Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
NATALIE
“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you were able to fly in for the bridal shower,” Gina said, placing the last gift on the floor.
She acted like there was a chance I wouldn’t come. I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, but isn’t that what friends do? They make time for each other and support one another.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” I told her while unbuttoning my jacket. I didn’t mention that there were a few times where I was uncomfortable during the shower.
Most of the people were friendly, and maybe I was being paranoid, but I thought I heard a few whispers from the wives and girlfriends of the players, commenting on how they couldn’t believe I was still in the wedding party. They didn’t understand how Gina and Hudson could allow me to be a part of their lives now that I was no longer dating Hudson’s best friend.
“We haven’t talked much since you moved. How’s Atlanta? Meet any hot football players?” Claudia wiggled her eyebrows playfully .
I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to answer that. We didn’t keep secrets from each other. We’d been friends for years, and in all that time, never once did I go out of my way to hide something so significant from them.
“Atlanta is great. I love my job.” I followed her and Claudia into the living room and flopped onto one of the recliners.
“Is there a reason why you didn’t answer the second part of that question?” Gina’s eyes met mine as if she could see right through me. I wiped my hands down my dress, deciding it was finally time to come clean. “I need to tell you both something, but you have to swear that this stays between us.”
“You know you can tell us anything,” Claudia said gently.
It didn’t feel that way for some reason, but these two were my best friends. If I couldn’t confide in them, then who could I trust?
I took a deep breath and met their eyes. “Remember my one-night stand in Vegas?”
Claudia stared at me, blinking. “You’re pregnant?”
“Nope.” I would have laughed at the expression on her face if the truth wasn’t just as crazy. “I married him.”
There was a moment of stunned silence. Gina’s mouth fell open while Claudia’s wineglass froze midway to her lips.
“Wait, what did you just say?” Gina asked, covering her heart with her hands.
“I know this is a shock, but I didn’t know how to tell you guys,” I said quickly. “And I know this sounds insane, and it’s unexpected, but there is something about him that just feels right.”
Claudia sat forward. “What the fuck possessed you to get married to a stranger? Were you even in the right state of mind?”
This was where I was torn. While my marriage might not have started out with the best of intentions, I felt guilty admitting that. It wasn’t something I wanted to acknowledge or accept. Rhett and I have come a long way since that night.
I scratched my head, pausing for time. “I don’t know how to explain it to where it will make sense. Things happened so fast. Neither one of us was thinking clearly. There are circumstances, and I don’t want to get into too much detail, but just trust me when I tell you I know what I’m doing.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Gina asked. Now that the initial shock had worn off, hopefully, they would ease up a bit with the interrogation.
“It’s really complicated,” I said, hoping they would both understand. I knew they probably wouldn’t. They’d been disconnected from my life for a while, and they had no idea how much progress I’d made over the last month.
Gina lifted a brow. “This is pretty fast, don’t you think? You just broke up with Levi two months ago.”
I couldn’t even be mad at the comment. I was a rule follower. I did things by the book. I stayed in my lane and usually approached things with caution. This was completely out of character for me.
“It was unexpected, but that’s not even the worst part.”
“And now I’m confused.” Gina frowned. “How can this possibly get any worse?”
Taking a deep breath, I placed my nervous hands on my lap. “It turns out he plays on my uncle’s team.”
“I fucking knew it,” Claudia shouted, and my head snapped to hers because there was no way I heard her right .
“If that was the case, then why didn’t you say anything to me?”
My mind went back to that night and how she pointed him out to me. She knew exactly who he was when she dared me to flirt with him. I wasn’t sure if I should be pissed or grateful.
She had the decency to look guilty. “Because I knew you wouldn’t have gone after him.”
“Wait, who is it?” Gina asked.
I curled my hands around the arm of the chair and cleared my throat. “Rhett Daniels. He’s a tight end for the Atlanta Arrows.”
Gina blinked. Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. “Rhett Daniels? I thought his name was Theo?”
“Theo is his real name, but he never uses it. He gave me that name when I didn’t recognize him.”
“I recognized him.” Claudia smiled from ear to ear.
Gina shot her sister a dirty look before turning her attention back to me. “Let’s circle back to what happened that night.”
I sighed. “After we left the club, we ended up having a few drinks in a lounge at one of the casinos. We ended up talking about Levi and our breakup. He took pity on me when I told him about your wedding and how I was going to be uncomfortable. After a few shots of tequila, he suggested we get married, and I take him as my plus one. But now everything is a mess because Beau still has no idea.”
“So, this is some type of arrangement, and it’s all pretend?” Gina’s eyes bent together as if she were trying to understand this better.
I sighed, breathing a bit easier now that the truth was out. “It started out that way, but now that I’ve gotten to know him, I want more. ”
“So, what’s stopping you?” Claudia’s voice was filled with concern.
That was such a loaded question. I wasn’t sure how to answer that because I was still trying to understand it myself. “Uncle Beau made it clear that there was no mixing business with pleasure. I’m terrified of how he would react. He’s always been supportive of me, but he will be furious if he finds out.”
There was a sense of unease gnawing at my insides. I wasn’t even worried about myself at this point. Rhett had more to lose than I did. I would never be able to forgive myself if he got traded to another team because of me.
“I can’t believe you felt like you had to keep this from us.” Gina looked hurt.
“Did you honestly think we would judge you?” Claudia asked, coming over to sit beside me.
My mouth opened and closed. Did I tell them that, yes that’s exactly what I thought? I loved them, but for some reason, things have felt different since Levi and I split. I couldn’t shake the feeling that our friendship was on the verge of falling apart.
Since Vegas, the only time they have reached out to me was if it was about the wedding. Not once had they checked in to see how I was doing. Not a phone call or a text, just emails about dress fittings and wedding accommodations.
Granted, the phone worked both ways, and I was just as guilty for not reaching out. In my defense, my silence had more to do with keeping my marriage a secret than anything else.
“I didn’t want you to worry about any more drama before the wedding.”
Gina’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you. There is already enough going on as it is. You’re not seriously still thinking about bringing him to the wedding, are you? That would only make things worse.”
My throat felt dry, so I picked up my wine, feeling the need to do something with my mouth before I said something I’d regret. That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for. “Actually.” I set my glass down; my frustration had reached its maximum capacity. I was sick of biting my tongue and worrying about avoiding a confrontation. “I am planning on bringing him. I assumed if Levi got to bring a plus one, it would only be fair that I was awarded the same courtesy.”
Gina leaned forward and frantically started playing with her engagement ring. “Yes, but Levi is a mutual friend. We don’t even know this guy.”
I wasn’t trying to be insensitive to her feelings, but the fact that she would even say that to me made me angry.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. You must have forgotten that Levi knocked up another woman while we were together,” I said harshly. “So, explain to me why he’s allowed to bring a guest and I’m not?”
I had no idea how this escalated so quickly. Gina was supposed to be my friend, and it was the first time I felt like she didn’t value our friendship as much as I did.
Claudia leaned forward and put her hands out. “Okay, Natalie has a point. It’s not fair. We’re all adults here. Everyone can just stay in their corner and behave. It’s one night.”
Gina pointed a finger at me in warning. “Fine, but please, no drama.”
“I’m not the one you need to worry about,” I reminded her.
Once everyone calmed down, we took out the wedding planner and started going through what was left to do. Gina’s lack of approval was casting a shadow on my newfound happiness, and I was growing sick and tired of sacrificing my own voice just to appease her. Claudia did her best to steer the conversations into lighter topics, but I could still feel Gina’s judgment weighing me down.
I had the seating chart spread out in front of me when my phone buzzed with a new text.
A smile split my cheeks when I opened it.
Rhett
Just wanted to let you know that the strippers just left, and the keg is almost gone.
Me
Damn, sounds like I missed all the fun.
Rhett
How’s the wedding madness going?
Me
It’s insane.
Rhett
See, getting married in Vegas is so much easier.
Me
You’re not wrong. I think Gina is pissed at me because I bailed on drinks last night.
There was a happy hour for the wedding party at a local pub, but I skipped it. Instead I lied and said I had work to catch up on. I knew Levi would be there and I didn’t want to risk it.
Rhett
She seriously expected you to sip drinks with Mr. I’m A Cheating Asshole ?
I laughed.
Me
Crazy right?
Rhett
Just try to keep busy until I get there.
Me
Five days feels like forever. I wish you could skip your golf tournament and get here sooner.
He was playing in a celebrity tournament, so I wouldn’t see him until the big day.
Rhett
Are you missing your husband, wife?
Me
I’m counting down the days.
Rhett
What’s the plan? Are you going to hide away in your hotel room every night until I get there?
Me
Well, I am working remotely this week, so at least I have a valid excuse.
Rhett
Try to have a little fun. But if you get bored and need me to send you a dick pic, or something like that, I would be happy to send one.
A laugh sprang free when another text came through.
Rhett
You’ve got this. I’m just a phone call away if you need me. Also, don’t freak out, but I moved all your stuff into my room. We’ll talk about it when I see you on Friday. Bye…
I closed out the chat with a renewed sense of calm. Rhett always knew how to make me feel better. If he expected me to freak out about him moving my stuff into his bedroom, he was going to be in for a pleasant surprise.
Being away from him had provided me with some clarity. And I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I told him that I was ready to take the next step with him.