Glitz & Goals (Venom Next Gen #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Vivian

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Grady tells me.

I bite back a smile as I stare at his image, projected by my watch. “You realize that will mean picking me up at home, right?”

“In front of your parents.” Grady’s smile is lopsided and self-effacing. “Yeah, I know. Noah hasn’t punched me in the face yet, so that seems like a good sign, right?”

“There’s still time for that. Maybe he’s playing the long game. We’re going out to dinner, right?”

“You bet. I have reservations and everything.” He blows me a kiss before we hang up, and I let out an embarrassingly lovestruck sigh. Good lord, I adore that man.

I’ve barely lowered my hand when Jaime grabs my shoulders. “You’re going on a real, official date!” He shakes me a little for emphasis.

At his side, Mia pretends to wipe away a tear. “I’m so proud. You communicated!”

“Details, please!” Jaime cries.

So much has happened in only a few days, but I decide to give them the short and sweet version. “We’re no longer hiding the relationship, and he’s going to see a doctor about the fertility stuff during the off-season. We want the same things. Thank God, because it’s gone so far past dating. I really love this man.”

Jaime pulls me into a hug, and Mia wraps her slender arms around both of us.

“I’m so happy for you!” she squeals. “And you’re seeing him tonight?”

“I am,” I mumble into Jaime’s shoulder. “After work. He’s taking me to dinner and picking me up in front of the parents and everything. I can’t think of a single thing that would make this more perfect.”

“I can,” Mia says.

Jaime shushes her.

I wriggle free of their combined hug. “What? What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Jaime says, still staring daggers at Mia. “We just want you to have fun tonight. Right?”

“Right.” Mia bobs her head.

I look back and forth between the two of them. “Am I missing something?”

“No!” they chorus in suspicious unison.

There’s no time to keep questioning them, though. The director calls for an all-cast meeting, and they both scurry off, taking their secrets with them.

I spend the rest of the day distracted and dreamy. I’ve spent a huge amount of time with Grady over the last few days—I even took time off—and now that he’s cleared to go back to work, and I’m sure cleared for other things, I already miss him.

I can’t wait to see him tonight.

* * *

From the moment I get home, Mom’s all over me.

“Do you want me to help you pick out an outfit?” she asks. “And you should let me do your makeup, too.”

I evade her attempts to fluff my hair. “It’s just a date, Mom. God, you’re acting a little sus here.”

Mom pouts. “Come on, Vivian, it’s been ages since we did this. Let me help.”

I cave. I can’t resist a Mom pout. She’s too adorable, and I genuinely like being around her. Besides, it’s nice to sit down with her and gossip about Grady now that she knows the truth. She’s got lots of questions, and it’s such a relief to be able to talk about the guy I…

Love.

Definitely love.

I should probably tell him that tonight.

Mom brushes bronzer across my cheeks. “I had a feeling that something was going on with you two that day his dog got out. I’m glad you’ve found someone you care about, who seems to care so much about you.”

I scoff, with my eyes still closed. “I don’t need to be dating someone, Mom.”

“I know.” She starts on the other cheek. “I know that you’re happy to be single. Which is why it feels like such a big deal that you’ve found someone you want to be with. I was the same way, you know. Well.” She chuckles. “I didn’t love the celibacy part of being single. And I was lonely before I met Noah, but I’d rather have been lonely and self-sufficient than have rushed into a committed relationship just for the sake of dating.”

The brush taps against the countertop as she sets it aside. Her fingers brush my chin, holding me steady.

“You’re so beautiful,” she whispers. “When did you get so grown-up?”

I open my eyes to find Mom staring back at me. Her eyes are full of tears. “I’ve been an adult for, like, thirteen years,” I tease. “I’m in my thirties, Mom.”

“I know.” Her lip wobbles.

“All this for a date?” I tease.

I’m making light of it, but in reality, I love that she cares so much about me. I love that this woman, with whom I share no blood ties, adores me so unreservedly.

“Sorry.” Her voice cracks. She releases my chin and flaps her hands in front of her face. “I’m getting all emotional, but you just look so… so much like your mother. I wish you could have known her. I wish I could have known her.”

I reach out and take her hands, stilling them in mine. “I may look like her, but you’re the one who made me who I am, Mom.” My voice wavers, but I push through, because she needs to hear this. “You’re the one who taught me how to stand up for myself, how to love fiercely, and how to laugh even when life feels impossible. You gave me all the good parts of who I am. You’re the reason I know what it means to be loved without conditions, without limits. You’re my mom, in every way that matters, and I’m so, so grateful for you.”

Her tears spill over, but she doesn’t let go of my hands. “Vivian…”

“I mean it,” I say, my own tears threatening to fall. “I’m the woman I am today because of you. Not her. You.”

She pulls me into a hug, holding me so tightly that for a moment, I can’t breathe. But I don’t care. I let myself sink into her embrace, letting it say everything my words never could.

I love this woman.

I hope that, someday, I’m as good a mother to my own child as she’s been to me.

Now we’re both getting emotional. It’s a relief when a voice from downstairs breaks the tension.

“Hell—ooooo! Vivian? Mom?”

I pull away from Mom and lift my hands to wipe at my eyes, remembering just in time that we just spent forever on my makeup and that I probably shouldn’t smear it all over the place.

“Vanessa?” I call back. What’s she doing here? I didn’t know she was coming to visit this weekend.

Mom and I hurry downstairs. My sister is in the living room, standing next to Viktor. Vanessa’s all dressed up. Does she have a date, too?

“Come on!” My little sister takes my hand and pulls me toward the back door.

I look to Mom for an explanation, but she just smiles.

“Nice to see you, too,” I say to Vanessa. “What’s going on? I’m supposed to be headed out any mi—”

My voice trails off when we step out into the backyard, which has been entirely transformed. Fairy lights hang from the umbrellas and the lattice above the deck, illuminating a porch awash in gnomes. In the middle of them sits a rather disgruntled-looking Blade, who thumps his tail against the deck when I approach. He’s wearing a gnome hat, with pointed ears sewn onto the sides, along with a pair of glittering fairy wings.

“Oh, goodness, look at you!” I hurry over to Blade to pet him. “This is so adorable.”

“Looks like he’s got somewhere to be,” Viktor observes. “And there’s too much bling on his collar, isn’t there?”

“Aww, poor boy, is it heavy?” I bend down to detach the thick, sparkly collar he’s wearing. When I straighten up again to examine the collar, I realize that there’s a box attached to the front with hot glue. I freeze. I know what’s in there, just like I know who arranged all this.

The dog pulls away and trots off. Blade pauses at the entrance of the Gnome Gloam, glancing over his shoulder like he’s waiting for me to catch up. My heart hammers against my ribs as I follow him, my feet crunching softly on the gravel path. Fairy lights twinkle between the gnomes, casting the whole place in a warm, magical glow. The Gloam has never looked more enchanting—or more suspicious.

And then I see it.

Right in the heart of the Gnome Gloam, surrounded by my army of quirky little statues, stands Grady. His suit fits him like a glove, but it’s the nervous, tender smile on his face that steals my breath. Blade ambles over to him and sits obediently at his feet, his sparkly collar catching the light.

I approach slowly, already expecting to find my man dropping to one knee. The suit he’s wearing fits him like a glove. He smiles at me and holds out both hands for mine. “Vivian—”

That’s all he can say before I fling myself into his arms, kissing his face with as much abandon as the night of his concussion. He doesn’t get a chance to speak again before I shout, “Yes! Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!”

Viktor, leaning against the open sliding door, rolls his eyes. “Dramatic. You didn’t even let him do the one knee thing.”

“Oh, shut up.” Vanessa pokes him in the ribs. “I think it’s cute.”

More lights come on, and I realize there’s a whole party set up on the pool deck. A small army of people are cheering for us: Mia and Jaime, a bunch of the guys from the team, Knight and Sofia, Ranger and Delilah, Dot and Camden…

Grady wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my cheek. “We’ll get dinner another night, I promise.”

“Of course we will,” I blubber through my tears. “Because we’re getting married! Are you sure you’re not still concussed? You’re doing this of your own free will?”

Grady just laughs and kisses my temple.

Blade is twining around and around our legs, whining as he goes. I doubt he can tell the difference between tears of joy and tears of distress. I comfort him with a scratch behind the ears. He drops his butt back onto the deck with a thump. When I look up again, Dad is stepping forward from the crowd. He’s not wearing a suit, but he still got dressed up for the occasion, in a button-down shirt I’ve never seen him wear and a pair of slacks that Mom must have picked out for him.

“I want to be the first to congratulate you,” he says, holding out his arms to both of us. He and Grady give each other one of those single-arm, backslapping hugs that make guys feel like they’re being friendly but not too emotional.

Screw that. I go on with both arms and bury my face against my dad’s chest.

“Hey, baby girl,” Dad says in a soft voice. He hasn’t called me that for ages, not since I told him it was “cringe” sometime near the end of elementary school. He wraps both arms around me and stands there for a long moment.

If I was blubbering before, I’m outright bawling now. I was too young to remember my birth parents, but my earliest memory is being held by my dad and feeling like we were the only two people in the whole world, like we had nothing and no one else but each other.

Then came Nanny Franny, and eventually Mom, and soon we started gaining family left and right. Now we’re surrounded by people who love us, people who chose us, people who would do anything to keep us safe and happy.

I pull away from him and sniffle a few times. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too, Viv.” Dad gives me a watery smile before stepping aside to allow a swarm of well-wishers to approach.

“I helped Grady pick the ring,” Sofia tells me. “His only requirement was that it had to have mermaid blue in it.” I haven’t looked at it that closely yet, what with all the crying and emotions and whatnot, but I thank her anyway.

“So much for being the heartless ice queen!” Jaime teases.

“I think you picked a good one,” Mia whispers, “but if he ever fucks up and does you dirty, I’ll gladly help you hide the body.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about him,” Vanessa scolds. “We’re going to need to catch up over coffee tomorrow. I need details! God, I feel so out of the loop!”

One by one, everyone offers their congratulations. I’m a little bewildered when Knight’s sister, Knova, takes her turn.

“What brings you here?” I ask.

Knova shrugs. “Eh, you know the drill. Your brother. Viktor needs help, and he calls me. He’s like a walking recessive trait. Congratulations. Hope you love the party.” She gives Grady a once-over. “And the man, I guess.”

That’s such a Knova statement that I can’t help but cackle.

The food is amazing, the drinks plentiful, the company delightful. Grady and I walk around the party hand-in-hand all night. There’s no secret texting anymore. There’s no need for it.

We have nothing to hide anymore.