“He’s surprisingly doing really well with all this.”
“Yeah, I mean, I’m sure it has to be weird his best friend marrying his little sister and with the circumstances and all,” I admit.
“He knows this is what’s best.”
My phone rings before I can answer. I see it’s my attorney, Mr. Fields. “Hello.”
“Evan, I’ve been doing some research. My paralegal has it documented Misty insisted, on the record, her parents never have anything to do with Lexi. This should help your case.”
“That’s good, but I told you they don’t have a leg to stand on. I’m getting married this weekend, so their claim that she doesn’t have a mother is null and void.”
“But you don’t have to get married. I think this is the piece we need.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” It’s true. I want to marry Kinley. Not just so I can keep my daughter, but for reasons I cannot allow myself to think about. I know she’ll be leaving once this all blows over, and I’ll need to be able to let her walk away, but the thought already causes panic to set in. I don’t know how I’m going to do that.
“Oh, I just assumed—”
“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t,” I fire back. I didn’t tell him we were doing this for Lexi. The less people who know the truth, the better.
“Did you think about that pre-nup?” he asks.
“No, no pre-nup. We’ve talked about this. I’m driving us there now. Anything else you need to tell me?”
“Evan, I wish you would reconsider.”
“No,” I practically growl.
“Fine, have a safe trip.” I don’t wait for him to say anything else before ending the call.
“You know I’ll sign anything you want, Evan.”
I drop my phone in the cup holder and place my hand on her thigh. I always have to be touching her. “That’s the thing, babe. There is nothing I want you to sign except for the marriage license.” No truer words have ever left my mouth.
We made it. We only had to stop one other time for lunch. We changed and fed Lexi, ate, and then went to the mall. We walked around for a bit, stretching our legs. They had a play area that was not busy at all considering it’s Monday. I laid out a blanket on the couch in the center of the mall and let Lexi stretch and play. She loved it. After that, we loaded up and drove the rest of the way. So here we are. I’m nervous as hell. Our parents are close, so I’ve known Evan’s parents my whole life, but seeing them this time is different. Now I’m not just McKinley, their son’s best friend’s sister and their friends’ daughter. I’m here to marry their son.
Evan pulls into the drive and shuts off the car. Before we have a chance to get out, his mom is rushing toward us. “Prepare yourself, Lex. Grandma is about to unleash some major hugs and kisses,” he chuckles.
Sure enough, his mom goes straight to the back door of the Durango and rips it open, tears streaming down her face. “Oh, Evan, she’s beautiful.”
I feel like I’m invading on a family moment, so I climb out of the car and go stand at the back, giving them time. Not a minute later, Evan is rounding the back with a concerned look on his face.
“What are you doing?”
“I just felt like it was a private moment for the three of you. I didn’t want to take away from that, so I was giving you time.”
He steps in close, his hands resting on my hips. “Baby, look at me.”
I tilt my head up and the look in his eyes tells me, whatever he’s about to say, he means every word.
“I don’t want time away from you, McKinley. You’re going to be my wife. I take that very seriously. It may not be a traditional marriage in the sense of why we decided to do it, but it will be a real marriage. I won’t hide things from you and I won’t keep you separated from anything in my life.”
“I . . . I wasn’t sure, and I wanted to give you time,” I try to excuse my actions.
“I don’t need time, baby. You’re a part of this. I’m always going to want you wherever I am, just remember that. I always want you.”
His words cause my heart to race. I will it to slow down, reminding myself he’s just being nice. He’s appreciative of what I’m doing to help him keep his daughter. He feels obligated to have me there. He’s blurring the lines and I have to hold strong. I can’t let myself fall any deeper than I already have, or I fear I won’t recover from it when it’s all over.
I should have thought this through a little better. Regardless, I would not have changed my mind. All that matters is keeping Lexi with Evan. This is for Lex.