Forced to Marry My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 7

Shawn's week went by in the blink of an eye after the disastrous events on Wednesday. He supposed it was because he had kind of been dreading going to his parents for Jenni's birthday dinner. He had promised he wouldn't bring Phoebe and he wouldn't. She had been very understanding too, realizing it was going to take some time to repair her reputation with Jenni, and James, and then create a relationship with her. That was one issue taken care of for this weekend, but he still wasn't that thrilled about facing James and Jenni. He had a feeling James had been avoiding him because they usually hung out a few days a week after work, and if they couldn't manage that, they always had lunch together. James had made excuses the last two days for not making lunch and had somehow even managed to avoid seeing him almost entirely.

He understood where James was coming from, Jenni was his sister and he had never taken lightly to people harassing her. Honestly, Shawn hadn't either but this was different and they were going to have to find a way to move on. Shawn decided he'd had enough of this and went to pick James up a little earlier than they had decided so he could talk to him before the dinner. He got to James' apartment and knocked once before letting himself in. He walked back to the kitchen where he found a shirtless James having a drink.

"Um hello, your about 45 minutes early." James said pointing to the clock.

"Yeah I know but you've been avoiding me all week and I think we need to talk. I'd rather not have Jenni acting as a buffer so you can keep ignoring me so here I am."

"Well I've got to get ready so make yourself at home."

"Oh please, it takes you all of five minutes to get ready. You can spare ten minutes to talk to me."

"Shawn, I really don't think we have anything to talk about."

"I get it, you're pissed at me about Jenni's birthday and I'm sorry I had no idea Phoebe knew her. She never mentioned her and I didn't know they even went to the same school we had only ever talked about where she graduated from."

"That's not the issue Shawn. Even after finding out what she did, you still decided that Jen had to forgive her and then before you thought better of it, you ditched us all for this woman you've been dating for a couple months. I thought Jenni meant more to you than that. I thought she was your family as much as I am but you really disappointed me with how you handled the whole thing."

He knew that James was mad but he hadn't realized he was this upset about it. He wasn't sure what to do. He did care about Jenni but Phoebe was it for him, there was no denying it. "James, I really don't know what to say. I will talk to Jenni more about this but I can't leave Phoebe. We've only known each other a few months but in that time I've felt so happy and carefree with her. She is my endgame man and I don't know how to reconcile that with you and Jenni. You're my best friend, and more than that, you're my brother. I don't want this to create a wedge between us so please tell me what I have to do."

"You have to talk to Jen, make this right with her. I'll always be your friend and brother but she's my sister and we're all each other has left of our family. You can't ask me to look the other way about something that will hurt her this badly."

"I won't and I get it man I do, I'm going to talk to Jenni I promise."

"That's all I ask. Now I actually do have to go get ready because Jen wanted to stop and get some flowers for Grace before we get there."

Shawn felt a little better and he really thought that he would be able to get through to Jenni if he just had an open and honest conversation with her. He could do this, they would get through it and he would be able to move on with Phoebe. After James was finished getting ready they headed over to Jenni's to pick her up. She was a little more quiet than usual but that was to be expected. Shawn knew she was feeling like he betrayed her somehow, but he would make it up to her. They were in each others lives for good so there was no way they could go on like this. They stopped to pick up the flowers and then headed to his parents' house.

"Are you excited for your birthday dinner Jenni girl?"

She looked at him with a faint smile on her face, "Yes, I feel like it's been forever since I've seen Grace and Tim I miss them. I talk to Grace at least three times a week but it isn't the same. I miss when your dad was coming to the city every day, he isn't much of a phone person," she chuckled, "I'm lucky if I can get him to shout me a hello while I'm talking to Grace."

"That's him, mister personality. How he managed to lead an entire company through multi-million dollar deals while being borderline scared of the telephone is beyond me." They all laughed at that and Shawn felt a little better as the tension eased. After their 45 minute car ride they pulled up to his parents estate and Jenni hopped out of the car as soon as she saw Grace and Tim come outside. She ran right into their arms and hugged them for what seemed like 10 minutes. Shawn and James followed. After greeting James, while keeping a respectful distance because they knew he didn't like to be touched, they turned to Shawn.

When he stepped up to give them both a hug he was surprised to see a look of concern in his mother's eyes. She avoided looking at him as she grabbed his dad's hand and then asked him to follow them to his grandfather's room. Their home was huge and his grandfather had an entire wing to himself. He had moved in with his parents not too long ago after falling and breaking his hip. He was doing better now but he needed the constant company that his parents busy house provided him. It was hard to see his grandfather in such a weakened physical state but his mind was as sharp as ever. As they entered his wing though, he immediately knew something was wrong as he heard the buzzing and beeping of machines and saw a few women in scrubs milling about.

"What's going on?" He demanded.

"Shawn," his mother took his hand. "Your grandfather hasn't been doing well. He fell again a couple of days ago and the doctors found a mass in his brain."

"Why didn't anyone call me" he roared, cutting his mother off. They knew how important his grandfather was to him. He helped raise him after his father took over the company and worked his ass off to expand it into what it is today. He spent every weekend with him, and more than his share of days and nights as well.

"Honey" Grace said, "he didn't want us to. He knew you were coming over today and he wanted to tell you himself." She said choking back a sob. "We couldn't deny him that, not when he's in the shape he's in."

He understood but he felt his parents should have had him come over sooner then and not waited until today. "Fine just let me see him now." He walked into his grandfather's room to see him attached to a number of different machines. He looked pale and frail, not at all the man he remembered him looking like, even from a few weeks ago. He couldn't believe it was the same man he was looking at.

"Grandpa" he whispered to him. He opened his eyes and looked at Shawn.

"Shawn, my boy how are you doing today?"

"I'm good, but why didn't you tell me what was going on? You should have called me. I would have come home sooner."

He waved his hand at him, "No point in all that when I knew you were coming here anyway. But there is something important I must talk to you about."

"Of course what is it?" He was curious to know, especially since both his mother and father were now looking anywhere but at him.

"I'm not doing well son, and I don't know how much longer I have left. I was hoping you would pull your head out of your ass one of these days but I can see that's not going to happen without giving you a little push. You're 32 and the CEO of the company, you need to settle down and I want to see my favorite grandson married before I'm six feet under."

This was certainly not what he had expected him to say but maybe it was fate. Maybe he had met Phoebe at the exact right time. He knew he wanted to marry her someday. He could just speed up the timeline. He would do anything for his grandfather, absolutely anything. s**t, he wished he would have brought Phoebe with him now. "Actually grandpa -"

"Now hold on a minute and hear me out" he cut him off, "I want you to make me a promise right here and now. I want your word as my grandson that you will marry Jennifer. I have a contractual agreement here that allows for the dissolution of the marriage after six-months if the two of you aren't happy by then."

Shawn stared open-mouthed at his grandfather not believing what he was hearing. His parents didn't look surprised, so they knew he was going to ask this. "I don't understand grandpa why Jenni, why now, I'm in a relationship now with an incredible woman I think you should meet her."

His grandfather waved him off again. "I've heard all about this woman you're dating. Don't give me that look I may be old but that just means I've had time to make more connections than you have boy. She's not right for you, Jennifer is. I need you to make me this promise here and now."

"I don't know if I can do that. Please ask anything else of me and I'll do it."

"Shawn, this is what I need from you."

"Why? I don't understand."

"You don't have to right now but-"

"Dad," his father cut in, "maybe this isn't the best idea. Shawn is in a relationship just let him continue that and maybe they can talk about an engagement or-"

"No" his grandfather all but yelled, "it's Jennifer or no one. Shawn, please don't let me meet my maker without seeing you married to that girl. Six months is all I ask to try to make it work."

He couldn't believe this. Phoebe was the one he wanted to be with. How could he leave her for Jenni? Six months wasn't that long, but would Phoebe ever forgive him?

"Shawn I hate to do this to you. But I'm still a majority shareholder in the company and I'm willing to call a vote of no confidence in you as the CEO and hand the company over to your cousin if you don't do this."

Shawn saw red, Jenni was costing him not only his relationship with Phoebe but also his company. He didn't care if his grandfather was a majority shareholder, it was his f*****g company now.

"At the end of the six months, regardless of whether or not you remain married my shares will transfer to you and you will become more than just the CEO. What is your answer Shawn, will you grant me this last request?"