12. Celeste
Twelve
Celeste
It’s Christmas Eve. I’m kind of sad we are heading home today. It’s been so much fun. When we get back, I’m going to introduce my new husband to Dad and Bailey. I hope they are understanding. I mean, we’ve only known each other a week. I know how utterly ridiculous it sounds, but we are madly in love with each other. When you know, you know. Why wait to get married?
I’ve been lying here for a bit waiting for Nathan to get off the phone. He’s been on business calls all morning. I get up and crack the door open to check on him. He has someone on speakerphone. I can hear the angry words spewing from the man on the other end.
“You get her to sign a post nuptial agreement right now! That way, when you divorce this slutty little gold digger, she won’t get a dime from you!”
I close the door and suck in a breath. Is that what Nathan thinks of me? Clearly, the man on the other line thinks that. I don’t care about Nathan’s money. I never have. I only care about him. Is he already planning on divorcing me? Was this all just a game to him?
I need air. I need to think. I need out of here right fucking now. I quickly dress and grab the bare essentials. I take my wedding ring off and set it on the nightstand, looking at it one last time. This was clearly a mistake. I wipe tears off my face as I race downstairs and hail a taxi. I book a flight home on my phone on the way to the airport. The price is outrageous, but since I won so much money, I don’t even care. I have to get away from Nathan. Even as I think that, my heart feels like it’s breaking in two. I spend the entire flight home crying my eyes out.
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I get home and spend the rest of Christmas Eve with Dad and Bailey. Nathan started blowing up my phone moments after I got in the taxi. I finally turned it off. When I turned it on a while ago, I had twenty-seven messages from him and the same number of missed calls. Now that I’ve had a little time to reflect, I realize I may have overreacted to what I overheard. I shouldn’t have run away. I should have stayed and talked to him. I hope he can forgive me.
Christmas morning, I busy myself baking cookies with Bailey. When she and Dad start getting a little too affectionate, I decide to go out for a bit. I go to the club to see Nathan but, of course, it’s closed. I have no idea what his home address is. I’ve been there, but I really wasn’t paying attention when we drove there. After I open presents with Dad and Bailey, I’ll just have to call him.
After a long walk in the park, I go back home. We all open our presents, and Dad ends up proposing to Bailey. It seems really quick, but I can’t really say much. I am so happy for them. I just hope we can all have a happily ever after.
While we are still celebrating, someone starts ringing the doorbell repeatedly. I suck in a breath as I open the door to a very angry looking Nathan. “Oh, shit. What are you doing here?”
He grabs by the waist and tosses me onto his shoulder. “Taking back what’s mine.”
Dad looks ready to come unglued. “Whoa, buddy. I don’t know who the hell you are, but you’d better put my daughter down right now.”
“I’m Nathan St. James; Celeste’s husband . I’m here to take my wife home with me where she belongs.” Dad and Bailey both look absolutely dumbfounded.
I need to talk to Nathan, so I don’t argue. “It’s fine. I’ll explain later. Love you guys.”
“Love you, too,” they both say.
“Hi,” I say weakly to Nathan’s back.
“Don’t “hi” me, sweetheart. We are going home to talk. Then I’ll decide on your punishment.”