Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime
Chapter 131: Unexpected Turn

Chapter 131: Unexpected Turn

"Well, wife," Kendrick said with a grin, "I guess we’re somewhere in between."

She looked up at him, eyes twinkling in the soft light. "Husband."

He laughed. "Took you long enough to say it back."

"You’ve been annoying about it ever since."

"Because it makes you blush every single time."

"I do not—"

"You’re blushing right now."

She groaned, turning away. "I hate you."

"No, you don’t."

Zephany grinned despite herself and looked back at him. "Okay, fine. Maybe I don’t."

The lake sat still, like it was holding its breath.

They stood at the edge now, where a wooden railing overlooked the water. The lights from the festival faded into the distance, leaving only the soft glimmer of hanging lanterns above them and the occasional distant laugh from someone still wandering the fairgrounds.

Zephany leaned her arms carefully against the railing, plush penguin now squished between her side and the wooden beam.

Kendrick stood a step behind her, hands in his pockets again, quietly watching the side of her face. Her expression had softened — the kind of softness that wasn’t a mask. She wasn’t playing the shy journalist right now. She just was.

He shifted beside her. "You’re quiet."

Zephany glanced at him. "You just confessed something, Kendrick. What do you expect me to do, start tap dancing?"

He laughed under his breath. "A curtsy would’ve sufficed."

She rolled her eyes, lips curling slightly. "You really know how to ruin a moment."

"You’re still smiling."

"I’m still confused."

Kendrick leaned closer, resting his elbows beside her on the railing. "About what?"

Zephany looked down at the water, her voice quiet. "About this. About why you’re saying all this now. About how this is supposed to work when we still have to pretend... and when we don’t even know each other that well."

"I know enough," Kendrick said.

Zephany shook her head, laughing quietly, then let the smile fade.

"I keep forgetting it’s fake," she admitted after a pause.

Kendrick looked over at her now. Really looked.

"So do I."

That earned a glance from her, brief and uncertain.

She didn’t say anything, just went back to staring at the lake, fingers tightening around the plush in her arms.

He hesitated, then continued. "I didn’t plan on saying this, but... I think I’d regret it if I didn’t. And I’ve got enough regrets already."

Zephany turned slightly toward him, brows drawn. "Saying what?"

Kendrick scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "I like you, Zeph. Not in the ’good job today, teammate’ kind of way. Not even in the ’we’re doing well at playing house’ kind of way. I like you, like you."

She blinked. Slowly. Caught between surprise and something warmer.

"I’ve liked you for a while now," he added. "The real you. Or at least the parts I’ve gotten to see. I know this started as a contract. An assignment. But somewhere between pretending to be your husband and fighting over washing the dishes, I stopped pretending."

Zephany was still staring at him, frozen for a second too long. Kendrick’s stomach twisted.

Then she said, quietly, "You’re really serious?"

"Yeah," he said. "I’m not great with the talking thing, but I meant that."

Zephany exhaled, glancing back toward the water. "I wasn’t expecting that."

"You disappointed?"

"No." Her voice dropped to a murmur. "I’m scared."

Kendrick’s shoulders stiffened. "Of what?"

Zephany took a breath, one hand tightening its grip around the penguin plush pressed against her side.

"I’m scared that I might get used to this," she said slowly, like she was pulling the words out one by one. "To you. To this... feeling. This warmth. Like I belong somewhere again. And then just lose it."

Kendrick didn’t say anything. He just looked at her, giving her the space to keep going.

"Because the truth is... I know this isn’t real," she continued, a tiny shake in her voice. "We started this because of a contract. Not because we liked each other. Not because we chose to. And maybe now it feels different, but the foundation of it... it wasn’t built on anything certain. What if a year passes and everything just changes again? What if I let myself fall for this life, this... version of us, and then you leave? Or I wake up one day and realize none of it was meant to last?"

She looked at him then, eyes searching his face. There was no anger in her voice. Just fear.

"I’m not like you, Kendrick. I wasn’t built for temporary things. I don’t handle detachment well. I used to have this picture of what happiness looks like. A house filled with laughter. People around you who make you feel safe. It was real once. My family was like that. And then..."

Her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard before continuing.

"Then it all changed. One incident. One mistake. And everything went quiet. The people, the laughter... all gone. I was alone for a long time after that. At some point, I convinced myself it was fine. That it didn’t matter if I stayed alone. That I could survive like that. Maybe even be better off."

She looked down again, brushing her thumb across the soft fabric of the plush.

"But then you came in. And this whole fake marriage thing... this silly setup... somehow made everything feel real again. And that terrifies me more than anything. Because if I get used to being happy again, to having someone around... I don’t think I can go back to that silence."

Kendrick’s jaw tensed as he listened. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t push her. He just stood there, his gaze steady on her face.

"And it’s not just you," she said quietly. "It’s Pia. Your mom. Levy. Even Cassius, in his weird, bossy way. And then there’s Sophia, too. They’re starting to feel like... family. Like the kind of mess I missed. And I hate that, because it means I have something to lose again."

There was a long pause. Kendrick looked out at the water for a moment, then back at her.

"Zeph... you’re not the only one scared."

Her eyes lifted to him.

He took a breath. "I act like I have everything figured out. But I don’t. I’ve been faking it for years. Not just with this contract, but with life. Taking care of my mom and Levy, pretending like everything’s under control. Truth is, I’ve been afraid of building anything real. Because what if I mess it up? What if it doesn’t last?"

He looked away briefly, then back.

"But then you showed up, dragging that suitcase into my life, waking up the next day with that messy hair and burnt toast, and everything changed. You’re not good with alcohol, and that makes me wonder every day how you even manage to trip over air while sober. I can only imagine what you’d be like drunk.

I used to think you were a timid girl with a shy personality, but every time Cassius asked us to do something, you always surprised me. I keep learning different sides of you each day. And somehow, all of that made the silence go away."

Zephany blinked at him. Her face softened.

"I didn’t plan on any of this either," he added. "But if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I don’t want this to end in a year. Not if we can help it."

She didn’t answer, just kept looking at him, eyes glassy.

Kendrick hesitated before asking, "Is it okay if we don’t figure it all out tonight? If we just take it one step at a time?"

Zephany gave a small nod. Then she let out a soft laugh, a breathy thing full of nerves.

"I never thought I’d be this sappy."

He reached over, slowly, and took the plush duck from her arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving your arms a break. You looked like you were going to drop the duck."

She chuckled. "It’s not that heavy."

"Still." He cradled the duck under one arm and held the penguin in the other. "Let me carry the weight for a bit."

Zephany stared at him. Not just at his hands or the way he looked ridiculous holding oversized toys, but at the quiet way he always knew when to step in. When to back off. When to simply stay.

"You’re... surprisingly good at this."

"At what?"

"Making me feel like I matter. Even when I’m panicking."

He shrugged. "Maybe because you do matter. You’re even so good at ring toss."

She laughed, the sound lighter this time.

They stood there for a moment longer, the quiet settling around them again. But it was different now. It wasn’t heavy or uncertain. Just quiet. Peaceful.

Zephany finally said, "Okay. One step at a time."

Kendrick looked at her. "You sure?"

She nodded. "But you better not make me regret it."

He held up the penguin like a solemn oath. "I swear on Mr. Waddles."

She laughed again, and this time it didn’t feel so guarded.

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!