What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

2.07: hayes

He buckles over, laughing on the couch, "You fucking idiot. You might deserve to be in this situation! I would have looked at it for you."

I wish I could say something back, but he's right, I am an idiot. "Thanks for reminding me, Gray, you're a great friend."

Grayson grins widely at me, "I know! Thanks for pointing it out. But how did you get in touch with Sephine? I mean other than stalking her the past seven years, of course."

"I started investing in the dance company, and I truthfully had no idea it was the one she ended up at until I saw Sephine on stage during the performance." I really didn't, but I can tell that Grayson doesn't believe me. "Then I saw her again at the fundraiser, and we started talking. We got pizza the next day, then coffee a few times; Sephine was supposed to call me when she got back, but I haven't heard from her."

I take a swig of my beer as I try to keep myself from thinking about the worst-case possibility. Sephine probably just stayed longer in Toronto.

"Jesus Christ." Grayson breathes, staring incredulously at me.

"What?"

He scratches the back of his neck, "You still have feelings for her."

I scoff, "Seriously, Gray? It was seven years ago, plus before everything happened between us, we were good friends."

"Whatever you say," He agrees, putting his hands up in surrender. "Hey, do you have a copy of the contract?"

"Yeah, it's in my study, why?"

He gets up off the couch and heads towards the hallway the study is in, "Because I'm going to look through it."

I can't protest because he's out of earshot and comes back in a minute or two later with the extremely highlighted contract. "Gray, you don't have to do this, I'll seriously be fine."

"Shut up and let me read unless you do want propose to Sutton." Marrying her wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. We dated a few years ago, but we're too different. I had to start getting serious about my life, and Sutton wanted to travel. We've stayed friends of sorts, but I have been avoiding her since I found out about the clause.

I keep the game muted, but I watch the screen as Gray scans through the document until he finds the section with the clause. It isn't until after the game is over that Grayson says something, but it's a constructive something.

"What about this section?"

"I've read through it at least a hundred times; there's no loophole there."

Grayson points to a specific phrase in writing: Hayes Nathaniel Benson must become engaged within the first two years of signing this contract and must be married within three. "Reread it."

My eyes scan through, trying to understand what point he is making, but I still don't understand. "What are you getting at? I've read that line hundreds of times and wished that I'd read through the stupid contract word for word before signing it."

He facepalms and reads it out slowly, "Hayes, it just says you have to be engaged; it doesn't specify to who."

"The merger is supposed to be with Sutton's company."

Grayson shakes his head, "But your dad didn't put her name in the contract. You can get engaged to anyone you want. It doesn't matter what he wants."

I rub my temples, "But I don't want to get engaged at all. I'm practically married to my work as it is."

He smirks, "Well then, you should have read the goddamn contract! You went to fucking Stanford, and you didn't learn to read a contract before signing it?"

I want to hit him but I can't because he's helped, "I know it was a bad decision. I didn't expect Dad to pull one over on me."

"I definitely would have knowing your dad," Grayson scoffs, and rolling my eyes, I set the contract on the coffee table.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do."

Gray awkwardly pats me on the back, "Well, first of all, you could ask Sephine if she would help you."

My jaw drops, and I turn to look at him, "Why the hell would I involved Sephine in this shit?"

"You dumbass. The two of you already had a fake relationship, what difference is a fake engagement?"

Holy shit Grayson's definitely onto something, but there's no way she would ever agree to it. Not after the way everything went down last time. "There has to be another way. I'm not dragging her into this. It's my mess, not hers."

Gray shrugs, leaning back into the couch, "Well, you could always do what your dad wants and just marry Sutton."

"I need something stronger than beer, do you want a glass?" I ask, standing up to walk into the kitchen.

"No, thanks, someone needs to keep you from doing something stupid like signing a contract without reading it!"

Yep. I'm never going to live this one down.