The Perfect Husband by Lynn Dare
Cecilia
First graders were little demons.
And I loved them more for it.
I’d never felt good at anything in my life before. In my family, I’d always been the odd one out without the major passion or intense talent.
Until I started teaching. In college, I chose education because I wasn’t sure what else to do, not necessarily because I saw myself wiping snotty noses and making little chatterboxes be so quiet they wiggled in their chairs until they could speak again.
As I unlocked the door to my apartment, I thought back to that first day of student teaching when I’d felt so completely overwhelmed, like I’d made a horrible decision.
But that hadn’t lasted. Now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Teaching was what I was meant for. Most people who met me were surprised that the foul-mouthed, promiscuous Cecilia was molding the minds of young twerps.
I freaking loved those twerps.
And they exhausted me.
I set my keys on the table by the door and kicked off my shoes, which were made more for comfort than style. The best thing about kids? They didn’t care if I showed up to work in heels or my bare feet, though I’d never do that.
I leaned my bag against the wall, rotating my arms once the weight was gone. I had a lot of things to grade tonight. With this age, the grading wasn’t intense, but I tended to put it off and let it build up.
My phone rang as I opened my refrigerator for a beer. It was my after-school ritual. I always came home exhausted, and when I wasn’t off to see my girls, I relaxed with a beer and an episode of something on Netflix.
And my girls… Well, I’d been avoiding them since my wedding. That thought still made me shiver. I was married and staying that way. I hadn’t seen Harley in the three days since we made the decision to let it continue.
I sighed when my mom’s name flashed across the screen of my phone. Another person I’d been avoiding. I couldn’t think of her without hearing her words in my head. She was probably the reason I was even in this predicament.
Her and Cerisa.
I ignored the call and walked into the living room. Before I sat down, my phone rang again. It was Caydence.
Ignore.
I loved my sisters, and Cay hadn’t really said much against me, but she hadn’t defended me either.
When I settled into the couch, my phone rang again. I answered it without looking at the name. “For Christ’s sake, is everyone in this damn family going to call me?”
“Who else has called?” My idiot brother. Ironically, he was the only one I would talk to.
I sighed. “Mom and Cay tried.”
“Oh, is that why Mom just texted me, and I quote, ‘Call your sister’? She didn’t tell me why.”
I groaned. “I’m surprised she didn’t get Dad to try.”
“You know he wouldn’t have. He’s more likely to just show up at your door.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. My eyes widened. “Uh, Cruz, I think he’s here.”
“Whoa, weird.”
I stood up and walked toward the door. “They’re just upset I’m avoiding them.”
Cruz was quiet for a moment. “That might be my fault.”
I froze with my hand on the doorknob. “What did you do?”
“You know Mom was an interrogator in a former life.”
Rolling my eyes, I groaned. “All she had to do was look at you, right?”
“I spilled everything about why you left her house early.”
That felt like another life. Since then, I’d gotten married, tried to get an annulment, and decided to continue with a marriage. “Tell her I’m okay.” I yanked open the door. “Dad, I...” It wasn’t my dad.
“You got married?” Ellie shouted.
I covered my phone, hoping Cruz hadn’t just heard his girlfriend’s very uncharacteristic outburst. “Gotta go, bro. It’s not Dad. Just your girlfriend.”
“Ellie is there? Tell her—” I hung up and pocketed the phone.
Opening the door wider, I grabbed her arm and pulled her in. “Just let my neighbors know, why don’t you?” I closed the door and turned away from her. “I’m going to need another beer for this conversation.”
Ellie followed me. “Must be really bad if you’re drinking beer instead of wine.”
That just proved my friends didn’t know me well at all. It was my own fault. I never invited them here, and when we were at Ellie’s, I tended to do my best to appear a certain way. Like I had it all together and didn’t care what anyone thought of me. “Want one?” I held a beer out to her.
She shook her head. “Are you okay, Cecilia?”
I turned to face her and pasted on a bright smile. “Of course I am. As you apparently know, I’m a newlywed.”
She frowned. “Well, that was the rumor at least. I heard it at the diner.”
“Where rumors usually begin.”
“I wasn’t really sure it was true, but it is, isn’t it?”
I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Sure, it is.”
Ellie took a seat on the couch. “I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone again. This wasn’t a reaction to what you heard at the barbecue, was it?”
It was, but not in the way she thought. I didn’t go convince some guy I was seeing to marry me. Instead, I found someone I didn’t know. “We didn’t plan it.” That was the truth. “It was kind of spontaneous. We both realized we weren’t getting any younger.”
“But do you love him?”
“Of course,” I lied. “If you love someone, why wait?”
Ellie looked unconvinced as she clasped her hands in her lap. “But none of us got to be there. I know you have a lot of sisters, Cecilia, but I pictured the two of us as each other’s maids of honor.”
I blinked back tears because I’d pictured the same thing. I loved Cerise, Cay, and Cami, but Ellie and Kennedy were closer to me than them. And I’d ruined that dream. Shifting my eyes away so she wouldn’t see the tears hanging in my lashes, I shrugged again. “I’m sorry.”
Ellie scooted closer to me. “It’s okay. I was just surprised is all. Not even Cruz knows.”
“You didn’t tell him?”
She shook her head. “That’s not for me to do. I get the spontaneous thing, but why did I have to hear it from some random person at the diner?”
I had so many answers to that and none at all. “We’ve been keeping it to just us while we figure out our lives together.” A half-truth.
Ellie’s frown finally disappeared, and she offered me a smile. “Okay, well, now that we’ve established you are, in fact, chained to this man—”
“Nice, El.”
“Would you prefer I say unable to escape him?”
I laughed and bumped her shoulder. “Do you think I can do this? Stay married?” Even though it wasn’t real, I needed to know I could have a real relationship like this one day.
Ellie’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know all the damage your family and these idiot men you choose have done to you, but of course you can.”
“But I’m such a flake.”
“Stop, I won’t hear anyone talk about my friend like that.” She leaned toward me to meet my eyes. “Your relationships failed because those men weren’t right for you. If this guy is…” She smiled. “If he’s the one you think about at all hours, the man who can make you smile with a single look, laugh without a word… If he’s that guy, then this is going to be the best ride of your life.”
The tears broke free of my eyes, rolling down my cheeks. “Is that a line from one of your books?”
Her face reddened, and she laughed. “Maybe.”
Ellie had always been awkward and a little messy, but she was also romantic and knew the exact right thing to say.
I couldn’t hold anything back from her anymore. “It’s Harley,” I burst out, hiding my face in my hands.
“Harley,” she said slowly.
“The man I married. I married Harley Hardwick.”
A beat of silence passed. Finally, a laugh escaped her. “Harley?” She started laughing more, color returning to her cheeks as she bent over trying to catch her breath. “Oh, heck, Cecilia. You married freaking Harley?”
It wasn’t my fault they’d never invited us over at the same time before we got married. Maybe if I’d recognized him, this could have been avoided.
When Ellie didn’t stop laughing, I leaned back with a groan. “This is bad, isn’t it?”
Ellie wiped tears from her eyes, heaving in breaths. “Okay, I’m good. I’m done.”
I shook my head. “Glad you find it so funny.”
“I’m sorry,” she wheezed. “It’s just… How the heck did you and Harley hide that you were dating?”
We hadn’t. But I didn’t say that. “We met at the bowling alley.” The words slipped out before I could call them back.
“The bowling alley?” Ellie’s forehead scrunched. “I didn’t know you bowled. Isn’t that place like super gross?”
I couldn’t picture Harley ever bowling, but it was the first thing that popped into my head. “Don’t tell Harley you know because he’s a little embarrassed about his passion.” He was so going to kill me.
“Harley Hardwick, Mr. Motorcycle, is passionate about bowling?”
“Oh, completely. You should hear him talk about ball sizes.” I cringed when I ran that back in my head.
A slow smile spread across Ellie’s face. “Ball sizes, huh? Good to know he’s so passionate about balls.”
I shoved her. “You know what I meant.”
“Sorry.” She laughed. “I’m just trying to channel what you’d say to me in this situation.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “I would totally make it about ball sizes.”
Ellie’s smile fell. “You have to tell Kennedy.”
“Shit.” I hadn’t thought of her when I asked Harley to keep this going. She dated Harley for over a decade before falling in love with his brother.
“Yeah, I’m not too sure how she’ll take this.”
I knew she wasn’t still in love with him, but they’d been broken up for months. And now, he’d married her friend. I jumped from the couch. “She has to hear it from me.”
“I didn’t mean you had to tell her right this second.”
“But I do. She could hear it anywhere. You were just grabbing food at the diner.”
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it free, noticing a bunch of missed texts from Cruz, starting the moment I hung up on him.
Cruz:You’re married?!
So, he had heard Ellie.
Cruz:Cecilia, answer your damn phone.
Cruz:Why does Ellie think you’re married?
Cruz:Who the hell did you marry?
Cruz:Mom is going to blow a gasket.
I deleted his messages and checked the time. It was around five, so I sent a text to Kennedy.
Me: Dinner at Cruz’s Place?
I could kill two birds with one stone. She texted back immediately.
Kennedy:Sounds good.
I told her we were on our way and hurried Ellie out the door. By the time we got to Cruz’s Place, the dinner rush had hit. Lucky for us, they always found a table for friends and family.
The hostess recognized me immediately and led me to a booth in the back. Ellie followed us, sliding in after me.
I couldn’t sit still, drumming my fingers on the table, bouncing my leg.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ellie said.
I wished I believed her, but I was so out of my element. I’d been lost since waking up married and realizing my life was far off track.
“Maybe it will be with Kennedy, but when my sisters hear about this…” I was distracted by a familiar redhead walking toward us, a bright smile on her face.
“I’m so glad you guys wanted to do dinner.” She slid in on Ellie’s other side. “Hadden got stuck at work. He’ll come as soon as he can.”
I couldn’t take this anymore, and the words came exploding out of me. “I married your ex-boyfriend.” My voice was louder than I’d intended, and before she could respond, a plate crashed to the ground nearby.
We all turned to find Cruz with taco sauce splashed on his apron and dribbling across the floor. An entire tray of plates lay scattered, their delicious tacos in pieces.
In the middle of it was my brother, his eyes locked on me. He turned on his heel, not bothering to clean up his mess, the tacos were undoubtedly meant for us. I never had to order here. If someone told Cruz we were back here, he’d have expedited what he already knew we wanted.
Now, it was ruined.
Kennedy kicked me under the table. “Go after him.”
I looked from Ellie to her. “But you… I came here to tell you…”
“And I’m sure it’s a hilarious story how you and Harley ended up married, but seriously, I promise I’m not mad. A little shocked, sure, but I’ll get over that. Your brother on the other hand…”
She was right. This was why I’d become such good friends with Ellie and Kennedy so quickly. Nothing could come between us. I saw the truth of it in Kennedy’s eyes. I’d been so scared to tell her, but she only wanted me to be happy.
I couldn’t imagine how that look would change if she learned it was all fake.
I slid from the booth and stepped over the mess that a waiter was now cleaning up. Without stopping, I rushed down the hall where I knew the offices were.
Cruz’s door was open, and I saw him untying his apron and changing it for a clean one. He had his back to me.
“You got married.” His voice was low.
I hovered in the doorway, not really sure if I was welcome in his office at the moment. “I did.”
He turned to me, his eyes showing no emotion. “To Harley.”
I nodded.
“I didn’t even know you knew him.”
“Bowling,” I squeaked.
Cruz grunted. “Another thing I didn’t know, that you bowled.” His jaw clenched.
“Look, Craig…” His eyes flashed when I used his real name. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
He grunted again. “Are you happy?”
That was the never-ending question, wasn’t it? I’d hardly ever lied to Cruz, certainly not about anything big. But this time, as much as it hurt, I had to, forcing a smile to my lips. “Yeah, I am.”
He reached me in three strides and pulled me into a hug. “My little sister is married.” A laugh vibrated through him and into me. When he pulled back, a grin had replaced the blank look. “As long as this is what you want, I’m happy for you.”
“It is.” I swallowed back the bile that rose at the lie.
His grin widened.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes.
He slid an arm over my shoulders. “Can I be there when you tell Mom?”
“No.”
“Pretty please?”
“Absolutely not.”
“At least let me tell Cerisa you got married before her.”
I laughed at that and poked Cruz in the stomach. “You’d deny me that pleasure?”
“Can we call her now?” He reached for his cell on his desk.
I hit his hand away. “Go back to work, big brother.” I shoved him away from me, feeling a bit lighter about the whole thing. There were still a lot of people to tell, a lot of lies to spread, but it was a start.
I thought Kennedy would be the hardest, but she smiled at me when I got back to the table.
I’d never been someone who had marriage as one of their life goals. I figured if it happened, great. If not, it didn’t make me any less. That wouldn’t change anytime soon, but maybe this could be a bit more fun than I’d thought.