by Street, K.
Nash fixed his eyes on me. “Maybe we should go.”
“I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me what the hell is going on.” I crossed my arms and stood my ground.
“You want to take this one, Baxter, or should I?” Nash asked coolly.
My father’s face flamed as red as the hair on his head, but he didn’t speak.
“I asked your father for his blessing; however, he’s convinced I’m not good enough for you.”
“You’re not! How can you not see that?” my father bit out. “She deserves better than you. For fuck’s sake! What kind of man takes a bribe?”
It was as if everyone in the room were frozen in time. Everyone, except me.
I turned to see my mother in the doorway, face perplexed and hand stretched toward me in a show of support.
My father stood there, self-righteous and indignant, the pulse in his neck jumping.
Then, there was Nash. His green eyes blazed with anger and swirled with regret.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and the hummus I had eaten earlier tickled the back of my throat. I crossed the room to the man who owned every part of me.
“Nash, what is he talking about?”
38
Nash - Ten Years Ago
Hard rain pelted against the glass windows of Jaxson’s Garage. The kind of rain that washed out gullies and eroded the earth beneath the grass, resulting in a muddy mess. I took my time, cleaning the lobby, wanting to give the rain a chance to slack off before I drove home in it. I just finished emptying the mop bucket and was storing it in the closet when I heard the door. We were closed, but I had forgotten to lock it.
My eyes landed on Macy’s father. “What can I do for you, sir?”
Mr. Caldwell reminded me a little of the Grim Reaper in his all black suit, minus the scythe. Only wetter and slightly more intimidating.
My eyes darted to his shoes.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
I would be mopping the floor again after he left.
He motioned to the chairs in the center of the room. “Have a seat, son.”
“All right.”
I sat first, and then he chose the seat directly across from me.
“Nash, you love my daughter. Is that a correct assumption?”
A sick feeling settled in my gut. “Yes, sir.”
“And you would do anything to ensure her happiness?”
“Of course.”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed an ankle over his knee. “You and I both know you aren’t good enough for Macy. You’ll only hold her back. You’re dead weight. Your father abandoned the family, your mother is a drunk—”
Anger heated my blood.
“You’ve made your point,” I gritted out.
Nothing he’d said was news to me. A blind man could see how fucking pathetic my life was. I had nothing to offer Macy, and I couldn’t take care of her. I didn’t even know how I was going to keep the lights on this month.
He steepled his fingers together and leaned forward in his chair. “You’re both young. Too young to be so committed to each other and too young to know what love is. You’re both children, for God’s sake.”
I mimicked his posture, except for the steepled fingers. “With all due respect, sir, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Your daughter and I love each other very much. Don’t you think I’ve done everything in my power to convince her to go to college down South?”
“No. No, I don’t think you’ve done everything in your power,” he spit. “I want you to break up with her. Tell her you don’t love her anymore.” He reached into his suit jacket and pulled something out.
“I will love your daughter until the day I die. Hell will freeze over before I tell her any different.”
“If you love her like you say you do, then you’ll let her go. Break her heart. Do whatever you have to do to make her hate you. I don’t care how you do it; just do it. It’s the only way she’ll leave.”
I gripped the arms of the wooden chair. It was the only thing that kept me from losing my shit and throwing him through the glass picture window.
Baxter stood and dropped the white envelope on the table. “I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.”
The bastard whistled as he walked to the door.
“She’ll hate you for this.”
He slowly turned around and pinned me with an ominous glare. “Don’t threaten me, boy. You won’t like the consequences. Macy won’t hate me, but if you manage not to fuck it up, she’ll definitely hate you.”
I sat in the lobby for what seemed like hours, staring holes in the envelope.
Every single word out of Baxter Caldwell’s mouth had been the truth. My life was a fucking mess, and it was getting worse every day. Macy deserved more than what I could give her. It was obvious to everyone; the only person who couldn’t see it was her.
While I mopped the floor for the second time tonight, I began to think of a plan.
And, before I walked out the door, I pocketed Baxter’s parting gift.
39
Nash - Present Day
Macy’s face turned ashen as she stumbled over to a chair and sat.
I crouched in front of her, reaching for her hand. “Bee, I never cashed the check. The day after you left, I threw it into a bonfire.”
Macy was quiet for so long; I wasn’t sure if she’d heard me.
“Baxter? What is he talking about?” Mrs. C asked.
“Sierra,” Baxter warned.
“Don’t you Sierra me. Is it true?”
“Yes! It’s true. One of us had to do something. A lot of good it did me.”
Macy’s eyes found mine. “How much?” she asked softly.
“What?”
“How much was I worth?” Her voice grew louder.
I shook my head. “Macy—”
She shoved the chair back and stood, nearly sending me onto my ass. “Tell me.”
“Ten grand,” I admitted, rising to my feet.
“Ten thousand dollars? Really, Daddy?” Macy crossed her arms and glared at her father. “I have to tell you, I’m a little insulted.” She turned to me, her gaze not quite as hard. “Nash, you should go.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Baxter chimed in.
I ignored him and stood in front of Macy. I skated a thumb along her jaw and hooked it under her chin, lifting her eyes to mine. “I told you, I didn’t take your father’s money.”
“And I believe you, but you should have told me. I can’t do this with you, not here. Right now, I need to talk to my parents. Alone.”
“All right.” I relented, but I wasn’t happy about it. “How will you get home?”
Sierra came to stand next to her daughter. “I’ll make sure she gets home safe.”
I cupped Macy’s face and tenderly kissed her lips. “Bee …”
“Please just go. We’ll talk later.”
I exited the room, and Sierra hurried behind me. When I made it to the door, she placed a hand on my arm to stop me.
“Nash, I’m so sorry. Baxter. The check. I didn’t know,” she rambled.
“It’s okay, Mrs. C. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
I twisted the doorknob and stepped over the threshold. Then, I turned back to Macy’s mom. “I love your daughter.”
“I know.”
“See you later, Mrs. C.”
“Drive safe.” She waved me off and closed the door.
I got in my car and drove over to Macy’s.
40
Macy
I stared at my father in disbelief.
“You were a child, Macy. You wouldn’t listen to reason. Something had to be done.”
“So, you tried to buy him off? How very Shakespearean of you.”
“Do not take that tone with me, young lady.”
I never wanted to roll my eyes so badly in all my life.
“He never cashed the check, did he?” I knew he hadn’t. I believed Nash with my whole h
eart. I just wanted to hear my father say it.
“I don’t see how that matters.”
Anger clawed its way up my throat like a caged beast breaking free of its confines. “Answer me!”
“No, he didn’t. But that doesn’t change anything.” He swiped his hand through the air like a knife.
My mother walked into the room, compassion and remorse written all over her face. “How about we all take a deep breath and try to calm down?”
Her words fell on deaf ears.
“I love him, Daddy.”
“Love doesn’t put food on the table.”
“You’re right; it doesn’t, but hard work does.”
“He’s a mechanic, for God’s sake.” He threw back the rest of his bourbon and went to the bar cart in the corner of the room. With his back to me, he filled his glass.
“Stop belittling him. In case you’ve forgotten, your best friend works in a bar,” I retorted. “That isn’t exactly a white-collar job.”
“You’re right. Your uncle Mack owns the bar. He has a business degree, and he signs the paychecks.” He carried his drink over to his chair and took a seat.
“Do you hear yourself? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound? You act like Nash is a pauper. You should be more concerned with how he treats me than whether or not he makes a six-figure salary. I can’t believe you tried to pay him off.”
My mother took the seat beside my father. “Macy, sit down. Let’s discuss this rationally. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”
Is she fucking kidding?
Dad pointed a finger to an empty chair. “Listen to your mother.”
“I’ll stand. Thank you.” I crossed my arms, mentally counted down from ten, and took a deep breath. It took all my willpower to keep my tone even as I fixed my eyes on my father. “I am twenty-eight years old. I take care of myself, and I pay my own bills. Contrary to what you might think, you don’t get a say in how I live my life. It took a lot of guts for Nash to come here tonight and ask you for my hand. He did it out of respect. But make no mistake; the decision isn’t yours to make. It’s mine and mine alone. Don’t make me choose between you and Nash, Daddy. Because Nash will win every single time.”
My father remained quiet, staring into his drained glass.
Maybe he needs to worry less about me and a little more about his drinking habits.
I turned my attention to my mother. “I’m going to grab my purse from the kitchen. I’ll wait for you in the car.”
I had just crossed into the hall, but I was still within earshot.
“Baxter, you will fix this. You will make it right. There is no way I’m going to lose our daughter because you can’t get your judgmental head out of your pompous ass.”
Her words shocked me. I had never heard her speak to my father that way. I almost turned on my heels to high-five her.
Soon, Mom and I were in her car, driving to my house.
She glanced from the road to my face. “I’ll deal with your father. Don’t worry. He’ll come around.”
I stared straight ahead. “I hope you’re right.”
Neither of us said much after that.
I was surprised to see Nash’s car parked in the drive when we pulled up. I should’ve known he’d be here.
I leaned over to hug my mom.
“I love you, Macy.”
“Love you, too, Mom. Call me when things settle down,” I told her as I opened the car door.
“I will,” she promised.
I waved as she drove off.
Tonight sucked in the worst way, and as pissed as I was at my father, I still loved him. I hoped he would come around because, when the day came for me to walk down the aisle, I wanted him to be there.
As soon as I went inside, my eyes landed on Nash.
The door barely clicked shut before he began to apologize, “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
“You’re damn right you should have told me. What happened to no more secrets?”
“No good would have come from it.”
I sighed. “We have to be able to trust each other.”
“Baby, I know that. I just wanted to protect you. Telling you would have only caused a rift between you and your dad.”
“He tried to pay you off! What kind of bullshit is that?”
“It was pretty fucked up, and I didn’t consider taking the money. Not for a second.”
“I believe you.”
He gripped his neck and glanced at the ceiling before dropping his hands. “Everything your dad said to me that night was the truth. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t already told myself a million times. I was failing at every turn, and I didn’t want to fail you. As crazy as it sounds, I wanted to give you an out. Even if I had to force it on you. Even if it meant I had to nearly destroy you to save you in the long run.”
I closed the distance between us. “I need a partner, Nash. Not a savior.”
He pulled me into his arms and rested his chin on my head. “I’ll always try to save you, Bee. Whether you want me to or not.”
“And you claim I’m the stubborn one.”
He chuckled, softly. “Guilty.”
“How my father treated you and the things he said … it’s inexcusable. You’re a good man, and if he can’t see that, then he’s a fool.”
“Just give him time; he’ll come around.”
“His behavior doesn’t make any sense. It’s not like my parents are extremely wealthy. Yes, they’re well off, but the cotton he’s sitting in isn’t high enough for him to be so fucking pretentious.”
We sat on the couch, and I held Nash’s hand in mine.
I lowered my eyes, studying our entwined fingers. “I never told them about Lucas. I couldn’t.” I felt the sting of tears. “I just imagined my dad saying these awful things … things I never would be able to forgive him for in a hundred lifetimes.”
Nash gathered me into his arms. “Bee, you don’t have to tell them now or ever. That’s your call.”
I picked at the imaginary lint on his shirt. “I don’t know where to go from here. My dad owes us both an apology.”
“For him to apologize, he’d have to swallow his pride.”
“You’re right. He’d probably choke on it first.”
“Like I said, just give him time. I promise it will all work out.”
Quiet fell between us, and he played with the ends of my hair.
I stifled a yawn, and Nash’s stomach growled.
I had forgotten we never ate dinner. “We should probably eat.”
“I can go pick something up,” he offered.
“No need. I have stuff here. I stopped at the store on the way home from work the other day.”
“All right. Need some help?”
“I’ve got it. Why don’t you find something for us to watch?”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.” I gave him a peck on the lips and stood to head to the kitchen.
I was glad for a few minutes alone because I needed to process all that had happened tonight. When I’d told my father not to make me choose between him and Nash, I’d meant it. Nash would always win, and I hoped my father wouldn’t put me to the test.
41
Macy
I sat in my office chair, staring at the computer screen. A new listing had just come across my desk, and I was checking comparable properties in the same area. The house was gorgeous. It was the sort of home I could picture living in with Nash.
Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, and a two-car garage with a large outbuilding. All situated on a nice piece of property with plenty of room for our hypothetical puppies to roam. The kind of place where we could build a life and a future.
The road had been long and treacherous, but we’d reached a place of healing. Our fractured parts had gradually and imperfectly fused back together. The scars would always be there, serving as a permanent reminder of everything Nash and I had endured, proof that we had been through h
ell. We’d not only survived, but we’d also come out stronger on the other side.
It had been two weeks since the blowup with my father, and he had yet to pick up the phone to apologize. It hurt, but there was little I could do about it.
My focus went back to the house displayed on my screen, and I wondered what Nash would think of it. Maybe we could go look at it together.
“Macy, dear?” My receptionist’s voice came through the phone’s intercom and yanked me from my thoughts.
“Yes, Doris?”
“Mrs. Enders is holding on line one.”
“Thank you.”
I picked up the handset and pressed the flashing button. “Mrs. Enders, how are you?”
I minimized the photo of the house, located a file on my desk, and got back to work.
42
Nash
Macy’s engagement ring had been burning a hole in my damn pocket for about a week. I had been racking my brain, trying to figure out the perfect way to propose. I wanted it to be special and intimate. A story Macy could recount for years to come with a smile on her face. I thought about our childhood and all the memories we shared. And, just like that, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
I crept out of Macy’s bed with the stealth of Jason Bourne. It was Saturday morning, and since she didn’t have to work, I let her sleep. As quietly as possible, I gathered my clothes and softly shut Macy’s bedroom door behind me. I waited until I was in the living room to throw them on. Then, I went into the kitchen to leave a note for Macy next to the coffeepot.
Mace,
Didn’t want to wake you. See you when I get off work.
Love you,
N
I hurried out the front door, closing it behind me, and headed for my car. I started the engine and cringed the entire time I was backing out of her driveway. My car sounded like the starting line of the Daytona 500 on race day.
