Breakfast with the stevens

Aaron’s POV

.

.

I stepped out of the bathroom feeling like a new man. Bathing just hit different when you were in an expensive-looking bathroom. The three-way shower? Absolute heaven. I could live in there.

I spotted a neatly folded grey jogger and a white T-shirt on the bed. For a second, I forgot billionaires actually wore normal clothes. I always thought they lived in suits, but I guess TV had been lying to me. The joggers fit perfectly, and while the shirt was slightly big, it was comfortable enough.

I grabbed my phone and saw a few texts from my mom:

Mom: Are you coming home for breakfast?

Mom: If you’re with Justin, bring him along!

Of course, she thought I spent the night at Justin’s dorm. That was the only reasonable explanation for why I didn’t come home. Either that or I was locked up in a library somewhere, studying like my life depended on it. I quickly typed back a lie, saying I had already eaten and was heading to a morning class. If I told her my real location, my phone would explode from the number of calls she’d make. My mom loved getting the tea on everything.

Slipping on the house slippers by the corner, I made my way downstairs. The moment I stepped into the dining area, the rich aroma of fried eggs and chocolate tea hit me like a dream. My stomach practically leaped for joy.

Marshal and Nessa were already seated, deep in conversation, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world. That was until Marshal spotted me.

“Ah, son! Come, come, sit down and have breakfast with us.” He beamed.

I caught Nessa rolling her eyes before she turned to me, her voice suddenly sugar-coated.

“Yeah, Aaron, sit here, next to me.” She flashed a smile so fake I thought her face might crack.

I wanted to sit anywhere but next to her. Far, far away from her. Maybe at another table entirely. But we had a job to do—convince her dad we were madly in love. So, with a tight smile, I did as I was told and sat beside her.

The toasted bread and scrambled eggs in front of me looked like a masterpiece. The chocolate tea? Perfection. I hadn’t even taken a bite yet, but my stomach was already singing hallelujah.

Marshal smiled warmly. “You know, son, I’ve waited for this day for a long time. Sitting at a table, having breakfast with my daughter and her fiancé. Honestly, I thought I’d be having this meal with one of those reckless men I’ve seen her with before.”

“Daaaad!” Nessa whined.

“What?” He shrugged. “I’m just saying. But you, Aaron, you’re different. Smart, responsible. Exactly what she needs.”

I smiled awkwardly, taking a sip of my tea. Dear Lord, it was the best thing I had ever tasted. So creamy, so rich. I took another sip. Then another. Then another. It was so good I almost forgot where I was.

Nessa clapped her hands together. “Well, let’s dig in.”

Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice. I took a bite of my toast, then another, then practically inhaled the scrambled eggs. I was so focused on my food that I barely noticed anything else—until Marshal cleared his throat.

“So, Aaron,” he started, “you do know the wedding is in a month, right?”

I almost choked.

Marshal continued, “I understand it might be a lot to process, getting married on such short notice. But I’ll be leaving the country in two months for business, and I won’t be back for five months. After that, I’ll be retiring. And, of course, as my only child, Nessa is the rightful heir to the company.”

I glanced at Nessa, who was stabbing her eggs a little too aggressively with her fork.

Marshal sighed. “The problem is, she’s… reckless. She makes terrible decisions.”

“Pops!”

“I’m just being honest, sweetheart. I genuinely believe getting married to a responsible man who loves her will help her settle down. There’s nothing love can’t fix.” His eyes softened as he turned back to me. “And I have a feeling in my heart that you’re the perfect one for her, Aaron. But I understand if this is too much. If you want to back out, I won’t hold it against you.” He smiled knowingly. “Of course, this marriage will come with certain benefits for you as well.”

I wanted to back out. I really, really did. I was 24. I wasn’t ready for marriage, especially not to her. But my family needed this.

I took a deep breath, then reached for Nessa’s hand.

She stiffened instantly, and I could feel her resisting the urge to yank her hand away.

“Of course, father-in-law,” I said with my best fake enthusiasm. “I think this marriage can work. In fact, we’ve already talked about some things, like her alcohol intake, and she promised to change.”

The brightness in Marshal’s eyes practically doubled.

“Oh, good heavens! Really, Nessa? You promised to change?”

I felt her death glare before I even looked at her. But then she plastered on a fake smile, moving forward to pinch my cheek—hard.

“Of course, Pops,” she cooed sweetly. “Anything for my hubby.”

Marshal clapped his hands together. “See, Aaron? You’re already making a difference! My boy, you’re the best thing that’s happened to this family in a long time.”

At this point, I had never seen a man so happy before. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I had just saved his life or something.

“Oh, I can’t wait to invite everyone to the wedding,” Marshal continued excitedly. “It’s going to be the biggest wedding in the country! Everyone will be talking about it for years to come!”

Nessa’s head snapped up. “Wait, wait, wait, Dad! I already told you—I don’t want an extravagant wedding! Just a simple court wedding with a few family members from both sides. We already discussed this.”

“Nonsense,” he scoffed. “You’re Nessa Stevens, daughter of Marshal Stevens. Your wedding should be grand, luxurious—” He turned to me. “Right, son?”

Under the table, I felt a sharp pinch on my thigh. I turned to see Nessa giving me a wide-eyed glare, shaking her head no.

I swallowed. “Uhm, actually… I think Nessa has a point. It’s probably best if we have a lowkey wedding for now, and then, if things go well in the first year, we can have the big one.”

Nessa nodded eagerly. “Exactly! That’s where I was going with this, Pops. Let’s use this first year to get to know each other before we go public. Then, after a year, we can have the biggest wedding ever, all planned by you.”

Marshal sighed, rubbing his chin. “You’re probably right. I see where you’re coming from, and I guess I have to agree. We’ll keep it small.”

Nessa exhaled in relief.

“But,” he continued, “since it’s just a court wedding, there’s no need to wait too long. We’ll have the wedding in two weeks. Case closed.”

My fork clattered onto my plate.

“What?!”

“Huh?!” Nessa shrieked.

Marshal grinned. “Two weeks it is.”

I turned to Nessa. She turned to me.

Lord help us both.