Page 160 of Clinically Delicious
“Anthony knows what he’s doing,” Gabriel continued. “All you have to do is sit there and look like you love Megan. Which you do. So just... be yourself.”
Be myself. The self that told a social worker about my ninja dream. The self that stress-bakes until the kitchen looks like a flour bomb exploded. The self that can’t stop talking when I’m nervous.
That self?
“Maybe a slightly quieter version of myself,” I said.
His hands squeezed gently. “You’re going to be fine.”
“What if I’m not? What if I say something stupid? What if I—”
“Cate.” His voice was firm. “Breathe.”
I breathed.
“We’re going to walk in there,” he said. “We’re going to sit down. Anthony is going to present our case. And we’re going to show them we’re a family. That’s all.”
That’s all. Just convince a judge that our fake marriage is real and that I’m not a disaster of a human being. Piece of cake.
Mmm, cake.
Stop thinking about cake.
“Okay,” I said. “Okay. I can do this.”
“You can do this.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and for a moment, I let myself lean into him, drawing strength from his steadiness.
We can do this.
We have to.
The courthouse was exactly as intimidating as I’d imagined.
All marble and wood paneling, and the kind of echoing silence that made you feel like you should whisper, even though no one had told you to.
Anthony Gallagher was waiting for us in the hallway outside the courtroom, looking like he’d been born in a three-piece suit. His motorcycle helmet was nowhere in sight, but somehow I could still picture him on that Harley, all controlled power and barely contained danger.
“Gabriel. Cate.” He shook our hands, his grip firm and confident. “You both look good. Calm. That’s what we want.”
Calm.
Right.
I’m the picture of calm.
I’m so calm I might actually be catatonic.
“Remember what we discussed,” Anthony continued, his eyes on me. “Short answers. Don’t elaborate unless asked. And if Richard tries to rattle you—”
“He will,” Gabriel interjected.
“—whenRichard tries to rattle you,” Anthony corrected smoothly, “stay focused. Answer the question. Nothing more.”
Answer the question. Nothing more.
I can do that.
