartly dressed auditors and butlers and valets all weaving their way through the chaos.
As soon as the elevator doors
David shrugged as he patted his pockets to make sure he still had the key before following her out. He really did look a little weird wearing those clothes. He'd always been a slacks and button-down guy. For a second, Gwen entertained the thought that he might be trying to win her mother back, to rekindle something. But that was a silly, Parent Trap pipe dream, she knew.
"A bit uptight and proper for me. Reminds me of my gram, who grew up in the Depression. Severe, disciplined, judging, all that. I didn't much like the way she was glaring at you and Aiden at the party. Why?"
Hearing the words from her father helped, made her feel like he, at least, would always be on her side.
"No reason. You think mom's in?"
"How should I know?"
"You're being a great help," Gwen said. They reached the door to her mother's room and she lifted her hand to knock but paused.
"Forget something?" David asked.
"No, it's just... Nothing. it's nothing," Gwen said, except she didn't knock.
Thus far, she'd been plowing through all this stuff on momentum, on that singular desire to keep Aiden and for Aiden to keep his life the way it was.
But the cost of doing so chose that particular moment to hit her. I'm about to ask my two parents, who can hardly be in the same room for five minutes without getting into a screaming match, to put their own happiness on the line for mine.
She didn't even bother asking herself if she was being selfish. That was obvious.
"Are you sure, Gwenny? You seem off. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" David said.
"I'm sorry, dad, I just can't. I need to think about things."
"I'll come with you," David said, beginning to follow her down the hall.
Gwen stopped, turned to face him, and shook her head. "I think I just need to be alone. Please?"
David spread his hands in submission. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened, and she knew he was concerned. "Okay. Just remember that I... Or we, I mean, we're here for you. It’s not so bad between Barb and me as I think that you think it is."
"I know," Gwen said.
She could have gone back to her suite, but she didn't. Aiden waited for her back there. Aiden, who would notice immediately that something was up and would eventually coax it all out of her. And, feeling the way she was at that moment, he might even be able to convince her to back out of the whole thing.
So instead she fled down the hall, heading in the general direction of the elevators. When she rounded a corner, she let off on the gas a little. Her dad's eyes had followed her as far as they could, chasing her.
Gwen leaned against a section of wall between two doors, clutching the file holding the new contract to her chest. "What am I doing?" she muttered.
Why did it matter so much that Aiden keep his job at Carbide Solutions? He'd already made it clear to her, more than once, that he could and would leave if that's what it meant to stay with her.
Then again, he'd also put his signature down on the various dotted lines of this contract.
It all swirled around in her head like water in a whirlpool, never staying still long enough for her to fix on any one point.
So she went to the bank of elevators and jabbed at the button to go down. It lit at her touch. She jabbed it again and again, making the tip of her finger sore. Her eyes flitted impatiently about the place, ignoring the small bouquet of flowers set on the table against the wall and the pieces of classical art in their gaudy wooden frames.
Why is it everywhere I go, the elevators always have to be so painfully slow?
Finally, the doors slid open and she stepped inside, thankful the car was empty. She prodded the button for the ground floor.
Unlike the hallway and the elevator, people filled the lobby. Guests with their little wheelie-luggage, busboys manhandling it all onto carts, smartly dressed auditors and butlers and valets all weaving their way through the chaos.
As soon as the elevator doors
Similar Books
