Chapter 43
Cal
Gen’s hand flies to her mouth as she gasps loudly.
I slap my thigh in delight. ‘Fuck, yes, mate.’
‘Ah, that’s amazing,’ Zach says, reaching over to slap Rafe heartily on the back. ‘I’m so happy for you both.’
‘She hasn’t said yes yet,’ Rafe reminds us.
We all scoff, because the idea of Belle turning him down is frankly ridiculous, and he knows it.
‘Done deal,’ I tell him.
‘I hope so. Obviously, I couldn’t have told you with Maddy around.’
‘Um, nope,’ Zach deadpans. No one knows better than him that his girlfriend is as indiscreet as she is effusive. ‘I’ll have to pretend I didn’t know. She’ll be furious if she thinks I knew before her.’
‘Tell us the plan,’ Gen demands, clasping her hands over her crossed legs.
He clears his throat. ‘I was going to take her abroad, but I couldn’t work out how to get the ring through security at the airport without her spotting it.’
‘Valid point,’ I say, nodding. I love that my ex-playboy mate has himself tied up in knots over proposing to his girlfriend.
‘So I’ve hired out the Wallace Collection for next Friday evening,’ he says, ‘and I’ve got a string quartet booked.
We’ll have a stroll around, and I’ll propose in one of the rooms, and hopefully she’ll say yes, and then we’ll stroll some more, I suppose.
Enjoy some champagne. Just… let it sink in. I dunno.’
We’re all quiet as we take in his plan. I can’t say I’ve ever been to the Wallace Collection, but I know it’s a small, private art gallery in a gorgeous mansion near Marylebone. It’s presumably the perfect place to propose to Belle, who’s an art dealer and very passionate about her field.
‘It’s bloody perfect,’ Gen says, and I don’t miss the catch in her voice. ‘Oh, wow. Well done you. She’s going to love it.’
‘You think?’ Rafe asks, scratching at his stubble.
‘Absolutely, mate,’ Zach tells him as I say, ‘She’ll be in pieces. Like Gen said, it’s perfect.’
‘God, I really hope so,’ Rafe says. ‘I think it’s what she wants—marriage, I mean.
We’ve discussed it, you know? In an abstract way.
It’s just—she’s so young. Part of me feels guilty about tying her down so early.
I’ve sown my oats, and then some. Marriage is so final for her. Maybe it’s selfish, but I can’t wait.’
Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me this morning? There’s a prickling at the back of my eyes, and I blink it away in a panic.
‘It’s not selfish,’ I tell him. I feel strongly about this.
‘It’s wonderful, and it’s exactly what Belle wants.
You know she’s never had this inclination to play the field.
She adores you. You’re her entire world, and her future, too.
So what if she’s young? I say you’re both lucky. You get plenty of time together.’
‘Maybe,’ he says. ‘I just—fuck. I can’t wait to start a family with her. But I’m so conscious that we’ll be on my timeline, because I’d love at least one kid before I’m forty. Whereas she could easily wait another decade if she wasn’t with me.’
‘I hear you, mate,’ Zach says, exhaling heavily.
‘I feel so guilty about that too. It tears me apart, actually. I mean, Maddy’s living with me and the girls so she ends up acting like a de facto stepmum, and it kills me.
As you say, they’re so young. I kick her out the door to go and have fun as much as I can, but she says it’s what she wants, and she talks about babies incessantly.
I just hope I haven’t totally ruined her youth. But I get it, I really do.’
‘Stop it, you two, you hear me?’ Gen says.
‘I have never seen two young women more in love than Maddy and Belle are with you two old fools. So, for God’s sake, stop worrying and give them a little credit to know what they want.
I agree with Cal. They’re lucky to have found such happiness so early on.
Anton tells me his biggest regret is that he didn’t meet me earlier, and I honestly feel the same.
So go forth and marry them, and knock them up, and build beautiful families with them, and for fuck’s sake allow yourselves to be happy. ’
‘Hear, hear,’ I echo emotionally. ‘You’ve got this, mate. She loves you. She wants this. Go and woo your girl.’
‘Right,’ he mutters. ‘I’ve got this. Fuck, I’m terrified.’
‘You’ll all drop like flies,’ I predict. ‘This time next year, all three of you will be married.’
‘And Gen will have four step kids,’ Zach says with a cheeky side eye at Gen. We all giggle like schoolboys, because Gen’s never made any secret of her total lack of interest in ever having children.
She doesn’t deny that marriage is on the cards.
I suspect the Big Bad Wolff has made his intentions clear already.
When he wants something, Anton Wolff does not mess about.
Instead she says, ‘Well, at least they’re all sixteen and over.
And the Terrible Twins live with their mother, so it could be worse. ’
‘God help them, getting landed with a wicked stepmother,’ Rafe drawls, and I snigger.
‘She’ll be the wickedest.’
Gen glares at me. ‘You. Don’t you have some fuckboy grovelling to do? Get out of here. And you’d better take your best flower game, too.’
I don’t need to be told twice.