Just Pretend

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jason

A week after Gwen and I got together and I moved back in, I wake up with a scalding Gwen in my arms. Her body shakes with a cough when my alarm signals six a.m. and I'm tempted to stay home with her but I've been off for a full week.

She insists on getting up with me and I can see by the determined expression on her face, when she turns to me, that it would be useless to argue with her.

She leans against every wall for support and her colour resembles that of Casper the Friendly fucking Ghost as I watch her walking towards the door.

'You're fucking stubborn,' I tell her as the thought crosses my mind and she pauses to smile at me weakly.

'You haven't seen the worst of it,' she says, leaning heavily against the door jamb, her breathing heavy. I can see the amount of labour it takes her to even move but I have to admire her determination.

I'm torn between following her downstairs and taking a shower, knowing that I'm already going to be late. I follow her downstairs, staying a step behind her and Carrie walks close to her side, looking up at her mom with concern.

Once downstairs, I follow her into the kitchen and warmth spreads through me when I see her gather things for my lunch. I lean against the door as I watch her, knowing that she wants to do it alone, but I want to keep an eye on her.

Gwen packs a bowl full of the leftover stew from last night into a cooler bag along with utensils, sliding it to the edge of the island before heading into the living room, telling me to go shower. I reluctantly head upstairs to jump through the shower, hurrying through it to throw on a black suit and white button-up shirt, draping my tie over my arm while I shove my feet into socks one-handed, and push them into my shoes; my shirt still unbuttoned and untucked as I start going downstairs.

I button my shirt as I jog down the stairs and head straight to the living room to find Gwen lying on the mattresses, curled around Carrie, who's lying on her side with her head on Gwen's arm. She lifts her eyes to me and she whines softly but doesn't move from her spot.

I sit down next to Gwen while I put my tie over my neck, letting it hang there as I run my hand over her damp hair and she groans softly before turning and placing her head on my thigh.

Carrie climbs over her and curls up in the hollow of Gwen's body and looks up at me, her ears pointed towards me.

'Take care of her,' I tell Carrie and she heaves a deep sigh, putting her head on Gwen's arm, but keeping her eyes on me.

'I'll be back soon,' I say, leaning down to kiss Gwen's hair and whispering that I love her.

We haven't said it again since the first night, but I see the truth in her actions every day.

I barely hear her whisper the words back as she slides off of my lap. I pull one of the many throw pillows closer and lift her head onto it before turning onto my knees and placing one last kiss on Gwen's head, standing up and heading into the kitchen to grab the lunch she'd packed me.

I leave my tie hanging around my neck and head out to my truck, giving Gwen one last look from the door.

Pulling open the garage door, I pull out my phone and call my dad; telling him that I'm on my way. I, then, call Finn and fill him in on the full story until my phone switches over to hands-free when I climb into the truck and start it.

'Just stay home. You know your dad doesn't mind if you stay away for that reason,' I scowl at the mic, already anticipating his next words.

'Oh. Wait. You haven't told anyone but me, Howard and Alyssa's small family about her,' he says and I know it's supposed to motivate me into starting the process of getting Gwen into the family, but it does the opposite; I don't want to put that kind of stress on us.