Chapter 22 #2
Victoria whirls on me. “Listen, we don’t need to pretend.
My mother invited you here, and I’m going to deal with it to respect her and because this day is about me, not you.
But I know that wasn’t some old friend you were catching up with at the bar.
And no, I don’t think you’re cheating just because I saw you in public with another man.
I think you’re cheating because the second you spotted me, you got a guilty-ass look on your face like I caught you stealing meds from a nursing home.
Like I caught you pulling the plug on a coma patient.
Like I caught you kicking a malnourished puppy. Like—”
“I get it,” I cut in.
“Noah has already been through a lot, and he doesn’t need you putting him through more shit.” Her tone softens, even as her features remain steely. “If you don’t want to be with him, then cut him loose.”
Aries is right. I’ve tried playing nice with Victoria, and that’s gotten me nowhere.
I’m done trying to prove myself to her. If she doesn’t like me, fine.
If she doesn’t trust me, that’s too damn bad.
But I’m done letting her get in the middle of me and Noah.
I’m done with her trying to drive a wedge between us, and I’m done with her accusing me of being someone I’m not.
“I know you’re coming from a good place, but all I can tell you is that I’m not Naomi, and I would never treat Noah the way she did. I’m not cheating on him. I care about him. A lot. And no matter what you do or say, I’m not going anywhere.”
Several beats of silence pass, and I don’t break eye contact with Victoria for a second. I’m not backing down. I’ll stand here all night if I have to.
At last, her mask cracks and she nods once. “Good. That’s what my brother deserves. I’m still keeping an eye on you, though.”
I shrug. “Do what you want. I have nothing to hide.”
“I hope that’s true.”
Victoria starts to head for the door, but I cut her off. “Since we’re not pretending anymore, why were you crying?”
“I wasn’t—”
“No. We’re done with the bullshit, remember?”
A corner of Victoria’s mouth lifts the tiniest bit. Holy shit. Victoria is smiling. At me. “You know, I like this side of you. Way better than the perfect-sweet-dainty-woman act.”
“I’m multi-faceted.”
I’m not sure she’s actually going to cave until she heaves a sigh and drops back onto the bed. “This is just . . . not how I pictured it.”
“Your bridal shower? I did think it seemed . . . not really you. There’s not a single flower.”
“Right?” Victoria brightens, like someone is finally validating the feelings she’s been keeping bottled up.
“It’s so over-the-top and ridiculous. Nothing’s going right.
The engagement, the shower, the wedding planning.
Carson doesn’t give a shit, his mother is trying to live vicariously through me and plan the wedding of her dreams, not mine, and look at this ring.
Look at this fucking ring.” Victoria holds it about two inches from my face.
“My hand hurts hauling this thing around.”
“I mean, it is a beautiful diamond.” I can’t think of anything more comforting to say, and I’m not sure Victoria is looking for consoling as much as an opportunity to vent.
“It is. It’s also gaudy and inconvenient and not me.
I’m always wearing gloves. I constantly have my fingers in someone’s mouth or buried in dirt.
I don’t even wear the thing most of the time because it’s a hazard.
And it’s not like Carson even picked it out—his mother did.
He told me that. While proposing. He didn’t care what I would think about my ring. ”
I wince. Her fiancé didn’t even pick out the engagement ring on his own? If he was going to consult any woman on which ring to purchase, it should’ve been his girlfriend, not his mother. “Yeah, that’s—”
“But of course, I can’t say any of that because then I’m the entitled bitch who isn’t grateful for a ring that probably cost my fiancé twenty thousand dollars. Excuse me, cost his parents twenty thousand dollars.”
I’ve never been a fan of Carson, but this situation is so much worse than I realized. I’m starting to think Victoria’s animosity—while borne out of a genuine concern for her brother—may not be entirely about me or Noah. If I were in her shoes, I’d probably be lashing out too.
My knee-jerk reaction is to continue to tiptoe around her, to bite back the honesty and tell her what she might want to hear, but if dealing with Victoria has taught me anything, it’s that it’s better to speak your mind than bite your tongue out of fear of the consequences.
“I hate to ask this, but since we’re being honest .
. . have you thought about calling off the engagement? ”
Victoria finally meets my eyes again, dragging her gaze up from the plush carpet.
For the first time since I met her, the fierce, fiery glint is gone.
She looks . . . defeated. And it makes my stomach sink.
I’d rather deal with the defiant, bold, brash version of Victoria than the disappointed, heartbroken version.
“Only about five times a day. But we’re literally a month away from the wedding, his parents have invested tens of thousands of dollars already, and what will I do after we break up?
Live alone forever? I don’t like living alone.
Sure, it’s peaceful, but I want someone else to take out the fucking garbage. ” Her voice hits a pitchy octave.
I’m shocked Carson actually takes out the garbage. “Do you and Carson live together? I may have accidentally gone into a room that looked like his, and it seemed pretty lived in. Does he have a brother?”
She shakes her head. “He’s an only child. He basically splits his time between my house and here. He’s been saying he’ll move in since we got engaged, but he keeps putting it off.”
Hesitantly, I close the distance between us and wrap an arm around her shoulders.
She frowns up at me like I’ve just placed a frog in her hair, and I quickly retreat.
“I know we haven’t known each other long, and my opinion means nothing to you, but I really think you shouldn’t base such a huge life decision on whether it will inconvenience other people.
His parents chose to spend that money; you didn’t force them.
But it’ll be a lot easier to end an engagement than a marriage. ”
Victoria sniffles before standing and clearing her throat. “Yeah. Anyway. I really hope you were being honest about that guy at the bar.”
I wish I could tell her I was, but I can’t. Because I did lie to her. John-Ron-Sean wasn’t an old high school friend. But I can’t be honest with her now. If I am, that’ll give her another reason to believe my relationship with Noah isn’t real. So I don’t say anything at all.
“Noah really seems to care about you, and if you’re sticking around, that must mean you feel the same way. Just . . .” To my horror, Victoria’s eyes glisten with tears again. “Just please don’t hurt him, okay? He’s been through enough.”
Part of me thinks that Victoria isn’t only talking about Noah right now, but I don’t push my luck. “Hurting him is the last thing I want to do. Besides, Aries warned me about your right hook.”
She lets out a surprised bark of laughter. I’ve never heard her laugh like that. Loud, open, free. “Don’t worry, I haven’t punched anyone since middle school. But I’m not above smothering someone in their sleep.”
“That’s fair.”
When the door opens, we both jump.
Noah sticks his head in, smiling as he glances between us. “Vee, Carson’s mom wants you to cut the cake? I thought that was supposed to happen at the wedding.”
“Are you really complaining about cake?” She rolls her eyes and brushes past him.
In the doorway, she pauses and turns back to me, holding up the gift from Aries. “Thanks.”
Without another word, she storms down the hallway, leaving Noah and me alone in the quiet corner of the house. Something tells me she wasn’t only thanking me for delivering the gift.
Maybe Victoria and I won’t be best friends anytime soon, but at least she doesn’t seem to completely despise me anymore. Hopefully.
“How did that go?” Noah wraps his arms around me and rests them on my hips like they belong there. Somehow, it feels like they do.
Something in my chest swells. At the ease with which he touches me.
The way he always has a smile for me, even when he has a wound in his ass cheek.
The way his gaze always seems to find mine, even in the most crowded room.
The way his scent wraps around me every time he’s close and simultaneously gets my heart beating harder and makes me feel completely at peace. Home.
“About as well as you would expect,” I tell him. “But I think she hates me a little less now? Don’t quote me on that.”
“She doesn’t hate you, Summer. No one could. That’s impossible.” How does he always know the right thing to say? He smirks. “So when are we shopping for rings?”
“I can’t believe you said all of that in front of your mom!”
“I can’t believe you said that in front of my mom. She’s convinced we’re getting engaged tomorrow, by the way.”
“Tell her we need to wait until we’ve been together for at least a year.”
“A year?” His eyes nearly bug out of his head.
“A year isn’t that long.” My cheeks warm. Are we seriously discussing this? Or is this just part of the joke?
“A year is torturously long when you already know she’s the woman you want to marry.”
I’m stunned into silence. There’s no way he just said that.
Does Noah actually want to marry me? He must be joking.
We haven’t known each other that long. We haven’t even been in a real relationship for long.
We just had sex for the first time last night.
He’s obviously kidding, playing along with the engagement joke from earlier.
Finally, I manage to squeak out, “Sure you do.”