No Easy Dare: A One-Night-Stand, Fake Fiancé Romance by Samantha Christy

Author:Samantha Christy [Christy, Samantha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

~ ~ ~

An hour later, I’m answering the door. Joel shakes his head. “Seems strange to be knocking on the door of the place I lived for four years.”

“They aren’t here.”

“I know. They go to church every Sunday.”

“What do you want, Joel? Cup of sugar?”

“I wanted to talk.”

“I’m not sure what we have to talk about.” I try to shut the door, but he jams his foot in it.

“Oh, we have a lot to talk about.” He pushes his way in, and I let him.

“You’re friends with her. I get it.”

“Best friends,” he says. “Best. And as her best friend, it’s incumbent upon me to look out for the welfare of her and her child.”

“Is that what you’ve been doing these past years, Joel? Looking out for them? I’d say it’s more like looking the other way every goddamn time she shows up with a black eye.”

He looks pissed. Good. He should be. He and everyone else who’s just let it happen.

He pulls out a chair at the table and sits. “You grow up in an abusive household?”

“My dad was a real dick. Still is.”

“A dick. You mean like you were when you moved in? Like you’re being right now? He ever hit your mom? He hit you?”

“No.”

“Then you have no idea what it’s like.”

He’s right. I don’t. But why do I get the feeling he does?

“Hunter, did you know that seventy-five percent of abused women who die at the hands of their abuser die while trying to leave or after leaving?”

Unease flows through me. “I didn’t know that.”

“Why do you think most of them stay? I mean, other than the insane hope of things actually changing. They’re scared of dying. And they’re more likely to die if they leave than if they stay.”

“But the difference is, I’m going to get her out.”

“I know what’s going on. Willow told me everything. What I don’t know is why you’re doing it.”

“Define everything.”

“The sham engagement. The fake ring. You pretending to be someone you’re not. What’s your endgame?”

“Are you deaf? I just told you what my end game is—to get them out.”

He cackles defiantly. “How, Hunter? You didn’t even have a job until a few weeks ago. And you’re living under a fake name. Tell me how all that equates to you being able to help them any more than the rest of us can?”

“I made a promise to help. I’ll do it. I’ll get them out. It just can’t happen for a while.”

“Why is that? Are you waiting to see what happens with the baby?”

“Of course not.”

“She told me you don’t even want the baby, yet here you are.”

“Just because I don’t want to be a father doesn’t mean I’m going to sit back and watch my kid grow up in this kind of environment.”

“That’s why you’re doing all this? For the baby?”

“Does it matter why?”

“I have no idea why Willow is trusting you. But she’s asked me to as well. I’ll keep your secret, but only as long as I think you’re keeping them safe.

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