by M. Clarke
“I have a confession to make,” I said as we finished our dinner.
He froze. “What is it?”
“As much as I want to take all the credit, Isla and Josh put up the decorations. It’s complicated. The landlord wouldn’t let me on the roof until a certain time, so I went back home until all was clear, and there wasn’t enough time so they took charge. I hadn’t even thought about the heating lamp, but Josh did. That was great thinking.”
Nate cleared his throat. “Well, I have a confession to make too.”
“Oh, yeah?” I took the last sip of my wine. “It better not involve a girl.”
Nate chuckled as he reached inside his coat. Nothing came out of his pocket. Was his hand cold?
“I have to confess that I told the landlord to kick you out.”
My eyes grew wider, and my mouth parted.
Nate continued. “I had planned to have one last dinner with you here. When I told Josh and Isla about the idea, they were trying to make up some excuse about how it wasn’t a good idea. I finally got it out of them. I took the opportunity to surprise you, even though you thought you were surprising me. I helped them set up, and I also rented the lamp heater.”
“Josh and Isla knew all this time? They never...I never...I had no clue.” I dipped my head to my empty plate and giggled.
“I have another confession to make.”
Nate’s voice came from the side. When I turned, he was down on his knees, holding open a small black box. Inside sparkled a huge diamond ring. My hands flew to my mouth, stopping my squeal. Shocked, I had no words, but only happy tears sparkled in my eyes.
“Olie. I don’t ever want to lose you again. The years without you were the darkest time. And though I tried to move on, it was torture. You are the reason for my existence, and without you I’m lost. I love you more than you’ll ever know. Marry me. Say you’ll be mine forever. It doesn’t have to be right away. We can take our time. I’m not asking you to stay in Los Angeles. If you decide you need to move back to New York, then I’ll move with you. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. We’ll compromise and make it work. Your career is important for me too.”
I couldn’t answer. Not because I didn’t want to, but because of all the beautiful words flowing out of Nate. Tears blinded me, and I couldn’t wipe them away fast enough. My lungs hurt, my heart hurt—because I was happy. My sadness and all the ache I’d buried inside poured out of me, healing the regret, the sadness. I let go and forgave myself for leaving my true happiness. Though I didn’t deserve my second chance at his love, I was going to take it. In the end, he needed me just as much as I needed him. So I finally managed to part my lips to answer.
“No,” I said softly as I shook my head.
“Olie?” Nate arched his eyebrows in confusion.
Before he got the wrong idea, I explained. “Where’s the other ring? It’s not the same ring.” I whimpered, lips quivering as I looked away. I was an utter mess. “I don’t deserve...” My eyes rooted on the ring again.
Nate’s brows pinched at the center, looking concerned. “I returned it and got you a bigger one. The one I wanted to get you the first time but couldn’t afford. Don’t you like it?”
A three carat round brilliant diamond bounded in a white gold band was more than I deserved. “Yes. I do. It’s beautiful.”
Nate wiped my waterfall of tears and brushed a kiss on my forehead. “Olie, you deserve so much more than I can give you. We’re together now. You need to let the hurt free. I’m fine. I’ve moved on to our future, and I’m never looking back. You should do the same. It was just as much my fault. It takes two people to have a successful relationship, and it takes two to make it fail. You and I failed once. We’re not going down that road ever again.”
“I don’t ever want to go down that road either.” I sniffed.
“So...” He cleared his throat. “Not the way I thought you would answer me.” He paused, flashing his white perfect teeth. “Will you marry me, Olivia Hunt?”
“Yes!” I shouted. “Nathan Cross, I would be honored to be your wife.”
Nate swung me around, dipped me, and kissed me hard, the kind of kiss that promised more to come later. After he steadied me, he slipped on the ring. My hand trembled as I stared at the way it glowed under the candlelight.
“It’s beautiful,” I stated.
He took my hand. With my palm up, he drew an infinity symbol with his finger. “You and me forever, Olie.”
Love can heal and love can make you soar, but I knew for sure from Nate’s expression my love had now mended him. Our unbreakable love for each other had put us back together.
Nate kissed me tenderly and then cupped my face. “Just so you know, I told my parents I planned to propose to you when we saw them, that’s why they weren’t upset I wasn’t going to be there on Christmas Eve. And your Mom and Charlene know about tonight. Your mom and I were texting while you were with her. She made sure you stayed put so I could have plenty of time to decorate.”
I pursed my lips. “I knew it. She never carries her phone around the house.”
“Come on.” Nate scooped me off my feet.
“Nate?” I shrieked. “What are you doing?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Taking you to bed. I’m going to make sure you’ll never forget tonight. Santa is feeling very naughty, and he’s coming to your town.”
Holy Santa! Bring me my presents.
Chapter 36
Nathan
Olie almost scared me shitless. When she said no, it took me back to the very moment she ripped out my heart. But her no wasn’t from not wanting to marry me but rather from guilt eating at her for destroying our relationship. As soon as I took her back to my place, we called my parents and her mom, and then I gave her a night she would never forget.
We had temporarily hopped off the road to the bright future, but now we were back on it and our course was set straight. The issue of Troy and the trial would happen sometime in the near future, but we would conquer those moments together. We would make decisions together and keep our misunderstandings to a minimum or null if possible.
It was my first Christmas with Emily, Charlene, and Olie. I had to admit, I had a blast with them. Olie and I shared the good news that we won Sexiest Couple Alive and were scheduled to shoot after the New Year. Emily and Charlene shouted like I’d never heard them before. My ears rang with their screams for long seconds and arms tightened around us.
Olie gifted me countless pictures frames filled with great memories for Christmas. Since I only had one picture of us, these would be displayed at our new home. Charlene and Emily gave me gift cards to Macy’s. They said Macy’s had great appliances and home goods. I presented them with gift cards to Beauty and Spa, a full day’s worth of pampering. And for Olie, I bought her a diamond tennis bracelet. She gushed and told me it was too expensive. I told her she deserved much more. And for the last gift of the night, my family gave her a basket of fruits, nuts, and chocolate from Harry and David. It had been mailed to her place on Christmas day, arriving just in time.
When my realtor gave me the green light and let me know the escrow went smoothly, I took Olie to our new place. Josh and Isla would join us later to head to dinner with us. I gave Olie the tour of house and she loved it, just as I knew she would. About a four-thousand-square-foot home with five bedrooms, remodeled to look brand new; it was perfect for a starter home. One day, I would move us into something bigger when we had children.
Olie glanced around the kitchen, taking in the stainless steel appliances and the dark wooden cabinets, and then focused on the large island with a small sink. She glided her hand across the white granite as if she was feeling something soft.
“Nate, you did great. I can’t wait for us to move in together.”
“It took me some time to find the dream house, but it was worth the wait. Just like...” I caressed her cheek, and my tone softened as I bored my eyes to hers. “You were worth the wait. Every tear, every sleepless
night, every torturous dream of you, and every beating ache of my heart. You were worth the wait. I am happier than I’ve ever been.”
Tears dampened her eyes, and her chest expanded with a long soft sigh. “And you were too.”
“From now on, no more tears. Only laughter and lots of makeup sex.” I smirked. Just as her lips parted to speak, I lifted her up and planted her on the granite. Squeezing in between her legs, my face dropped to her breasts while my hands grabbed her fine, tight ass. “Starting right now.”
“Nate.”
I took off her sweater and engulfed the warmth of her.
“Oh, God,” she moaned when my tongue trailed along her neck and below. “I like lots of makeup sex.”
“Lots.” I kissed the tip of her breasts, teasing her. She quivered. “Lots.” My lips planted tender kisses down the middle. “Lots.” Then I moved lower and lower. Olie squeezed my biceps, gripping and gripping as if she couldn’t get enough. Then I breathed hot air right between her legs. “Lots.”
“Nate.” She jerked. “Holy Jesus. Isla and Josh are going to be here any minute. We can’t, but I want to.”
At that minute, it wasn’t about me. I kept my erection tamed, though it took every fucking ounce of will. I wanted to slam hard inside her and make love to her on the counter, to take what was mine and to give what was hers. But she was right. Isla and Josh might even be parking their car right at that moment. Olie’s hands all over me didn’t help, but it was my fault for starting something I knew we couldn’t finish.
I helped Olie slip her sweater back on just as the doorbell rang. Dazed and eyes fluttering, Olie glared at me.
“I’m still throbbing between my legs. This is war.” She lifted her lips, trying not to smile.
“I think I won this battle, but don’t worry. We’ve got all night when our friends leave. You can think about what I’m going to do to you, everywhere in our house.”
“Our house,” she said dreamily. “I love the sound of that.”
I helped her off the island and headed to the front door with Olie by my side. “Me too.” Olie had given me back the broken piece of my heart, making it whole again. We were
whole again. Olie and me, forever.
Chapter 37
A month later
Isla
I opened up my laptop with a few minutes to spare. Nathan and Olivia’s cover for Sexiest Couple Alive and their engagement were plastered on every media site. Yesterday’s news still lingered. I had a feeling it would continue for a while. Though they tried to keep their engagement a secret as long as they could, people noticed the rock on her finger.
Some comments were sweet:
@ModelNathanCross @ModelOliviaHunt Congrats! #SexiestCoupleAlive and your engagement
@ModelNathanCross @ModelOliviaHunt I voted for the both of you. #SexiestCoupleAlive for sure.
Scrolling further down, I laughed at the less friendly comments. Some people were so transparent.
@ModelNathanCross you’re marrying the wrong girl
@ModelNathanCross I want you to be the father of my baby
@ModelNathanCross she doesn’t deserve you
I scrolled down even further, noting the several hundred thousand likes on his post. He was a bigger deal than I had ever thought to be. The last one was from Josh.
@ModelNathanCross I’ve already congratulated you in person, but I’m saying it again. So proud of you both. @ModelJosh.
Then I clicked on Josh’s site. He had many likes and comments as well about how hot he looked, with girls posting their phone numbers wanting to party with him or simply to fuck. I frowned, suddenly protective of Josh with girls wanting to use him because he was famous.
@ModelJosh call me. I’ll give you the time of your life
@ModelJosh you should have been the sexiest man alive
I smiled at the photos of the four of us at the cabin when Nathan and Olivia finally got their shit together and also when we had dinner at Nathan’s new house. A selfie of Josh and me got my attention. He posted and stated: My new roomie. Such a sweetheart.
My stomach flipped with a tingling sensation. He turned my heart all squishy and warm. I had assumed he would hide the fact he had a roomie so he wouldn’t scare the girls away, but it actually got him more attention.
@ModelJosh I want to be your roommate
@ModelJosh is she your girlfriend?
The last question threw me off, and thoughts of Josh and me as a couple appeared in my mind. Sure, I had thought about the what ifs. What if we broke up? What would become of the four of us? How would he be as a boyfriend? All the years I’d known him, we never talked about his past. The door to his past had always been closed. Come to think of it, Josh was a great guy, but I felt like I didn’t really know him. You really don’t know a person until you dive into the years before. What was he like then? What was he hiding?
The door chiming startled me. I closed the laptop and headed for the door. Olie stood on the other side, beaming in the peephole.
“Come in.” I smiled.
“Hey.” Olivia walked in, her long blonde hair swaying to her steps. “It’s cold outside.” She shivered and rubbed her arms. “You should bring a thick coat like mine.”
“Okay.” I glanced at the window. The sun beamed warmly, radiating through the clear glass. It looked to be a warm day, but in Los Angeles, the sun shone no matter how cold it was. “The mall isn’t open yet. Let’s wait about ten minutes before we head out.”
Olivia glided her ass onto the stool chair while I walked around to the island. “Do you want something to drink or eat?”
She pushed her hair back away from her face. “No thank you. Nathan cooked me breakfast this morning.” She lit up a radiant smile.
“Does he cook breakfast every morning?”
“No, just when he’s up early or if our schedule ends up being the same. I don’t like to eat breakfast, but he forces me when he can. Nathan and Josh are at a meeting with Matthew, did you know?”
“Oh,” my voice pitched higher than I’d intended. “No, I didn’t know. I’m not his secretary.” I straightened the napkins in the basket and then leaned over the island with a smile. I didn’t know if my words came out bitchy. “I meant we don’t talk about what we’re going to do daily. That would be like being in a relationship, and we’re not. He and I come and go as we please.”
“Is he tidy? You’re not cleaning up after him, are you?”
“Hell, no!” I chuckled. “You know I would never do that.”
Olie squinted her eyes. “Has he brought home a girl yet?”
“No. But when he does, it won’t be a big deal, Olivia. What are you trying to ask?” I narrowed my eyes at her.
She pushed back, turning from our locked gaze. “Nothing.” Then her eyes met mine again. “But sometimes you act like a couple. At least that is what Nathan and I see when we go out. Like the way you eat from each other’s plate or drink from the same cup. The way he’s protective of you.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “He is? I never noticed.” I waved a hand. “Anyway, we’re just good friends. Good friends do that. You and I do the same, eat from each other’s plate and drink from the same cup. People don’t label us lesbian or think we’re going out.”
Olivia quirked her lips. “True. You’re right. It’s probably Nathan and me wishing you two were a couple, and we could hang out together.”
“But we already do stuff together. And Josh has never once hinted he wants more. I’m not sure if I would want more. We’re so perfect together as friends.” I paused and looked up at the ceiling as I inhaled a deep breath. “Okay. I have a crush on him, but who doesn’t? The whole freakin’ female population wants to fuck him. I don’t stand a chance with girls fighting for him. But just because I think these thoughts doesn’t mean I want us to be a couple.”
Olivia crossed her arms on the counter and leaned forward as if she was going to tell me a secret. “But you would be awesome as a couple. Nathan and
I started off as friends.”
I shoved her lightly and shouted out a laugh. “Liar. You told me he gave you his phone number on the take-out menu. How cute is that? Friends first, my ass.”
Olivia sighed in surrender. “Okay. True, but we were still friends.”
I shook my head, glared at her for trying to trick me, and changed the subject. “So, how’s living together?”
She bit her bottom lip and beamed a smile. “It’s fantastic. Our relationship is different, more grown up, if that makes sense. I think sometimes couples need to break up to learn to appreciate what they had before. To find themselves as individuals, to learn and grow to become who they were meant to be. Only when we’ve lost something can we really appreciate what we had.”
“Wow. You’ve become wiser,” I teased. “And by the way...“ I walked to the cabinet next to the sofa in the family room and came back, dropping a few magazines and a pen in her lap. “I need you to sign these. One is for my sister-in-law, the others are for Josh and me.”
Olivia picked it up and gave me a huge smile. “Sexiest Couple Alive, who knew? I love Nathan in this suit.” She smiled again, as if to recall the day they did the shoot. “Nathan and I had so much fun that day. We even have goofy pictures.” After she signed it, she pushed it to the side of the counter.
“When does Nathan’s cologne commercial air?”
Her eyes lit up. “Next week.”
“I can’t wait to see it. I think it’s freakin’ awesome you got to film with him.”
“Me too.” She looked at her watch. “By the time we get to the mall, it’ll be open. Let’s go.”
I grabbed my purse off the stool. “Eager, aren’t we?”
Olivia linked her arms with mine and led me to the garage. “Just a little.”
As much as I trusted Olivia, I didn’t want her to know a little tiny part of me had fallen just a little bit more for Josh. Living together for a month had been fun. Nothing happened between us. We were respectful and mindful of giving each other privacy and space, but what would happen a few months down the road, or six, or even a year? I began to wonder if living together was a good idea from the start. Too late. Time would tell. One thing was for sure, I would move out before I let things get out of hand.
