35. Amias
THIRTY-FIVE
AMIAS
"I was in a car accident when I was eighteen," Naya explained, "There was a fire."
My mother's eyes shifted between me and Naya.
I knew my mother. She'd already lost my brother Leander when she'd driven his first wife away and made sure he married someone she approved.
He wasn't happy. His new wife wasn't happy.
Their kids were not happy. The person who was happiest was my brother's ex-wife.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Still, you should put on more clothes."
"My t-shirt that Naya is wearing is longer than Ann's dress, Mother." I walked Naya into the living room. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Sit, Amias. You just got back," Naya told me.
I dropped a kiss on her mouth. "Thanks, darling. But I can do this. Mother? Ann?"
My mother sat down on an armchair next to the sofa where Naya was sitting, uncomfortable as hell at being half naked, but I knew she wasn't going to budge.
I knew it when she'd announced to my mother and Ann that she lived here with me.
If I'd known having my mother challenging her would get her to move in with me, I'd have orchestrated this meeting weeks ago.
"I'll have a glass of white wine if you have anything open," Mrs. Westbrook said.
"Ah, there's an open bottle of a Meursault in the fridge," Naya told me, and I grinned. She wasn't showing off; she was being genuine, but I knew my mother would be surprised that Naya, who she probably thought was some ditz, knew her wine.
"That will be fine," my mother announced.
Ann sat down on an armchair across from my mother. "Ah…I'm fine."
"Naya?"
She picked up a glass of red wine sitting on the coffee table next to her laptop. "I'm good."
I walked up to the bar in the nook between the living and the dining room. I poured my mother a glass of wine, myself a scotch, and nothing for Ann.
I sat down next to Naya and wrapped an arm around her. "Well, this is a surprise."
"I was told you're dating someone and…I wanted to meet her," my mother announced.
"And, you, Ann? What are you doing here?" I asked.
She could hear the steel in my voice and recognized it. "I…I came with your mother."
"I'm guessing that Kara called you right after she saw Naya and me together, and you called my mother to tell her how inappropriate Naya is. Am I right?" I sipped my scotch as I looked from Ann to my mother.
"Darling, let's not discuss this in front of others," my mother disapproved with her pursed lips.
"Naya and I live here, Mother. Ann and you are the others," I reminded her.
"You asked her to move in with you?" Ann all but screeched the words. "You wouldn't even let me stay a couple nights in a row, Amias."
"Naya isn't you, Ann. My relationship with her is different from the one I had with you.
And you know this because I'm sure Kara also let you know that I'm waiting to propose to Naya.
" I kissed my Little Warrior's forehead when I could see how difficult this confrontation was for her.
She wanted to burrow into me, hide her face but she was holding herself steady under tremendous pressure. My respect for her only increased.
"Waiting for what?" my mother demanded.
"Waiting for her to be ready to say yes. If I asked her now, she'll bolt."
"I won't," Naya hissed.
"Really?" I cocked an eyebrow.
"I'll just say no." She was glancing at her feet now, and I hated that, so I put my hand on her thigh and squeezed gently. Her eyes lifted to me.
"I know, and that's why I'm going to wait until I know you'll say yes."
"Why wouldn't you say yes?" My mother took umbrage that anyone could refuse a Westbrook.
"Ah…we've only been dating since December and…I'm…I'm not ready."
Before she could look away, I squeezed her thigh again. Yeah, baby, just focus on me. The rest of the world doesn't matter. I got you.
"What are you waiting for?" my mother asked surprised.
"I…" she looked at me, and I nodded, "I don't trust him fully yet."
"What?" my mother gasped. "How dare you say that? Do you know my son has never asked a woman to live with him? Do you even know what a big commitment that is for him?"
"Vivianna?" Ann was now shocked that my mother had done a 180.
I knew my mother, and she didn't. My mother had just found out that I was in love, and this was her only chance of me getting married and providing her with grandchildren.
And the scars on Naya's legs may be ugly to people like Ann, but my mother would see it as I did, a sign of toughness and resilience.
"Ann, he's in love with Naya. I didn't know he was in love. He hasn't talked to me about her. Why haven't you, Amias?"
"Because Naya isn't ready, Mother, and I didn't want you to come here and ambush her," I ground out.
My mother set her half-drunk glass of wine on the table next to her chair and rose. "I'm staying at The Four Seasons. I'd like to take you and your…fiancée out to dinner."
"Girlfriend," Naya corrected at the same time as I said, "Future fiancée," and Ann cried out, "What's happening?"
"Come on, Ann." My mother stood next to the woman she'd wanted as a daughter-in-law and knew she wouldn't any longer.
"Vivianna?" Ann looked stricken.
"He's in love with her. He was never in love with you. Those are the breaks. Why don't I introduce you to some excellent and available bachelors in New York, Ann?"
My ex-girlfriend stood up and, with a forlorn look, walked in front of my mother to get to my main door. She opened the door, and my mother turned to me and said, "Let's say seven at the Four Seasons?"
"Yes, mother."
Once the door was closed, Naya let out a breath and began to breathe like she'd gone on a run.
"What was that?"
"I think, darling, that was Vivianna Westbrook welcoming you into the Westbrook family."
"And I just decided to move in with you without even asking you." She dropped her face in her hands.
"Come here." I urged her to me, and she leaned into me, her head on my shoulder. "You love me, Little Warrior?"
"I do."
"I love you too."
"This place is too big," she finally told me.
"Okay. Let's look for a smaller place. And you can decide where you want us to live."
She sighed. "I can't afford?—"
"Shut up, Naya."
"You can't just do that whenever we talk about money," she protested.
"Okay, fine. Let's talk about money. You have very little. I have a whole fucking lot."
She chewed on her lower lip, something she did when she was nervous.
"You're used to nice things, and I can't…don't yell at me…afford those. It feels wrong for me to have them because I'm with you."
"Okay. Let's flip the situation. Say, I didn't have a lot of money and we were together, how would you feel if I slap at you every time you try to give me something? Would that hurt you?"
She looked stricken. "Oh, Amias. I never meant to hurt you."
"But you are." Fuck it. I'd use emotional blackmail to get her where I wanted when she was unreasonable about irrelevant shit like money.
Granted, if I didn't have much, I wouldn't think it was irrelevant, but it was when it came to our relationship.
"Wouldn't you want to share what you have with me?
Why won't you let me share what I have with you? "
"I don't want people to think I'm with you because you're rich."
"Who gives a fuck what people think? I care about what very few people think. You think Darren would think that?"
She shook her head.
"Hayes?"
She shook her head again.
"My friend Jackson wouldn't think that. If your father was alive, would he think that?"
"No. Absolutely not. He knows me."
"So, the people most important in your life and mine know we're together because we love each other. And if someone does think that, they don't deserve to be in our lives. Most importantly, you and I know why we're together."
"I love you, Amias."
"I know."
She kissed me then and straddled me. "I never ever thought this would happen."
"Neither did I. I never thought I'd be this happy in a relationship. This giddy that I want to spend all my time with you. I thought that was some shit that happened to teenagers, not grown-ass men. And here I am, wanting you in my bed when I come back late. Wanting you all the fucking time."
"I meant I never thought you'd notice me," she said wistfully and broke my heart.
"I did notice you, Naya. I fell in love with you."
"Do we have to get engaged right away?" The panic in her eyes was not soothing my ego.
"You want to make sure we last a little longer before you commit to more?" I asked.
"I'm so sorry."
"Baby, no more of that. You take your time. Just do it with me. Will that make it easier for you?"
I cupped her ass and stood up, holding her to me. I walked to our bedroom and nibbled on her lips. "Now, I'd like to fuck your brains out to celebrate our moving in together."
She laughed softly, and I fell even more in love with her.
"I think I'd like that, Amias."