7. Creed

CHAPTER 7

CREED

My eyes constantly shifted between the road ahead and Avery, who was in the driver's seat. This was such a terrible idea, and I couldn't hide the scowl that was etched on my face. It was Thanksgiving day and Avery had been silent for most of the ride, and I couldn't tell if it was because of my grumpy attitude or something else entirely. But with each passing mile, my unease grew and I couldn't shake off the feeling that fake dating this man was a huge mistake.

‘Out of my depth' didn't even start to describe the way I felt. With every new piece of Avery that I encountered, I could feel my self-esteem dropping a notch.

I had no experience dating men or being around the wealthy bluebloods that had the city in the palm of their hands. I had tried hard to be casual about it, rolling with whatever came my way, but the closer we got to Avery's home, the more my anxiety peaked at how out of place I would be.

"Uh, thank you for doing this," Avery said, glancing quickly at me before focusing on the road ahead.

"Don't thank me. I'm getting paid for it." Despite the gruffness of my tone, my hands shook. Why the fuck were my hands shaking?

From the corner of my eye, I could see Avery nodding. "How are you feeling? Should I stop for soda and chips?"

"I'm fine. Just keep driving."

Avery's jaw hardened. "For what it's worth, I don't like that either of us is going through this. I understand you don't feel the need to fill the silence with words, but we both need to get our story straight."

"Whatever," I mumbled. "I'm only here for the cash, remember? I'll try my best not to forget the details and go along with it."

"You already know my name is Avery Branson. I don't think it's important for a boyfriend to know his partner's middle name so I'll leave that out to avoid information overload."

I gave him the side eye. "Think of more personal information, Avery."

Avery gritted his teeth. "I'm just trying to cover all the bases. Also, I have one parent. My father had a heart attack two years ago so it's just my mom and sister."

"Noted."

"Aren't you going to ask anything?"

"Weren't you supposed to tell me about yourself and your family?" I retorted.

Avery huffed out a breath. "I'm in charge of my father's company, Branson Resorts. My sister Becca works there as well. She's great except for the times when she wants to meddle in my business."

"And your mother? What's she going to be like? What should I expect?"

Avery cleared his throat and stared out of the window again. "I have no idea how she'll react. Mother is full of surprises and as unpredictable as the weather. However, going by her precedents and her unrelenting attempts to set me up with eligible women , I don't think she will be too pleased."

"She doesn't know you don't swing that way?"

"She does. I came out at eighteen. My best bet is that she's yet to accept it because I've never shown any proof of my claims to be gay. My family still think this is a phase that will pass once I meet the right girl."

I wasn't comfortable with the insinuation that we needed to prove anything to anyone. What the fuck had I gotten myself into?

"I haven't changed any of my initial boundaries, you know." Admittedly, the tone of my voice was a bit harsh, harsher than I'd wanted it to be.

"What are you talking about?"

I scoffed. "I mean, I'm not going to go out of my way to prove to your family that we're partners. Holding my hand and touching me as boyfriends do isn't on the table. I don't want any of that bullshit physical intimacy."

Avery flinched as if he'd just been hit. "We won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

The tension in the air was palpable. I glanced sideways at him and noticed the cords in my fake boyfriend's neck standing out. At this point, Avery had to resent me and I couldn't fault him for that.

All through our drive, I had relentlessly played the role of an asshole, without letting up for a second.

It wasn't like I was homophobic, God knew I'd suspected a few of my comrades in the military were gay. It wasn't that I didn't respect their identity, but it triggered some deeply ingrained insecurities within myself.

Growing up with a strict, traditional father had instilled in me the need to always portray strength and masculinity. But now, faced with this predicament I found myself in—fake dating a man —I felt like I was failing at both of those things.

"Is there anything you need to know about me?" I wavered between genuine curiosity and a forced attempt to maintain a tough exterior, and couldn't help but wonder if this internal struggle would ever truly go away.

Avery kept his eyes on the road. "I don't want to pry." He glanced briefly at me. "Just tell me what you're comfortable sharing, and we'll work from there." He navigated a sharp turn. He paused, taking a deep breath before adding, "No need to make things more awkward than they already are."

"Creed O'Brien. Former military personnel. Got discharged and was in between jobs for awhile but now, I act the role of a fake boyfriend, lie about my sexuality to strangers and get paid for it." I smirked.

"It would be in our best interests not to bring up that last part this weekend." The uncertainty in Avery's voice annoyed me to no end.

"I'm not stupid. I was just clowning around. You should give me more credit. There is no way I would stare your family in their eyes and say that all of this is fake," I countered defensively.

A deep exhale escaped Avery's lips as he took in my comment. Then he went on, unperturbed, in the same level tone he had maintained the whole day.

"Do you have any allergies? What's your favorite snack? Tea or coffee? How do you like your eggs? I guess these are things couples are expected to know about each other?"

"No allergies, or at least none that I know of. It's never too late to find out. I prefer my coffee black. Scrambled eggs are fine, I'm not choosy so I'll eat them any other way too."

Avery's lips tugged into a small smile.

"I guess that's something we both share. Not being choosy about our eggs. I prefer coffee everyday, but if I have to pretend to like tea, then there has to be more than enough cream and sugar in it."

"What's the story behind our relationship? How did we meet?" I asked.

"I think we should just stick to the truth. We met in the coffee shop. We talked and exchanged numbers. We stayed in touch with each other until staying apart became increasingly difficult and so we started dating. The story is plausible."

I blinked, surprised at how fast Avery had been able to furnish me with the details of our relationship. It seemed as if he had the whole thing already planned out in his head.

"I like this angle. Leaves no holes in the story unless you are asked why no one knew about our relationship earlier if it had gotten this serious."

Avery's smile widened.

"That's a no-brainer. There is no need to get worked up. I've got it covered." As we continued driving through the winding road, surrounded by towering trees and the scent of pine lingering in the air, Avery's response piqued my curiosity. My eyes flickered towards his steady hands as they grasped the steering wheel at the 9 and 3 positions, then trailed up to his honey-gold orbs.

"I'd tell them there's a reason why no one knew about us earlier," he began, his voice steady and assured. "You see, before we started dating, I was living a life of solitude. Didn't want to get attached to anyone." He glanced at me before focusing on the road again. "At least that part is the truth." With a grin, he continued. "It wasn't until I met you that everything changed," he said softly. "Our connection was undeniable, and it scared me. But not anymore. I'm proud to live my life out loud, loving you."

It was like Avery had waited his entire life to be able to say this. The entire scenario seemed to have played out too many times in his head for him not to know what the perfect response would be.

Avery's hand left the wheel to rest on mine.

My glance lowered to our entwined fingers.

I realized that the first and possibly most important boundary had just been crossed. But it felt good, so I didn't move. Choosing instead to look the other way and pretend it wasn't happening.

All the tension between us had faded to the background. At least for a while.

"So what's the story behind your name?" Avery released my hand and returned it to the steering wheel. I felt bereft of its warmth. My fingers tingled with the need to grab onto his hand and hold it tightly. "Earth to Creed."

His words jolted me back to the present. I kicked back in the passenger seat, the world outside rushing by like a blur. "Curious to find out why I was stuck with the name, huh?"

He shot me a look, hands steady on the wheel. "Yeah. Spill it."

A cheeky grin crept across my face as I reminisced. "My mom was probably the biggest fan of the Rocky films. Apollo Creed was her favorite character. I was named after him." I chuckled, still remembering how she would mimic the boxer's iconic poses. "Mom introduced me to the movies when I was twelve and I became obsessed with them. We used to watch them on her precious DVDs, which were practically our religion."

Avery's eyes softened, and he nodded, urging me on.

"We even had plans to catch Creed , the one starring Michael B. Jordan, at the movies when I was 17," I continued, feeling the weight of the memory. "But life had its own script. We were supposed to see Creed the day after Thanksgiving, but Mom was killed in a car wreck on her way home from work about three months before the movie came out."

Avery's grip tightened on the wheel, getting the heavy vibe.

I flashed a wistful smile as I declared, "So, here I am." My hand involuntarily clenched into a fist as I continued, "Named after a man who went from being Rocky's bitter rival to his loyal friend, only to meet a tragic end." A pang of grief washed over me as I confessed, "Mom and I never got the chance to watch Creed's son Adonis's movies together."

There was a beat of silence before Avery broke it, steering the conversation to lighter shores. "What's your middle name?"

"Creed is my middle name." I chuckled, the mood shifting. It was as if he sensed I needed to be lifted out of the doldrums. "Mom had a wicked sense of humor. Go on, take a wild guess what she picked for my first name."

Avery raised an eyebrow, a playful spark in his eyes. "Apollo?"

I burst out laughing. "Damn, you're close! Mom's movie obsession strikes again. Guess again."

"Balboa Creed?"

"Getting warm."

"Robert Creed"?

"Warmer."

"What about Rocky? Rocky Creed?"

"You're this close." I held my index finger and thumb an inch apart, emphasizing the small space between them.

"Wanna try again?"

"Nah. Tell me what it is." His tone was good-natured.

"It's Rocco Creed. And don't forget O'Brien." I paused dramatically. "I'm Rocco Creed O'Brien, but everyone calls me Creed."

We shared a laugh at that, a reminder that even in the heavy stuff, there's room for a bit of lightness.

The rest of the journey to Avery's home was smooth, but with every mile that we covered, my nerves grew more and more. The pit in my stomach started to tighten, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. Even though we stopped twice for breaks, it felt like time was moving too quickly. I was anxious beyond belief about what awaited me at Avery's family home.

I could not help the wave of doubt that hit me as we pulled up to Avery's parents' mansion. The building towered over the maple trees in the front yard. My stomach churned at the picture of obscene wealth as my eyes traveled over the house.

The glass windows and the greenery surrounding the place made it look like a palace from a fairytale. Each corner of the house was beautifully carved with distinct artistic designs. I took in the fleet of luxury cars, including an Audi A8 that gleamed in the massive garage.

Just from the landscape and architecture of the house, I noticed that even my Sunday's best outfit stuck out like a sore thumb.

It was clear as day I didn't belong. Shame swelled in my chest.

"I've never brought any guy home before," Avery mumbled.

I turned to glance at him. I took in the pale smile and the way he drummed well-manicured fingers against his thigh.

"There's always a first time for everything. Don't be nervous," said the guy who was super nervous—me. "I'm sure everything's going to be fine."

Avery huffed out a breath. "And what if it isn't fine?"

"We will head back home. Alive and well. The worst that could happen is death and I'm pretty sure that is out of the question here, for myself at least."

Avery mumbled something under his breath.

I tilted my head towards him. "I didn't get you. What were you saying?"

"Mom finding out the truth about us. That is the worst that could happen."

"We could hide in here and mull over the possible worst-case scenarios one after the other but I don't think this is the best time to do it, considering that you've already gotten me here. So we'll just have dinner with your folks, fake it through the weekend, splurge on the food and alcohol, crash out and then head back to the city on Sunday evening. If living a lie is too much of a burden, then you can tell her the truth when I'm gone and nowhere in sight."

Avery switched off the ignition before answering. "I guess I can handle that."