Chapter 25
It’s five to six and we’re sitting inside her car outside the address Jeremy gave me.
“Are you ready?” Chelsea asks.
I rub my hands on my jeans. “No. I’m terrified.”
My stomach is twisting and turning the closer I come to meeting his family. Everyone who is important to him is here.
But giving up, or hiding in the car, is not going to help me. I exit the car, put my bag on my shoulder, and grip my hands together.
“Where”s the present?” Chelsea asks.
“Oh.” I step back and open the passenger door again. The gift is sitting on the floor.
“How did I miss that?” I mutter to myself.
“I’ve never seen you like this.”
I flick my gaze to her. “I’ve never felt like this.”
Chelsea comes to stand beside me. She rubs my arms up and down. “I’ve got you.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be fine as soon as I’ve said hello.”
I nod. “Stop worrying if they are going to like you. There’s a man in there I cannot wait to meet. I know he cares for you, and you care for him so if they have a problem with you, then they will have a problem with me.”
My heart explodes at her protectiveness. She’s like the sister I never had. “You’re seriously the best, Chels. Thank you.”
We hug.
I exhale a big breath and turn to face the front door.
“Let’s get this show on the road.”
Speaking of. “What time are you meeting up with Bobby?”
“At seven. If that”s okay. I still feel bad for leaving. You know Bobby,” she adds, nibbling her lip.
I do and he”s a douchebag. I want to tell her for the hundredth time. But I know in time his true colors will come out and she will see what we all see in him. There’s someone more deserving of her out there than him.
“No, thanks for coming. I told Summer not to cancel her plans because I’ll have him come for dinner next week and meet you both properly.”
“Good idea.” Her eyes move to the door then her watch and back to me. “Well, let”s head inside, it’s six on the dot now.”
I nod and walk to press the bell, giving Chelsea another last-minute panicked look.
The door opens and I instantly feel better.
Jeremy’s standing there looking tall, powerful, and sexy. I melt when he flashes me a smile that reaches his eyes and shows off those lines along his cheeks up to his brow.
I didn’t expect him to answer the door but now that he has, I’m so damn grateful. My gaze drops to take him in—black jeans that hug his frame, black linen shirt rolled up to the elbows revealing dark hair that sends my pulse racing. He stands there, effortlessly gorgeous, a silent invitation in the doorway.
“Hi,” he says in a smooth, low voice, his eyes holding a magnetic pull that draws me closer.
“Happy birthday,” I say, closing the distance between us with a new-found eagerness. My lips touch his, and I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling the warmth of his hands on my lower back as he pulls me closer. Our eyes lock, and in this moment, I finally feel grounded.
“You smell good,” he murmurs into my hair.
My hair is down and wavy today. I step back, tuck a piece of my dark hair behind my ear and offer him a small bag. “Here.”
He looks at the bag, and then back at me, his expression a mixture of curiosity and a hint of something more. “I said no gifts.”
“I had to,” I argue with an amused tone.
He will like this gift.
The corner of his lip lifts. “You found a gift. I’m shocked, but I’ll open it later.”
As he takes the bag from my hands, his fingers brush mine and send a rush of electricity up my arm.
“Good idea,” I breathe.
He grins wider. He understands it’s meant for no one else to see.
“This is my friend Chelsea.”
My eyes flick between the two.
Chelsea stares warmly at him. And just from the face she’s wearing, I can tell she has a good feeling about him.
But when her eyes meet mine, I see her eyes are misty.
Panic floods me. I want to ask her what’s wrong, but she shakes her head.
She faces Jeremy with a smile. “Hi. I’m Chelsea. Nova’s roommate.”
He extends his hand with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Come in and meet everyone.”
“Is everyone here already?” I whisper.
“Yeah. But they haven’t been here long.”
Shit, I better up my game if I’m going to impress him and his family.
We enter the house and pressure builds in my chest as we walk closer to the sound of people talking.
It’s not as loud as I thought it would be.
If Chelsea wasn’t here, I’d be dripping in sweat. I would never have thought to bring a friend along when meeting a guy’s family for the first time.
We walk across the rich hardwood floors to enter the living room, which leads to the luscious green backyard.
The same patio he rang me from the other day.
The doors that lead to the patio are open, allowing me to see how far the garden goes. The whimsical path design complements the herringbone hardwood floors inside.
There are no coverings on the arch windows. The natural light beams into the house. There are big pendant lights, smart appliances, and greenery in every room.
Five people—four men, and one older woman with white hair––are scattered in the open living and dining room. They engage in conversation while holding glasses of alcohol or nibbling on the charcuterie board resting on the coffee table.
The entire room falls silent as we enter.
“Not subtle at all,” Jeremy grunts, clearly annoyed.
They quickly try to go back to talking as if we hadn’t entered the room.
Chelsea giggles beside me. It makes me laugh too.
“Come on, you two, let’s start the round of introductions,” Jeremy says.
“Can we get you drinks first?” A sixty-year-old brunette in a pair of black pants and a navy shirt asks.
“Thanks, Mom. I totally forgot to ask them,” Jeremy says.
“That’s okay,” she says.
“Mom, this is my girlfriend Nova and her friend Chelsea,” Jeremy says.
I can’t help but look at him when he says girlfriend. It’s a weird feeling. But the sparks between us are palpable.
“It’s lovely to meet you both.”
I smile and Chelsea and I both say, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
He never mentioned her name.
“Eliza.” She smiles, knowing he forgot to mention it. “You’re both so beautiful. And I’d say I’ve heard a lot about you Nova, but I haven’t.” His mom looks at Jeremy. He doesn’t seem phased.
“I wanted her to myself.” He shrugs.
“Now you have to share her,” his mom replies.
“I know,” he mutters. Not happy about that either.
“What can I get you two ladies to drink?” Eliza asks.
She bears a resemblance to Jeremy in the way she looks at me.
“We have wine, beer, whiskey, soda, water, tea.”
“What my mom is trying to say is that we have everything,” Jeremy says, irritated.
“I’d love a glass of wine,” Chelsea replies. “A small one. I need to drive.”
“Should you be drinking at all?” A tall, dark-haired man stands next to Jeremy.
Has to be a brother or his cousin based on the fact he looks similar to Jeremy but younger.
“I’m twenty-seven. Not twenty-one,” Chelsea says, in a sickly-sweet tone.
Now if you didn’t know Chelsea, you’d think she was being polite. But that tone in her voice means she’s annoyed.
“Harvey, don’t be rude to the guests,” Jeremy sneers.
“Yes, as your mother I’m embarrassed,” Eliza adds in a deeper tone. I think I’m witnessing her mom”s voice.
“Hey, calm down, everyone. I’m playing. I’m sorry…” Harvey pauses with his hand toward Chelsea, gesturing for her to say her name.
“Chelsea,” she says with a tight smile. Yeah, she doesn’t like him. She shakes his hand but is quick to remove it.
“I’m sorry, Chelsea I was teasing. I probably should’ve waited until I got to know you,” Harvey says.
“Probably a good idea,” she replies smartly.
“I’d love a white wine too,” I cut in, talking to Jeremy’s mother and wanting to shut this conversation down.
“This fucking idiot here is my youngest brother,” Jeremy says.
“I heard that!” a voice calls out from the living room.
Jeremy winces. “Grams has the best hearing, and she hates swearing,” he explains. “Sorry Grams.” He shouts.
“I’ll be back.” Eliza wanders off.
“I’ll give her a hand.” Chelsea follows.
“She’s upset, right?” Harvey asks.
“Are you seriously asking? Isn’t that obvious?” Jeremy snaps, smacking the back of his head.
“I don’t know women.” Harvey shoves his hands in his pocket.
“Clearly,” Jeremy adds.
“Looks like we need to be introduced too.” Two other guys slide up next to Jeremy. One squeezes Jeremy’s shoulder, the other nods beside him.
Jeremy looks at me. “These are my other brothers, Evan and Oliver. This is Nova, my girlfriend.”
Eliza and Chelsea arrive back with drinks.
“Thanks,” I say, taking the glass. I immediately take a sip, enjoying the fruity Riesling.
“Evan and Oliver, this is Nova’s friend Chelsea.”
Oliver steps forward, his hand ready to shake hers. “I’m one of Jeremy’s younger— “
“And dumber,” Harvey teases.
“Great, there”s more of you,” Chelsea mumbles to me. Then drains half her glass.
I smile into my wine glass before drinking some more.
“What do you do for work, Nova?” Oliver asks.
I move my gaze to his to answer. “I’m an accountant.”
“Impressive.”
“What about you?” I ask.
“I own Lincoln Gallery.”
“Nice.”
Evan is quietly standing there. He doesn’t say anything. He’s not angry or scary looking. He’s obviously the quiet one. Happy to assess the situation and only speak when spoken too.
“Evan, what do you do?” I ask, wanting to get to know him.
“I’m the CEO of Lincoln Media.”
“I’ve heard of that. The paper has been around for many years,” Chelsea says.
“Look at all of you. Good jobs and good looking,” I say.
“Only me, right?” Jeremy cuts in.
“Settle down. We don’t want your girl.” Oliver chuckles.
“Just clearing it up.”
“No need. I’ve only got eyes for you,” I say.
Jeremy winks.
“Cue the sick bag,” Harvey says.
The corners of Evan’s lips slightly curve up.
“Oh, you two are so cute,” Eliza says.
We all stand in our circle, some holding alcoholic beverages and some soda.
I’m enjoying myself so far. Everyone in his family has been welcoming and lovely. My gut instincts don’t raise any alarms about rudeness, or any unsettling vibes from anyone.
“Remy, introduce me to your girlfriend.”
I blink rapidly.
Remy…
The nickname I use for him.
The one I googled.
He never said a word.
I’ve noticed so far no one else has called him Remy, including his mother and brothers.
“Let’s go introduce you to the final link in Lincoln, baby.” He winks.
Why does that one line make my stomach twist? The nerves are eating me alive.
I put my glass of wine down and take his outstretched hand. I refuse to show my anxiety. I swallow hard and follow the voice from the living room. She’s sitting on the beige fabric sofa when we stand in front of her.
Her hair is white, short and styled as if she just left the salon. She’s dressed in a collared pale blue dress, white cardigan, stockings and shoes.
So elegant and beautiful.
“Grams, this is Nova. Nova, this is my Grams, Iris.”
His hand touches my back in a comforting manner.
I smile warmly at the woman who is so dear to him.
“Hi Iris, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard wonderful things about you.”
His grams’ eyes widen, and she tilts her head to look at Jeremy.
“Is that so?” she says.
“Nice things, Grams,” He cuts in.
“Of course,” I add.
She brings her eyes back to me and smiles.
“Well, come on and let”s get to know each other.” She takes my hand and waves Jeremy away.
I want to laugh. Jeremy’s face is full of uncertainty. It’s like he doesn’t know what to do.
“That sounds lovely,” I reply.
“I guess I’ll—”
“Go find your brothers. We won’t be long,” Iris says as an order.
I bite the inside of my cheek to prevent a laugh. She is the boss of the family. I can see it.
“It’s so lovely to meet you, Nova.”
I smile. At least her genuineness is helping me calm down.
“It’s wonderful to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about y—” I reply honestly.
“About my cancer you mean.” She says with a knowing expression.
“He did open up to me about that when I told him about my dad.”
Her brows pull together. “Your dad?” She squeezes my hand.
I look down at our joined hands.
My eye pricks and I look up to her.
“He has colon cancer.”
Her head dips. “I’m so sorry. When was he diagnosed?”
“Three months.”
“Does he have a good prognosis?”
“He’s stage three.”
“He’s young. He won’t be going anywhere. He still has to watch you grow up, get married and have children. That’ll be enough of a reason to stick around.”
Those words are what I hope for.
There are milestones in my life I want him around for. So much, like getting a job. That was just a start to many positive things to come.
“Is that what is the most important for you too?”
Her head dips. “Yes, my grandchildren. My boys mean the world to me. I want them all to find love and happiness and I hope I get to be around to see them all get that.”
She speaks so much about love that I wonder…
“I hope this isn’t too personal...”
“Never. Ask away.” She squeezes my hand again as a way of encouraging me.
“What happened to your husband?”
A soft sigh leaves her lips. “He died of a heart attack ten years ago. But he was the love of my life. We had been together since we were 17.”
My heart swells at how her face lights up at the mention of him.
I can see on her face that she likes to talk about him.
“Do you miss him?”
“All the time. It’s the part of the afterlife I’m excited for. I want to go to him.” Her eyes shimmer.
I hope to feel that way someday.
Could it be with Jeremy?
I hope so.
“I see the way Remy looks at you.” I stare at her confused, not knowing which look she’s talking about. “He’s falling for you.”
“He is?” I ask in shock. He hasn’t said anything or done anything that makes me think he’s in love with me. At least not yet.
“Hard. I’ve never met any of Remy”s girlfriends.”
“None of them made the cut.” I laugh.
“He wouldn’t bring you to meet me if he didn’t see a future. You must be special.”
Based on how he’s treated me so far, I can envision a future with Jeremy as well.
“He’s a rock I didn’t know I needed. He’s also the lightness that I wanted. Learning about my dad’s diagnosis changed my life. My days feel better with him around.”
“He’ll be there for you. He needed you in his life too. In all his success, he hasn’t had this aura. With you he’s glowing.”
My chest feels tight. “I feel the same way about him.”
“I’m excited for your future. Now go to him because I can’t stand him staring at us for a second longer.” She giggles.
I peer over my shoulder to find him staring at me.
I smile at him, giving the reassurance he clearly needs.
He’s definitely stressing over there. His wide stance, hard lines, and hands buried deep in his pockets give him away. His face settles a little as he turns to his brothers and parents.
I haven’t met his dad yet, so I’d like to get up and do that. Also, I need to find Chelsea.
She’s due to leave soon.
I turn back to Iris and smile. “Thanks for the chat. I’ll go back to him now.”
I stand and she nods with a knowing look.
I wander back over to the kitchen where Jeremy is. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. I sink into his body, welcoming the warmth he’s giving me.
He leans into my ear. “What did you two talk about?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I tease.
His hand curls around my waist bringing my body closer to his. “I can’t change your mind on telling me?”
“Nope, that won’t work.”
He chuckles and he moves my arm.
“Worth a try.”
I know he’s tense and vulnerable, so I decide to give him something.
“She was just getting to know me. Everything about my job, my family, and my dad.”
I don’t want to give away everything we shared. All that matters is we get along and that she knows I care deeply for Jeremy.
“Where’s Chelsea?” I tilt my head back and ask him.
“She went out the front a while ago.”
My heart rate picks up. This isn’t like Chelsea, unless her dick of a boyfriend bailed on her again. Dammit, if he has, I think I’ll lose it. I can’t sit back and watch my friend be treated this way.
“I’ll be back. I need to check on her.”
“Of course. Do you need me to come?”
I shake my head. “No, it’ll be better if you don’t. I’ll fill you in later.”
He caresses my lips in a kiss. “Go find her.”
I slowly slip out of his embrace and move to the front door. I pull it open and step out, pulling the door behind me closed. A breeze picks up and I wrap my hands around my middle as I take the stairs down the front porch. Her car is still parked out front.
I move and I’m about to call out her name when I hear voices.
I walk closer. I can see the back of Jeremy”s brother, Evan. A pair of hands loop around his back. He’s rubbing her back, up and down.
The woman peels back, and I almost topple over. Chelsea.
Why would he be comforting her?
I want to ask.
But I think she needs another man to show her the good out there. I don’t know a thing about Evan, but knowing his family, I can say he is a better man than her current shitty boyfriend.
Instead of interrupting them, I turn around and return inside.
I head straight back to Jeremy’s side.
“Did you find her?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“Is she okay?”
“She will be,” I say with hope.
“Ready to meet my dad?”
“Yeah, let”s go,” I say with a smile.
Sebastian is quiet and sweet. Not the least bit scary. Actually, come to think of it, no one in his family has made me uncomfortable.
Except for his brother Harvey. He’s a bit of a dick. But only one out of all the ones I met today are pretty good odds.
“Dinner is served,” Grams calls.
I twist to look at the front door, wondering if Chelsea is coming back in, but I don’t know.
Should I get her?
But just as I think about going, Evan steps through the door and closes it behind him. His face is blank so I can’t get a read on him.
I don’t know much about his brother other than he’s quieter.
My phone sounds. I pull it out and see a text.
Chelsea:I went home. So sorry. I’m not feeling well.
Nova:Oh no. Do you need me to come home?
Chelsea:No! Stay. Enjoy Jeremy”s birthday. He’s lovely. I’m so happy for you. :)
Nova:Thanks. If you need me to leave, just text me.
“Is everything all right?” Jeremy asks.
I twist my head to look at him. “Yeah. Chelsea left.”
“Do you need to leave?” he asks. I blink up at him.
He understands how close I am to my friends; they”re like my family.
How did he know that was the right thing to say?