I was suddenly ten years old again. Waiting for the damn words I knew that he'd say in a few seconds. We walked along the beach, both of us silent as the waves crashed against the shore.

How had one week messed up my life so much? I had no one to blame but myself.

"Is mom here?"

"At one of the huts." Dad said crisply, still not looking in my direction.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

We walked a few more feet, away from watchful eyes and people playing in the water. Finally, I sat on one of the lounge chairs and waited.

The silence was just as heavy as the flower-scented air, thick with tension, thick with shame. He was disappointed, and even though I'd tried to do everything right since the day I'd been able to make my own decisions, it seemed it still wasn't enough. Not that he ever said that — t was always assumed in the way he barked orders and the way he held himself.

"I am…" Dad's weathered face cracked into a bright smile, "so proud of you."

"Come again?"

"Nadine, or sorry, Grandma," he rolled his eyes, "confessed to everything. How you fell in love, tried to keep her out of the media, even decided to keep her from me and your mother." He sighed. "I'm proud that you didn't flaunt it. You did it right this time, Jace. Things with Kerry." His voice lowered. "It wasn't well done of us to encourage the match. We should have seen through her. We should have made you wait, instead of pushing you to commit in order to further your career. But. at least now, you're doing things right. I admire you for that."

Hell had officially landed on earth, and I, being an idiot, had jumped into the hand basket and was now floating around, ignorant of every single string Grandma had pulled until now.

"What exactly did Grandma tell you?"

"Everything." Father chuckled. "You're in love. You're using your friends' honeymoons as a way to cover up the wedding. I will admit, at first she said you'd been kidnapped by pirates. But to be fair, it got my attention. I was on the next flight out after we talked. That woman is something else."

"Yeah." I croaked. "She's something."

"So, now that we're here, there's really no reason for you not to get married. I figured now would be best, since the media's been placated for a while."

"Married." How the hell was I going to talk my way out of this one? "You see, Dad, the thing is…"

Tears welled in his eyes. Holy shit. Was he crying?

"I'm sorry." He sniffled. "I've just been so worried about you. I know you're so worried about your career. Hell, you wore a suit to school when you were in sixth grade."

"It was for career day," I grumbled.

"I know, son." Father slapped me on the shoulder. "It's just, now it finally seems like you have everything you've ever wanted. All you have to do is grasp it. Aall you have to do is say yes."

"Yes?"

"To your future." Father's smile grew. "Now, what were you going to tell me?"

I should have said something. I should have told him the truth. Hell, I'd been honest all week with Beth. Why was I suddenly having issues now? Oh right, because telling him the truth would wreck him. And in turn, it would wreck me, because then he'd know it was possible I wasn'tt the man he thought I was. Because I'd stayed with a girl under false pretenses, lying to the world, and then accepted a dare in order to get her to lie to the media about her reasons for being with me.

I was an ass.

And he was looking at me like I was the perfect son. He was looking at me like I'd always wanted him to look at me.

Which was why I found myself saying, "I'm just happy you could make it for the big day."

Royally Screwed: When the only way out is death. See also: Grandma Nadine.

"He was in on it, wasn't he?" The agent smirked.

"Ah, you're getting to know me to well, Gus."

"You tricked the grandkids and somehow convinced a judge to lie to his own flesh and blood. You both must have been desperate."

"The desire for great-grandchildren is strong in grandmas and apparently grandpas. Just ask Mr. Brevik and his lovely wife."

Beth

"He's been gone for a really long time." I played with the straw in my drink and kept my eyes trained on the beach for any sign of Jace.

"Why do you care?" Char asked in an innocent voice. "Something you want to tell us?"

Kacey grinned shamelessly. Char joined in. And both men fell silent as all eyes burned holes through my person.

"Jace!" I all but yelled when he came walking up with his father.

But something was off. He looked… he looked almost guilty… and sad. Why would he be sad? Immediately, I blamed myself. If I hadn't made him go along with the challenge to stay… If I hadn't bribed him with his career and the whole prostitution rumor… Was I so wrong to want the fairytale? It had basically been handed to me on a silver platter. So what? I took it! You hear me, God! I took it!

"Welcome to the family!" Mr. Brevik pulled me into a tight bear hug.

I almost puked my drink all over him. Family? Whose family was I joining and why the hell was he so excited about it?

"We're so happy to have you. My wife will soon be joining us to celebrate."

"Is it your birthday?" I asked lamely.

"And a sense of humor!" He elbowed Jace in the ribs. "You've really hit the jackpot on this one. And, my dear," he turned back to me, "what incredible work you've been doing for GreenCom."

"Work." I nodded. "What does that have to do with family?"

"There she is!" A loud southern voice interrupted my confusion and Jace's guilty face. A woman of about five two came barreling toward me. She had bright blond hair and giant sunglasses. Had she not been wearing white, I would have thought she was Grandma. "My daughter!"

"I think I'm confused," Travis whispered behind me.

"I've always wanted a girl! And now I have one. Oh, this is just the best news I've had all year! It truly got me through that horrid plane ride. Oh, who am I kidding? If I have a stroke tomorrow, I'll die happy, knowing our son's settled down with such an accomplished woman!"

"Who's getting married?" Jake asked innocently as he took another sip of his drink.

"Is someone dying?" This from Travis.

"Cheers!" Mr. Brevik shouted. "To Jace and Beth!"

Grandma magically appeared out of thin air with a tray of drinks. "I just love it when things fall together, don't you?"

Slowly, I turned to Jace.

He basically had the words Guilty Bastard written across his forehead as he made his way over to me and pulled me in for a tight hug, whispering in my ear, "I'm sorry."

Those two words may as well have been a knife being stabbed into my heart.

No proposal for boring Beth. No, just an apology. That's what I was. An apology, caught up in lie after lie after lie. And it was all my fault. All because I was reaching for something I never deserved in the first place.

"I'll fix it, just not now," Jace continued.

So when was he going to fix it? Before or after we walked down the damn aisle?

Everyone lifted glasses into the air, but suddenly it was too much. I wanted to run — needed an escape.