3. Josh

The drive over to my parents’ house is unusually silent given who my passenger is. I’ve spent years being on the receiving end of many heated debates, and thought out monologues regarding things that interest Hallie, but right now she remains tight-lipped by my side the entire time. In fact, she has barely said two words since she agreed to marry me, something I still can’t quite believe she agreed to, and then we were somehow walking out of her house to come here. I’m not sure if her new found silence is a good thing or a bad thing, especially not when her usual M.O. is to talk endlessly until she drives me completely crazy. That Hallie I can deal with, but this one? I’m not so sure.

Her eyes are fixed out the window, her stare blank and uninterested, as if she would rather be anywhere else but here. Her hands are fidgeting in her lap, a nervous tell of hers, and her leg is bouncing up and down rapidly as we pull through the community iron gates that lead to my childhood home. She has been here at least a thousand times, and now I can’t help but wonder what she sees when she looks at it. It looks nothing like how her parents” home used to be, even though they resided on this very same estate before they moved. No, her house was warm, inviting, and filled with love. Nothing like the one we are both about to enter.

I’m not surprised when we pull up that the whole place is covered in fall decorations, which will no doubt make all the partygoers swoon, but all I see is the stark truth: that my father cares more about his image than he does anything else.

When we reach the usual valet they hire, I greet him by name as I pass him my keys, knowing he will take it to my usual spot, before moving around the car and opening the door for Hallie. She looks at the house with the same disdain that I am sure is clear on my own face, and it only makes me smile. If anyone hates my father the way Maddie and I do, it’s her. I just hope she can hold her own against him because upgrading herself from my sister’s best friend to my future wife is only going to put her under more fire. She knows I will protect her, at least I hope she does, but I need her more than she realizes, especially if I am going to beat my father at his own game.

We move towards the front door but I halt, feeling that same dread that drowns me every time I come here starting to consume me. In truth this place hasn’t felt like home for me in a very long time, and it feels even less like it now that I no longer live here, but for once I’m not alone. Hallie steps up beside me and loops her arm through mine as if it’s the most natural thing in the world for us. She stares up to where my mother and father stand in the doorway, greeting guests as if they are a perfectly happy couple.

“You’re not bailing on me already are you, Joshua, because I have to say, that’s very bad husbandly form,” she jokes with a smile, flicking her gaze to me, and when our stares lock, my heart stops thundering in my chest. That calming effect she always seems to have on me, soothing me from the inside out.

Her green eyes are shining bright as usual, with a hint of mischief just like always, and I can’t help but be captivated by her. She will make the perfect wife. She’s stunning of course, her beauty only exaggerated tonight by the gold dress that clings to her every curve, but it’s more than that. She’s smart, funny, kind, passionate, and I know no matter what she will always be there for me. One day she will make the perfect real wife, but for now, we have to fake it until we make it.

It’s why I entwine our arms even closer, rolling my neck, and straightening my shoulders at the same time in preparation for the night ahead. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Hals, I’ll always have your back,” I tell her, and I mean it. This thing between us might be fake, but our friendship is real, and I care about her more than she knows.

Saving Maddie is the most important thing to me, but having someone to help me do it is just an added bonus, especially with that someone being Hallie. At least tonight, and for the foreseeable future I guess, I’ll have her by my side for support. Which is a strangely comforting feeling I haven’t felt– or should I say, let myself feel–since I was a child..

“And I’ll always have yours,” she replies softly, and before I can thank her, she adds, “But only if we survive our first night as a fake engaged couple.”

Those last words are meant just for me as she starts leading us up the stairs towards where my parents wait. My mother is still fawning over guests coming through the door, but my father’s gaze is already laser focused on the two of us. His eyes take in our linked arms and pressed shoulders, and a winning smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. He thinks he’s finally got me exactly where he wants me, just like I need him to. This is the start of the game, the one he has been winning for far too long, but tonight, I take back some of that power and push back in the only way I know how.

When we reach the top of the stairs, the guests talking with my mother finally move aside and she spots us too. “Oh, Josh darling, look at you, so handsome in your tux,” she coos, stepping forward, and I pull my linked arm from Hallie’s to embrace her in greeting.

“Good evening, Mother, you look beautiful,” I respond blandly, my ingrained manners coming out in full force, before I step back and nod my head at the man by her side. “Father,” I add dryly, and his smirk is still filled with knowing pride that most might mistake for affection towards me, but unfortunately I know better.

Silence stretches between us, and my mother does what she does best, and quickly jumps back in with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “And, Hallie dear, look at you, just as beautiful as always,” she preens, offering her a hug.

“Thank you, Mrs. Peters, I was just about to say the same to you,” Hallie replies, perfectly polite as always, before pulling away from my mom. As if on instinct, I put my arm around her shoulders and pull her back into me, causing my mother to flick her gaze between the two of us.

I see wonder there now, and just as I am sure that my father is buzzing inside right now, I am also sure that my mother isn’t privy to the deal that forced my current hand. Of course she ignores the obvious, just like always, and decides to change the subject instead. “And just where is your sister, I thought she was coming with you?” she asks, forcing an air of annoyance in her tone, when deep down I bet she wishes Maddie wouldn’t come at all.

My eyes stay locked with my father’s as I respond to her. “Maddie is still with Nova and his mother, they all spent Thanksgiving together as you know, but she will be here soon.”

If I wasn’t watching him closely I would have missed the slight tightening of his jaw at that news before he hides it. “Madeline is still coming alone, yes?” he asks, and I have to smirk. I might hate Nova Darkmore, but seeing the effect he has on my father is very satisfying for me.

“Yes, because god forbid she brings another hockey player to your fancy party, huh?” I ask with a scoffed laugh, and finally my father frowns.

He opens his mouth to say something, but Hallie beats him to it. “The place looks great, Mayor Peters, Mads is going to love all the decorations. We won’t keep you, looks like you’ve got more guests coming.” She nods her head behind us to where more people are about to ascend the steps, and before my mother and father can say anything else, she is dragging me away.

We brush past my parents, but before I can make it another step, my father grabs my arm and leans into my ear and whispers, “Pretty, polite, and politically respectful. Looks like the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree now does it? Great choice, son.”

I rip my arm away from him, but just as I am about to tell him I will never be anything like him, Hallie grips my hand and the words die on my tongue.

“Come on, twenty-two, I need a drink,” she softly pleads, and I turn to find her green eyes shining bright once more, and that’s all it takes. I don’t linger, I don’t turn around to dignify my father with a retort, I just squeeze her hand softly, and pull her back into my side as we make our way fully into the party.

The whole place is swarming with overdressed people that blend perfectly into the extravagant decor. All of them have fake smiles painted on their faces as they complement one another, all while ignoring the staff moving around with trays filled with champagne and canapes. I nod at a waiter as he passes, and he stops to offer us both a glass as I give thanks and Hallie watches the room by my side.

“So what’s the game plan?” she asks, surveying over everyone with a smile I know to be fake, her mask for the people now perfectly in place.

Hallie hates parties like these, yet has never missed a single one, usually staying by Maddie’s side for comfort, and I mildly wonder why she always insists on coming. I mean, yes, she grew up in this world just like I did, but her parents are a far cry from mine. They have never forced her hand in anything, from school to her personal life, she has always been free to make her own choices. I mean, hell, they don’t even attend these things anymore, yet Hallie RSVPs yes to every single one. Something I think I have taken for granted in the past, but right now with her here, I feel a little contentment, especially with Maddie running late.

“What do you mean, what’s the game plan?” I ask, watching her as she watches everyone else, which is why I catch her signature eye roll that I am always on the receiving end of.

“Holy hell, Joshua,” she curses, making me smile, before she looks at me head on and adds, “You’ve played hockey since you could practically walk, how are you still this dense?”

I almost choke on my champagne at her insult. “I thought making you my fiancé might make you be a little bit nicer to me,” I reply, clearing my throat, and she rolls her eyes at me again.

“Well, you thought wrong,” she snaps, closing the small amount of distance between us as she lowers her voice to ensure she isn’t heard. “Your father is forcing your hand and now in turn mine, and you’re telling me you don’t have a game plan? I mean, look around, Josh, half of this party is already staring at us in wonder.”

I do as she says, flicking my gaze casually towards the people in our vicinity, and she’s right, they are looking at us. They are pretending they aren’t of course, but every second or so, someone’s eyes meet mine and then shift to Hallie with wonder. People are used to seeing us together at things like this, but we usually appear as a trio, with Madeline as a buffer in between us. We are never alone together, not anymore, not since I pushed her away, now here we are completely under scrutiny.

I mean, it’s not surprising, I never ever bring a date to my parent’s parties, not just because I don’t want to bring anyone here beneath my father’s watchful stare, but just because I don’t date, period. I have enough pressure to deal with without adding a girlfriend to that mix, which I know is ironic considering now here I am with my future wife, but that’s a means to an end. Hallie will help me with this and then we will just go back to normal as friends.

I turn my stare back to her and she smirks, shaking her head slightly before she leans in even closer, bringing her mouth to my ear. “If you want people to believe we are engaged, you might want to start pretending a little better and looking at me like you actually enjoy my company,” she laughs in a whisper, her floral scent lingering even when she pulls away, and I stare at her dumbfounded.

“But I do enjoy your company, Hals, I don’t have to pretend,” I respond without thought, and as our eyes lock her smile softens, but just as she opens her mouth to say something, I see a couple approaching us in my peripheral vision. “Incoming,” I whisper, before turning to them with a smile. “Mr Sharman, good to see you,” I say, as I shake his hand firmly.

Mark Sharman is an associate of my father’s, they work in office together, and once upon a time he went against my dad to run for Mayor and failed, and some would say he never quite got over it. He’s not a vindictive man by any means, but he is one always looking for a leg up the ladder, which is why he accosts me at every event we attend together.

“Josh, you’re about as good a liar as your father,” he smiles, shaking my hand right back.

“Oh, I doubt that,” I laugh, turning to his wife. “Mrs Sharman, looking lovely as always.” She blushes, confirming the rumors that her preference for younger men isn’t false, which is why I gratefully pull Hallie into my side. “May I introduce my fiancée, Hallie Rose Sanders.”

Mrs Sharman loses her smile, but Mark seems to find the news nothing but interesting, as he purrs. “I didn’t know you were engaged, Josh, I bet your father is proud.” He winks, as he sticks his hand out to shake Hallie’s. “Lovely to meet you, Miss Sanders, any relation to Jeremy Sanders Finance?” he questions, naming Hallie’s father’s business with ease, which isn’t a surprise, they do run in the same social circles after all.

“Yes, Jeremy is my father,” Hallie confirms with a polite smile, releasing his hand and curling hers back around my arm. “And our engagement is new, the announcement will be running this week,” she lies with ease, and it just cements my mind even further that she was easily the only choice I could have made.

“Well, let us be the first to say congratulations,” Mark hums, raising his glass of champagne to us before taking a sip. I almost thank him, but then he adds, “Does this mean you are finally going to follow your old man into politics and hang up that hockey stick of yours?”

It’s the same tireless question I always get at events like these, and I wouldn’t put it past my father to lean on his friends to ask me stuff like this constantly. It’s a well known fact that Peters men are political men, apparently having a passion outside of that is unheard of, especially to my father. Maybe he thinks if enough pressure is applied that I’ll bend to his will, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Hallie’s hand tightens on my arm and before I can come up with the politically correct response that Mark is no doubt searching for, Hallie steps in. “Josh is actually on track to play for the NHL, so you’ll see him on your TV screens long before you find him in the Mayor’s office,” she gleams, looking ever the proud future wife I need her to be, as she smiles up at me. “Maybe you should take a day off from politics and catch a Flyers game sometime soon and you might find yourself inspired,” she adds, turning back towards Mark and fitting him with a kind glare.

Yep, definitely the perfect choice for my wife.

“Oh I have no doubt I’d find just as much politics on the rink as I do in my office, my dear,” Mark gleams, watching the two of us even closer than before with a look I definitely don’t like.

The string quartet in the corner starts playing a fresh song, and I take the opportunity to escape his assessing glare. “If you’ll excuse us, it’s time I take my new fiancée for a spin around the floor.” I grab Hallie’s champagne glass and discard it along with my own, and nod the two of them goodbye as I lead her out onto the dance floor.

“You hate dancing,” Hallie murmurs with a knowing smile, as she brings her hand up to meet mine, and I place my other at the small of her back.

“Yeah, well, I hate my father’s co-workers even more, I guess,” I answer her truthfully, and she laughs, as we fall seamlessly into a dance we have done a least a hundred times before.

A comforting silence stretches between us, one that can only be bound by years of friendship, as we sway with one another and block out the outside world. I didn’t always hate dancing. In fact, I remember a time when we did this almost daily one summer. It was right before my dad’s affair with Diana Darkmore came out, and I didn’t have a care in the world. I thought my parents were the picture of happiness, I actually aspired to be like them one day, and Hallie and I would watch their wedding video on repeat and dance like it was our wedding day. I thought I would grow up and be just as happy, just as in love, but I was nothing but a foolish child. The only wedding I will ever have is the one to Hallie in the name of taking my father down, and I’ll still be happier than he ever was.

We slowly rock back and forth, and I realize this is the first time we have danced together since that summer, and it now feels a lot more intimate than it did back then. “You know you’re nothing like him,” Hallie utters against my chest, her head tucked comfortably under my chin thanks to our height difference, and I wish her words didn’t affect me. She knows better than most what it does to me to be in his shadow. “Like, you know you’re amazing, right?”

I ignore the sentiments of what she is trying to get at and choose humor as my deflection instead. “I mean, I haven’t had any complaints, amazing does seem to be the general consensus,” I grin, and I practically feel her eye roll.

“I meant at hockey, you prick,” she curses, and I chuckle. This I can do with her, our banter, it’s simple, easy, and comfortable. I am forever fascinated by how easily I can push her buttons.

I might have spent the last few years keeping her at arms length and not allowing myself to be open and fun with her like this, but those old habits don’t just disappear. The same foundation we built as kids is still there, it’s just buried beneath all my issues.

“That’s not a very nice way to speak to your future husband, Hallie Bear,” I tease, and I feel her hand tighten around my shoulder as she digs her nails into me in response.

“My future husband is about to get a dick punch in front of all of his father’s friends if he isn’t careful,” she claps back in her usual, taunting manner, and I smother my laugh in her hair. It smells like cotton candy, and I can’t stop myself from inhaling softly.

“Now now, stop flirting with me, Tink, or I’ll have to start breaking those pesky rules you wrote so carefully on that pretty pad.” My tone is joking, but my words have her pulling back and snapping her stare to meet mine, almost as if they have her intrigued. “What? Don’t tell me, little old Hallie Bear enjoys breaking the rules,” I tease, watching her closely and she huffs.

“Can we get divorced yet?” she snaps before adding, “I really do hate you.”

“No you don’t,” I declare, but before she can say anything back, another voice interrupts us.

“Damn, Hals, you got him on the dance floor, it’s a Thanksgiving miracle.” Hallie and I pull apart and find my sister watching us both with a smile. “You both look amazing, have you been here long?” she adds, flicking her stare around the crowd with complete uninterest.

“You’re late,” I tell her. “Dad was pissed.”

Her smile doesn’t even falter as she responds, “Yeah, well, dad is always pissed.” Usually hearing something like that would have her concerned, but it seems Nova has had a positive effect on her, even in such a short space of time.

“That’s true,” I agree with her, locking eyes with Hallie and silently conversing that we need to tell Maddie about our arrangement, before I look back to my sister and add, “We need to talk to you about something.”

“Ladies and gentleman,” my father’s voice booms across the room, cutting our conversation off before it even started, as the lights around us lower and a spotlight pins him center stage. “You could be anywhere in the world tonight but you chose to be here with us, and for that we are eternally thankful.” The three of us share a look of contempt as we all turn our focus to where he is standing with my mother by his side. “I am always thankful for everything I am blessed to have, but nothing more so than my wonderful children.” He raises his glass towards us and a few guests look our way and smile as we all pretend he is the perfect father they make him out to be. “But this year I have even more to be thankful for.”

Panic starts to curl in the pit of my stomach at his choice of words. No, surely this can’t be going where I think this is going. He wouldn’t do that, not here, not in front of everyone with no time or planning. As if her thoughts mirror my own, Hallie slips her hand into mine and squeezes tightly, and when our eyes collide, hers shift nervously towards Maddie.

“Maddie,” I grit through my teeth in a whisper. “I really really need to tell you something,” I plead, and of course she gives me her full attention, but just like always, my father wins.

“My son is getting married,” he booms, and silence echoes around him as the smile on his face widens. “He proposed to his childhood sweetheart earlier this evening and she said yes, so please, raise your glasses to the future Mr. and Mrs. Josh Peters.”

Fuck.