The Bet (Book 1 in The Deception Series)

Bonus Chapter 3: flower ring

Taylor

~~~~~~~~~~~

I sit in the living room of my mother's house while she laughs and talks to me and Garrett. My heart was racing, I didn't know how she was gonna react to this news. But I had to tell her, she was my best friend.

"Are your parents almost here?" Mom asks Garrett.

Garrett looks down at his phone for a second, "Yeah, they should be here any minute." He tells her.

"How are you and your dad doing?" She asks him.

"Much better. He's really trying, it's nice." He says.

"I'm glad." She smiles.

Garrett smiles back and nods.

His dad got out earlier this year, he was only in jail for 5 years but he's been trying to heal things up with Garrett and Conrad. Garrett's mom divorced him a while ago but Garrett thinks they'll get back together. I didn't understand why she'd go back to him but Garrett told me that the love his mom has for Adam was too strong for her to cut him out of her life forever.

"I'm gonna go check on those cookies." Mom says before she gets up and walks out of the room.

My mom always made chocolate cookies for Garrett when he'd come to visit with me. He loved them, and my mom knew. Garrett doesn't even ask her to make them, she just makes them when she knows he's coming. It was sweet, I was glad that they got along so well. My mom loved him, she's practically counting down the days till me and him get married.

"Mom, you're scaring him." I say as my mother continues to put more food on Garrett's plate.

"He's a hockey player, they have to eat a lot." She says.

I laugh and shake my head.

"I love your cooking." Garrett says as he continues to eat his food.

I smile at him from across the table.

"You're so handsome." My mom says as she pinches his cheek.

"Mom!" I groan.

Garrett laughs.

"Thank you." Garrett smiles.

"Mom, you need to stop boosting his ego. It's already big enough." I say.

"I do not have a big ego." Garrett snaps.

"Yeah you do." I say.

My mom laughs.

"I can't wait for you two to get married and have babies." She says.

"Mom, you need to calm down." I say.

"Oh come on, honey. You're saying you aren't gonna marry this beautiful boy." My mom says as she gives my boyfriend a side hug.

"Yeah, Tay-Tay. You aren't gonna marry this beautiful boy?" Garrett pouts.

"Shut up." I laugh.

I wanted to marry him. He's the only boy I have eyes for. Of course I'll marry him someday.

"You okay?" Garrett whispers as he takes my hand into his.

I smile and nod.

"Just nervous." I say.

"We got this." He smiles.

I stared into his beautiful eyes, there was something comforting about them. When he looked at me, I felt safe and warm. Like nothing could be wrong when I'm looking into his eyes. I still remember the first time I realized I loved him, I remembered the way he was looking at me. The dim street lights were shining through the car windows, it lit his face up. I remember the snow around us, the Christmas lights that were lighting up the world around us. The smell of his car, the sound of the heaters blasting throughout it. I never wanted to forget that night. Even if I didn't know that I was a bet, I knew he still loved me then.