CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER twenty-nine
Noah was still talking with Gerard when David returned to the party. His cheek still hurt from the hit, but he had enough experience with getting hit to know when the aftermath would be noticeable. The cuts on his hand from his mother’s nails didn’t look any different from the marks he’d put there himself from picking at his fingers and cutting them on his teeth when he made himself throw up.
He spotted Caroline speaking with a group of her friends, but she broke away from them when they met eyes. Her smile didn’t flicker, so David knew his ruse was holding up.
“Thank you so much,” he said, giving her a hug. “That was the best gift I could have imagined.”
Caroline cocked her head as she pulled away. “Where are they?”
David shook his head. “They couldn’t stay. My father called and…”
Caroline frowned. “I understand. I’m sorry, David.”
David forced a smile. “Don’t be sorry. Seeing them for just a few minutes meant the world to me. They’re so excited about Pierre.”
He didn’t have the heart to even hint at the truth—his mother was right to be disgusted with him. Caroline would find out eventually, but for now, they could live in a world where David’s family wanted to be involved with their baby.
“I’m so happy you got to see them, at least,” Caroline said. “Do you want to meet the rest of my friends?”
David looked over at Noah, who was laughing at one of Gerard’s drunken jokes. “I think Noah’s parents will be here soon. I should be around to greet them.”
“Of course.” Caroline squeezed his hand and lingered there, scanning his face for a moment. “We’ll schedule time so your maman and sister can meet Pierre when he’s born, okay? We’ll find a way to involve them somehow.”
If only. His son would never know his family. What kind of damage would that do? Would he blame David for pushing them away, or Noah for changing David’s mind about Caroline?
That man . The ice in his mother’s voice cut him even in memory.
“Thanks,” he finally said with a nod to Caroline. “Noah and I will find you in a bit, okay?”
Excitement sparked to life in her eyes all over again. “Okay. See you in a bit.” She twirled away, returning to her friends. A few of them glanced his way with judgment behind their smiles.
He deserved that.
David approached Noah and Gerard, tracking Gerard’s teetering champagne flute.
“Can I steal him?” David asked as he approached.
“Sure, sure,” Gerard said with a dismissive gesture. “Discussing Le Mans, you know. Hey, you should drive in Le Mans with me! Both of you!”
“I don’t think I have the right license for that,” David said with a chuckle as he took Noah’s hand. “We’ll see you soon, Gerard. Thank you for all your help in organizing this party.”
Noah sighed in relief the second they were out of earshot. “I thought I would never get out of that. Thank you for saving me.” David smiled when Noah kissed his temple. “What was your surprise?”
“What do you want to eat?” David asked, pretending he hadn’t heard. “They have lamb kebabs. I was thinking we could share one?”
“That sounds good,” Noah said, his question lingering in his gaze. He never turned conversations away from food. “Maybe we can try the fruit bouquet too?”
“Sure. Are your parents close?”
Noah checked his watch. “They should be here in five. Let’s grab some food, though. Once my mum starts talking, you won’t be able to escape. She’ll give Gerard a run for his money.”
David didn’t feel like he was in control of his own body as they crossed the ballroom toward the food tables. It was like watching a party through a hallway, listening to muffled music and conversation.
His mother hated him. He would never see his sister or his nephew again. Holding Ulli for those few seconds was the last time he’d ever be near him. He understood Kristin’s side, of course. Her husband was a typical German businessman—all about the numbers and rules. He practically worshiped Klaus and the family money David had earned for them. Their whole town did. Kristin would lose her entire community if she burned that bridge.
And soon, David wouldn’t even have racing to distract him. Oxbow was taking that away, and Noah was letting them. His talent was all used up. Maybe that was just proof that his father was right—his championship really was a fluke.
“I wish lamb didn’t taste so good,” Noah said, pulling him out of his stupor.
David looked down to find he’d grabbed a plate. A lamb kebab was already on it, glistening with fat and calories he didn’t need or want.
Noah frowned. “Poor baby sheep. Kinda fucked up to have this at a baby shower, if you think about it.”
Kinda fucked up to have me here, if you think about it , David thought in reply.
Just a few more hours. A few more hours, and he could crawl into bed and rot until Noah dragged him to therapy or whatever the fuck. A few more hours, and he wouldn’t have to pretend anymore.
“Ah, there’s Mum,” Noah said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “Hi, Momma. Okay, we’re coming.”
Noah grabbed his arm. David watched his body move without being told—a passenger in his own life. He followed Noah toward the entrance, forcing his smile to be bigger so it crinkled his eyes like a real one.
This is your family, he told himself. But it wasn’t. This was a Frankenstein of too many people and too many parents. Noah was an extra appendage sewn on and told to belong.
No, David was. He was the fucked-up mess attached to all of this. He’d been stupid enough to get his girlfriend pregnant, cruel enough to dump her right after, and manipulative enough to drag Noah into his mess to play dad in a family he never wanted.
His stomach clenched at the scent of lamb. His father told him once that they killed lambs by surprise because panic made the meat tasteless. Somewhere, not long ago, an innocent little creature was slaughtered for their party. He could practically hear its confused bleating. Maybe it looked for its mother the way he had.
He blinked as a woman approached him. She had Noah’s curls, but they extended all the way down to her waist, streaked with gray. Her face was sun-worn and way more pale than David expected. Behind her, Noah’s father stood with a bewildered expression. He seemed to be where Noah got his fashion sense, though his father dressed strictly like an Italian.
“David,” Noah’s mother said, extending her arms for a hug. Margie. She went by Margie.
David shriveled at the memory of how cold his hug had been with his own mother. He should have known she didn’t love him the second she let out that sound of surprise when he wrapped his arms around her.
Stupid boy.
“I’ll take this,” Noah said gently, taking his plate.
“Hi,” David managed to say before Margie hauled him into a sweeping hug. She smelled like heavy perfume, and her body was soft, like his favorite pillow. Nothing like his mother’s sharp bones.
“I’ve been waiting so long to meet you in person, young man,” she said in an Australian accent, spinning him around. She had farmer strength, just like Noah had told him.
“Me too,” he said weakly. He fought not to cough at the perfume going down his throat.
She set him down. The room spun, but David kept his footing as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at Noah. “Oh, and hello there, son.”
“Hiya,” Noah said, greeting her with a hug. “Thanks for coming all the way here.”
“It’s good to visit,” Noah’s father said. David struggled to stop the gravity spin, still teetering like Gerard’s champagne. The little lamb kept bleating in the back of his mind, like a pulse.
Noah’s mother offered her hand to David with a warm smile—Noah’s smile. “Care to escort your future mother-in-law to meet Caroline?”
Mother-in-law? David cocked a brow and Noah let out a groan beside him, but his eyes twinkled with mirth. Of course Noah had already told them his plans to marry David. Noah’s family didn’t think he was being perverted for liking men. Noah’s family actually loved him.
What would Caroline think of them? She’d been so excited about David’s family, but what about Noah’s? David didn’t know if he could handle Caroline being upset with him tonight. His knees wobbled at the thought.
“How about we all chat first?” Noah asked. “We have all night to talk to Caroline.”
“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Margie said. “I’d just like to meet her at some point.”
Noah was thinking the same thing, David realized. He also thought Caroline was going to hate this.
Margie turned to him again. “How about we start with the gift table, then? Fernando has our present.”
“Sure,” David said weakly.
He stepped forward to take her hand, but the whole world slanted before he reached her. He paused, blinked twice, then doubled over and puked straight onto her dress.