Ruthless Love

Chapter 18 - Flint

"You can't deny it," Mother says looking at me. "You're getting old."

I shake my head. "Twenty six...I'm twenty six," I repeat.

William places a hand on my shoulder. "She's right you know, you aren't getting any younger."

I roll my eyes. Either I'm going mad or my family is crazy. "You were twenty five when you got married, Will."

Ava smiles at William and then winks in my direction. "Yea but we started dating when we were twenty. That means if you find someone today and date them for five years, you'll be thirty one."

My family seem to think I'm the only one who won't get married. I can't blame them, I don't often try when it comes to women but why should I, my focus right now is on my business. Surely I won't be the only guy who gets married in their thirties.

"Are you dating?" Samantha, my youngest sibling asks. "Surely you're dating someone, at least that's what the tabloids say; but then once again, according to the tabloids you're dating someone new every single day."

I face my family. "Is this going to stop?"

"Ken darling, is it ever going to stop?" Mum asks dad.

"Of course, once he finds himself a partner," Dad replies.

I roll my eyes again and turn to head upstairs as Will shouts out how my time is running out.

"That Sydney girl is cute," Samantha says softly.

I freeze in my tracks half way up the stairs. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ava claps her hands in excitement. "Ooh tell me about this girl. You guys were talking about her and I missed out."

I turn to face my family. "You were talking about her. Why?"

Will smirks. "Careful brother, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're blushing."

I punch Will's arm lightly as he walks past me before I turn upstairs. "No one will talk about Sydney, understood!"

-----

The idea seems like a fantastic one, but don't fantastic ideas always go wrong. Hit two birds with one stone. It'll shut my family up and render me useless for the Love'n'Bloom Gala, one which I attend every year as I sponsor the charity.

It's almost like playing with fire but I still have one trick down my sleeve and that's the contract. Knowing Sydney, her pockets aren't filled with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars that she now owes me for breaking the contract.

I could easily get any girl, but I want her. Sydney Jackson is about to regret ever signing that contract.

The Love'n'Bloom Gala is held every year by the 'Children of the Land' charity group who raise funds to help homeless kids. I donate regularly but I also participate in the gala as it's another fundraiser and the extra money goes to the kids.

This year I am in no interest to be passed around like I was in previous years. The Love'n'Bloom Gala has young bachelors up for a bid to go on a date with their highest bidder. If I'm no longer single, I won't have to participate in that part of the Gala. I'll still attend but I'll make it obvious to everyone that I am not up for grabs.

With that, my family will feel content. Although I don't know if Sydney is the right choice for my family considering they've been talking about her. This might make things worse, But I don't want to be pulled and pushed during the Gala and I especially don't want to hear my family go on about me dying alone.

Ava walks into my bedroom and takes a seat next to me. "I have a feeling you're hiding something."

I watch her and then shake my head.

"Sydney," she says testing the water to see if it's safe to continue. "The others are just teasing you but you genuinely like this girl, Don't you?"

I clear my throat. "No."

"You can't lie to me Flint. Remember I've known you for over eight years."

"Fine," I say quietly. "I do like her."

She nods. "Then what seems to be the problem?"

It could be easy to tell her the truth. Sydney hates me, she thinks she can play with me and toss me, but I don't say that. "There is no problem."

"Oh," Ava says. "So what's going on?"

I bow my head hoping she doesn't notice me lying. Ava could always tell when I would lie, more than my family perhaps. "We've been dating for a while," I say shocking myself with how easily the lie rolls out of my tongue. "I just didn't want you guys to know because I thought you'd make it a big issue."

Ava clasps her mouth and through her fingers says, "I won't make it a big deal."

I smile before I move her hand out of the way. "We're engaged."

Ava's eyes open wide and she jumps up from her seat. "What!"

Her eyes zoom down to my finger as if to look for a ring not that I'd have one but that means I'd need to get Sydney one. Have I already ended the lie before it even started. "We're keeping it a secret, from you guys but most importantly the paparazzi."

"Oh," she says. "That makes sense." Ava throws her arms around me in excitement and I hug her back. I'm going to feel terrible when I tell them all that it was a lie.

Now I just have to play the part convincingly. "I guess I should let my family know."

"Obviously," Ava says. "You can't hide something this big from them."

I dial someone at my office to cancel all the plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow I'm not going to the office, tomorrow I am paying Sydney a visit.