Chapter 28 #2
“I’m good.” I instantly went on alert. Okay, she wasn’t in the middle of a disaster, but her cheerfulness alarmed me more. Nothing good ever came after that singsong tone. “You’re calling early.”
“Oh, I got up early because our nanny is off for the rest of the month and Charlie was making a fuss. Weren’t you, sweetie?
Yes, you were.” My mother cooed at him for a full two minutes before she remembered I was on the phone.
“Anyway, I’m calling because my C-section is scheduled for January—I’m sure I already told you that—and I’d love for you to be at the birth.
Your new half-sibling is almost here! Isn’t that exciting? ”
My jaw dropped. Was she serious? “No, you didn’t tell me that. Didn’t you just get pregnant?”
“What? Of course not.” She laughed. “I’m eight months along, Brooklyn. I thought you knew.”
“You didn’t tell me you were expecting until two months ago!”
“That can’t be true.”
“I have your text date stamped in my messages.”
“Oh, well…” My mother sounded out of breath.
The faint roar of the ocean filled the background.
“I’ve been so busy with Charlie and Harry that I lost all track of time.
Did I tell you Harry got promoted to president of his company?
Between that, the pregnancy, and the bathroom remodel, I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. ”
“It must be hard to be married to a corporate executive,” I deadpanned.
“It truly is.” My sarcasm went right over her head.
“Regardless, I was already twelve weeks along when I found out I was pregnant. You know my periods are irregular and I didn’t—Charlie, don’t wave at strangers, dear.
No. They could be bad people. What was I saying?
Oh, yes, my birth. You should come. London in January is miserable anyway, and it was so great having you around when Charlie was born. No one gets me like you do.”
All the warmth from my conversation with my dad evaporated. “I can’t just fly to California on a whim.”
“Why not? You moved to London on a whim.”
“It wasn’t on a whim. I applied to jobs here months before…you know what? Never mind.” I pinched my brow. The beginnings of a headache blossomed behind my temple. “Text me the details. I’ll see what I can do.”
Arguing with my mom was like arguing with a brick wall. She never backed down until she got her way.
“Wonderful. I’ll send them after Charlie and I get home from our walk on the beach. Say hi to Brooklyn, Charlie!” I heard his gurgling laughter in the background.
Everything in me softened. I opened my mouth to say hi when the call abruptly cut off.
She’d hung up.
I gritted my teeth. No matter how good a mood I was in, my mom had an uncanny knack for ruining it.
I fought the urge to throw my phone across the room. Instead, I texted the only person who could cheer me up and hoped to God he was free that afternoon.
Me: Can you meet me in Covent Garden in an hour?
Covent Garden during the holidays was jam-packed with tourists and locals rushing to fit in some last-minute gift shopping. That was precisely why I’d picked it.
I’d learned that alone time after talking to my mom was always a bad thing. Her voice would echo endlessly in my head, and I needed enough noise to drown it out.
Vincent was already waiting near the Christmas market when I arrived.
He wore a black coat and dark jeans with a black baseball cap pulled low over his forehead.
I couldn’t see his face from afar, but I’d have recognized him even if he was wearing a full ski mask.
The relaxed, confident posture and aura of self-assurance were unmistakable.
“No sweats and hoodie? I’m shocked,” I said when I got within earshot. “Don’t tell me you dressed up just for me.”
His smile flashed white beneath his cap. “I heard this is the spot to meet women during the holidays. Figured I’d give it a try.”
“I hate to break it to you, but look around. There aren’t many single women here. It’s family and couples central.”
“I don’t need a ton of options.”
“No?”
“No.” His dimple deepened. “I just need one.”
The way my chest fluttered from four simple words should be illegal. A smile spread across my face and stayed there as we slowly made our way through the crowd. The noise made it difficult to talk, so we settled into a comfortable silence instead.
It was wild to think we could go from having mind-blowing, neighbor-disrupting sex last night to this, but it worked. I’d had relationships where I only turned to the other person for one thing. Some had been for sex, some had been for comfort, and others had been for food and partying.
But Vincent encompassed everything. No matter the situation, I always wanted him there.
“My dad came by earlier,” I said when we reached a quieter corner of the market. “He told me what you said.” I gave him a quick summary of our conversation.
“I’m glad you two mended fences. Almost as glad as I am that he didn’t punch me.”
“What would you have done if he had?”
“I’d have dealt with it,” Vincent said. “At the end of the day, it was a choice. I chose you.”
I chose you.
It was one thing to hear my dad recount it. It was another to hear it from Vincent himself. He said it so casually, as if it was a foregone conclusion and he wasn’t the first person who’d ever chosen to put me first.
Something cracked open inside me. I breathed through the ache, but despite the icy temperatures, I was a pile of melted goo inside.
Vincent and I stopped at a hot cocoa stand for refreshments. We sipped our drinks and watched the other customers pass. It was a cozy, slow-paced day, which was what I needed, but I eventually brought up my mom’s call. I had to.
“I talked to my mom after my dad left.” I cupped my hands around my Styrofoam cup, letting the heat warm my palms. “She has a scheduled C-section next month, and she wants me to be there for the birth.”
“In California?” Vincent’s eyebrow rose. “Did you do that the first time?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I was still living in San Diego then, so it wasn’t a big deal. I should go again, right? It’s not like I have work, and it’ll be good to see Charlie. He’s my half-brother. It’s been a while since I’ve visited.”
Vincent frowned. He didn’t speak until we tossed our empty cups into the bin and resumed our walk through the market.
“Has she visited you since you moved here?” he asked.
“No, but it’s hard to fly with a toddler.”
“It’s also hard to fly halfway across the world to give moral support. Her husband should be there with her. He’s the dad.”
“He will, but she wants me there too. That’s my mom.” I stopped at a stall to examine a Santa keychain. I wasn’t interested in buying it, but it gave me an excuse to avoid Vincent’s shrewd gaze. “She’s the center of her world.”
“Sure, but she’s not the center of yours. You don’t have to drop everything and go running every time she calls.”
“Maybe not, but she’s still my mom, and I do miss Charlie. Even if the rest of the trip sucks, it’ll be good to see him.”
Vincent opened his mouth as if to argue more, but he was cut off by a jubilant exclamation.
“Brooklyn?”
We turned at the same time. Vincent’s face hardened into a scowl while I zeroed in on the familiar head of auburn hair bobbing toward us.
“Mason!” My voice lit with surprise. “Hi.”
Our texts had petered out after I turned down his dinner invitation. I thought he might resent me for rejecting him, but he looked genuinely happy to see me.
“Hey.” He grinned. “Fancy seeing you here. You too, Vincent,” he added.
Vincent gave him a tight smile in return.
“How have you been?” I asked, just to be polite. I liked Mason well enough, but I’d rather be alone with Vincent.
While Mason launched into a monologue about his life lately, my gaze latched onto the shopping bag in his hand. It was from a sports memorabilia vendor. A Blackcastle scarf and shirt peeked from a cloud of white tissue paper.
“You got into football after all, huh?” I said after he wrapped up his story about his company’s recent ugly-sweater-themed Christmas party.
“What?” He followed my gaze and blushed.
“Oh, yeah, everyone in my office is obsessed with it. I figured I should start watching if I want to fit in.” He fished the shirt out of the bag and thrust it at Vincent.
“Actually, I hate to ask this, but do you mind signing this for me? My boss is a big fan and he’ll flip out. I could really use the goodwill.”
Vincent’s closed-lip smile was even terser the second time around. “Do you have a marker?”
“Yep. One second.” Mason dug a Sharpie from his pocket. “I always carry one on me. Notepad too. Marketing ideas can strike at anytime.”
Vincent scrawled his autograph across the shirt with a little more force than necessary.
“Thanks!” Mason seemed oblivious to my boyfriend’s barely concealed hostility. “I won’t keep you any longer. I have a bunch more shopping to do. It was great seeing you both. Happy holidays.”
I waved goodbye. “Happy holidays.”
“I don’t like him,” Vincent said immediately after Mason was out of earshot.
I stifled a laugh at his grumpy tone. “You’ve told me that already.”
“Well, I’m reiterating my feelings. I really don’t like him.”
“Is this because he asked me out that one time?” I teased.
I meant it as a joke, but dull red washed over Vincent’s cheekbones. “No.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m not that jealous.”
“Okay.”
“I’d only be jealous of someone I considered a threat, which he isn’t. He looks like a Chucky doll come to life.”
I couldn’t contain my laughter any longer. “No, he doesn’t.”
“You’re blinded by the nice guy act. Trust me, that guy is weird.”
Before I could respond, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. A woman nearby was staring at us, slack jawed. She nudged her partner, who looked over at Vincent and did a double take.
Shit. Vincent signing Mason’s shirt must’ve tipped them off.
“Uh-oh. I think your cover’s been blown. No, don’t look,” I whispered fiercely when Vincent turned his head. “We need to get out of here before you get mobbed.”
The partner tapped one of their friends on the shoulder. The friend also did a double take when he saw Vincent. The trio started barreling toward us with determined expressions.
“Yeah. Definitely time to go.” Vincent grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd.
I looked over my shoulder. “Oh my God, they’re following us!” We picked up our pace, nearly bowling over passersby in the process. “That’s unhinged.”
“People are unhinged, especially during the holidays.” Vincent followed my backward glance. “Jesus, they’re fast! What are they on, cocaine?”
“Probably,” I gasped. I hadn’t planned on cardio today, but I felt like I’d been dropped into the middle of an action movie as we broke into a flat-out run through the market.
“Vincent!” the woman screamed. “Vincent, we love you!”
It wasn’t funny, but the absurdity of the chase forced a giggle up my throat. Vincent’s lips twitched, but he held in his laugh better than I did.
After what felt like an eternity—but was in reality less than ten minutes—we finally made it out of the market and into a quiet alleyway.
I didn’t hear the trio of fans screaming anymore, and when I peeked out around the corner, I didn’t see anyone except for an older lady with her dog and a teenage couple in matching beanies. “I think we lost them.”
I faced Vincent again, slowly catching my breath after our unexpected sprint.
That didn’t last long. It took only one look before we burst into full-bodied laughter at the situation. Getting chased and harassed by fans was a real problem for him, but fuck it, laughing was better than crying.
“Running away from overzealous fans together is a relationship milestone,” I said when we recovered our composure. I wiped a tear from my eye, my cheeks aching from how hard I’d laughed. “New couple goals unlocked.”
Vincent’s mouth curved again. “Couple,” he said. “I like the sound of that.”
My heart skid to a stop before beating in double time. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He framed my face with his hands and kissed me with slow, delicious thoroughness.
Just like that, I forgot about the chase, Mason, and even my mom.
I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him back, my body melting into his.
This might’ve been our second kiss in the streets after Budapest, but it was every bit as good as the first.