“Not fucking good enough,” he mutters, his eyes narrowing. “It was your responsibility to get her home safe. You couldn’t even do that right, and you want me to accept this?”
“I’m tearing myself up for leaving her there because I love her, and that’s what you do when someone you love gets hurt,” I snap. I stand up so I’m facing him, my heart pounding because I’m so angry. Gritting my teeth, I force myself to continue. “But you don’t get to make me feel bad when I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Dan mutters something under his breath and storms back inside without another word. I sigh and glance down at my hands. God, I’m shaking. I sit down on the step, defeated because I think now I realize that he’s never going to accept us. Anna rises to her feet and walks over to me, sitting down next to me on the step. She takes my hand and pulls me into her embrace, wrapping her arms around me.
“I should be the one comforting you,” I say in a gruff voice. I glance over and realize she’s smiling at me. I look at her inquisitively.
“You love me?” she says, her eyes shining.
I chuckle and press my lips against hers. “You’ve just figured that out?”
She grins and lifts her mouth to mine, kissing me again.
“Thank you for standing up for us, but there’s not much else we can do until he’s ready to accept that you’re a part of my life.” She shrugs, but I see the sadness in her eyes and know that it hurts her.
“And if he doesn’t?” I ask softly. It’s been weighing on my mind. What if he never accepts us? Because right now, it’s feeling like a possibility.
She thinks for a moment. “I don’t know,” she finally replies. “Can I come over to your place?” she suddenly adds.
I nod. I was hoping she’d want that, but after what she’d been through tonight, I wasn’t going to pressure her. Especially with Dan being home.
“Sure. If you’re sure, it’s not going to inflame the situation.”
“It can’t really make things worse, can it?” she grins. “If I stay here, he’s not going to leave his room, anyway. I’d rather feel loved tonight, not hated.” She pauses, looking over to me. “And I kind of don’t want to be alone right now.”
“I’ll make you feel more than loved,” I murmur, kissing her neck. She giggles and playfully pushes me away.
It's late when we get back to my place. I take her straight up to my room, determined to get her into bed and resting. I peel her clothes off and practically force her into the bed, determined to tuck her in. She giggles as I climb in beside her.
I kiss her and wrap my arms around her, hoping she feels safe in my arms. Every time I close my eyes, I think about what happened to her. In one moment, everything could've changed. I'm so thankful that it didn't, but I can't stop thinking about how badly things could’ve gone.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask.
I know she’s not. She jumps at every noise, and she looks distracted. Not that I blame her. She was attacked. While nothing happened, it easily could have. That's got to be hard to think about. I’m sure as hell struggling with it.
“I will be,” she whispers.
“Close your eyes. I'll be here all night. I'm not going to leave you,” I whisper, kissing her forehead. She smiles and closes her eyes as I trail my fingers up and down her back.
I watch her, listening to the sound of her breathing.
All I can think about is that little shit that hurt her. God help me if I see him. I’ll break his neck. I have no idea how Dan didn't kill the guy. If it had been my hands on him tonight, he wouldn't be breathing. I take a deep breath, willing myself to calm down. Me being angry isn't going to help her get over this.
Somehow, I fall asleep.
I wake up early the next morning to the sound of banging on the door. I groan, mumbling something under my breath as I drag myself out of bed. Anna wakes up with a start as the second round of pounding begins, her eyes wide. The way she’s reacting makes me wonder if she had nightmares. I hand her my robe, which she slips on and wraps tightly around her waist, and then I grab a pair of boxer shorts and throw them on. I move through the living room toward the front door, more annoyed that whoever this is has woken Anna than me.
Anna lags behind me, not getting too close, but still wanting to know what’s going on. I open the door and Dan bursts in. He walks straight past me and over to Anna, who I can see is bracing herself for another argument. Hell, I am, too, but I’m tired of all the fighting. It’s hard to believe that just a few days ago, Dan and I were friends.
“Do you love him?” he asks her. She glances at me, her eyes wide, then she looks back at her dad. No hello or anything, just straight into the question.
“Yes.”
“How long has it been going on for?” he asks. My jaw clenches because he asked me that same question and I didn’t answer. I couldn’t lie to him.
“Since you made me come over here,” she whispers, her eyes darting to me.
“Jesus, Anna, I wanted you to make him feel a little better, but not like that,” he mutters, rubbing his jaw. His hair is a mess, and the dark circles around his eyes make it clear to me he didn’t sleep much last night, if at all. Has he been up all night, thinking about us?
“And you?” he asks, turning to me. He’s frowning, but the anger seems to have lessened. Or maybe that’s just because it’s barely seven in the morning. “Do you love her?”
“I told you that I did last night,” I say, my voice stiff. “Yes, I love her.”
He sighs and stares me in the eye, then turns back to Anna. I can see the fear in her expression as she waits to hear what he’s going to say. Hell, even I’m holding my breath. He shakes his head and rubs the back of his neck. I frown, wishing he’d just get on with it.
“If you really love each other,” he begins, nearly choking on the words. “Then I’m not going to stand in your way.”
He walks out, leaving Anna and me standing there, staring at each other in disbelief. I sit down, and she wanders over to me and takes my hand, sliding onto my lap. Her bare thigh peeks out from under my robe.
“Did that just happen?” she whispers, her eyes wide. “Do you really think he’s okay with us being together?”
“I think he will be,” I say. I don’t think he’s there yet, but I really do believe he’s going to try. I turn my attention back to her and smile, narrowing my eyes. She narrows hers back at me.
“What?” she asks suspiciously.
“You love me?” I tease.
She rolls her eyes, her cheeks tinged pink. “You said it first,” she retorts, poking her tongue out. I laugh and bend her backwards, kissing her.
“There are still two other people who might have an issue with us being a permanent thing,” Anna points out.
“You mean Victoria Greenway and Marsha Parks?” I quip, naming two of the housewives who had been vying for my affections for the last three weeks. Well, it may not exactly have been my affections they were after unless I hide my affections in my pants…
Anna laughs and hits my arm, narrowing her eyes playfully.
“No, you idiot. Your kids.”
“Right.” I nod. They knew we were seeing each other, but being serious about someone was a different story. The last person I was serious about had been their mother. “I’ll talk to them tonight.” I pause for a second and smile at her. “Would you like to join me?”
She looks surprised but then smiles. “Yes. I’d love that.”
“Good,” I grin. I lower the robe to reveal her left breast. She giggles as my mouth finds its way to her nipple. I suck on it until it’s as stiff as my dick, which is starting to find its way out of my boxer shorts.
“Should we, uh, go back into the bedroom before you scar your kids for life?” she teases, glancing down at my erection.
“Good point, but please never ever speak of those two things in the same sentence again,” I mutter. I scoop her into my arms and carry her back into my room, where I lay
her down on the bed.
I climb up and under the covers, motioning for her to snuggle in my lap. She does, gently grinding herself against my erection. I sigh and kiss her neck before turning her around, so she’s facing me.
“How are you?” I ask her.
“I’m okay.” She smiles at me and nods like it’s obvious I don’t believe her. “Really. It’ll take me a little bit to get over what happened, but I keep telling myself that it could’ve been much worse.”
“I’m so glad it wasn’t,” I murmur, kissing her lips.
“Me too,” she says.
We lay there, she in my arms, and just enjoy being with each other without having to hide who we are, or what we mean to each other. I smile and kiss her cheek, realizing that she’s fallen back to sleep.
I could get used to waking up like this.
Well, except the part where her dad nearly banged down my door. That part I could go without. But the rest of it? No fucking way. I don’t think I could go back to how things were.
Not now that I’ve had a taste of how good they can be.
Epilogue
Eleven months later
Anna
“Are you nervous?” I ask him. Nick smiles down at me as we walk in.
“More than you know,” he mutters.
I don’t have a chance to decrypt his comment before the doors fling open, and we’re walking into the lobby of the theatre. I look around, stunned by how perfectly his vision has come together. My heart swells with pride at just being able to be a part of this.
“So many people are here,” I mumble, feeling a little overwhelmed.
Compared to Nick, my involvement was minimal, but this is my first real project since graduating. I’m so nervous to see what kind of reception it’s going to get. I glance around at the clusters of people, whispering, pointing, and I feel sick. Nick chuckles and leans over to give me a kiss.
“Welcome to my life. The worst few moments in the world are those while you wait to see how a project has been received.”
He smiles at a passing couple, while I roll my eyes. He keeps saying this was a joint effort, but I know what my abilities are and they certainly didn’t extend to this. They will one day, but for now, I’m happy learning from someone who I know can teach me so much.
Two men dressed in expensive suits walk over to us. They talk to Nick as though they know him. I listen in on the conversation and catch that they’re from New York. From the way they're speaking, I think he studied with them in college.
“You should come up. We’ve got some massive projects coming up,” one of the men says. He glances around. “If this is the kind of thing you're capable of, then you’re wasted in a place like this is.”
Nick's grip on my waist tightens. They glance at me as if noticing me for the first time.
“And who's your lovely companion?” The younger of the two men asks.
“This is my girlfriend, Anna,” Nick says. “She also happens to be my associate.” Nick turns to me. “This is Simon, and that is Daniel. We all studied together many years ago.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say with a grin, shaking both their hands.
“Associate? You managed to find someone beautiful and talented to work with who is willing to put up with you at home, too?” Simon muses. “I’m jealous. But seriously, you should both consider it. There’s plenty of work for the both of you. It would challenge you, and it could really help your career take off,” he adds, addressing Nick, and then me with that last point.
I’m flattered that he thinks that and I’m about to respond when out of nowhere, a small pair of arms wrap around my waist, nearly knocking me off balance. I laugh and hug Milly back, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.
“I told you the silver dress was prettier than the blue one,” she says.
“I chose it because you said it was the one,” I say, whispering in her ear.
We’d spent the day together getting ready for tonight, complete with manicures and spa treatments. I’d narrowed down my outfit to two dresses, but I couldn’t decide, so I had left it up to Milly. It had been a fun day, just the three of us. Myself, Milly and Mandy.
Speaking of Mandy.
I look up just as she and my dad walk through the door. I wave, and they walk over to us. The two men have left us alone, but in the back of my mind, I keep thinking about what they said. As much as I love my life here with Nick, there is a limit to how far I can push my career in such a small town.
“I'm glad you made it,” I say with a smile, kissing Mandy on the cheek, and then Dad.
“I wouldn't miss this for the world,” she smiles.
“I was worried the little one wasn’t going to give you a choice,” I say. “Isn’t massage a natural inducer?” I joke.
I run my hand over her growing bump and laugh. A shiver moves down my spine. I still can't believe I'm going to have a little sister in less than six weeks. She’d had a pretty smooth pregnancy to date, but just hearing her talk about the stretch marks, the morning sickness and everything else that went with being pregnant was enough to put me off having kids for life. I glance up at Nick, who smiles at me, taking my hand. Thank God, my relationship comes with an instant family.
“I’ll remember that,” Dad jokes. He rests his hand on her stomach, and I smile. “I also hear that sex is a natural inducer,” he murmurs. I groan and make a face, trying to push that mental image out of my head. Dad just laughs while Mandy flushes and hits him with her purse. “And on that note, we might go get a drink.” Dad grins.
I watch them, unable to keep the smile off my face as they move toward the bar. Things have been really good—over the last few months in particular. We’re almost back to some sort of normal, which is a place I never thought we’d get to again.
I glance around as Kayla calls my name and see her walking in with her boyfriend. At least, I think he’s her boyfriend, considering I’ve never met him. That, and he looks like someone she's supposed to be babysitting. They’ve been officially together for six months now, but because he’s away at college, he’d only been in town once, while Nick and I were away.
I walk over to her, trying to keep the smirk off my face, but it’s no use. She scowls like she knows exactly what I’m thinking. Her eyes narrow, as if she's waiting for me to say something about how young he looks, and God, do I want to.
“Good to see you,” I say, kissing her on the cheek. “How old did you say he is?” I whisper in her ear as I hug her. “Twelve?”
“Shut it. You know full well he’s nineteen,” she growls back. “And before you ask—yes, I've seen his ID.”
“Are you sure it’s real?” I whisper with a smirk on my face.
Jason looks around, oblivious to our little conversation. He seems like a lovely guy, but damn, he looks young.
“Stick it up your ass,” Kayla mutters, pulling away.
Jason raises his eyebrows at her, and she flushes. I grin because it's good to see that she’s still the queen of inappropriate comments.
Nick’s arms curl around my waist. I grin as he kisses my neck, the aroma of aftershave unmistakably his. He takes my hand and kisses it, spinning me into his arms.
“I was wondering where you went,” he says.
His eyes dart over to Dan, who nods. I frown at both of them, confused. Something is going on, but I'm not sure what. If my father and Nick are in on something together, then I'm not sure I’m going to like whatever it is.
“Time for a speech,” he grins.
He walks me over to the front of the stage where the director of the theatre is in the middle of his speech. I eye Nick suspiciously. This might be my first project, but I’m pretty sure that nobody really cares enough to hear from the designer.
The next thing I know, Nick is standing on the stage. He puts his hand out, motioning for me to join him. I'm confused as fuck, but I take it. He helps me up onto the stage as the director’s sentence trails off into nothing. I flush, feeling both emba
rrassed and sorry for the guy. Nick motions for the microphone and of course the director hands it over.
“I figured that this is as good a place as any to do this. See, I met this girl who kind of means the world to me. She's funny, sweet, caring… She’s basically that someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Someone in the crowd lets out a whistle. I’m pretty sure it was Kayla. My heart races as I focus on Nick. He fumbles in his pocket. I swallow, feeling sick and excited at the same time—like I’m going to pass out. When he gets down on one knee, I lose it. The tears start flowing, leaving me a blubbering mess.
“I guess what I’m trying to ask you is, will you marry me?”
My eyes widen. I can't believe this is happening, and here of all places.
He stares up at me, while I glance out at the sea of faces. Most of them I don’t recognize, but the few important ones are there, like my dad, Mandy, Kayla, Max and Milly. Even Shirley is here to witness this.
“Uh, so, are you going to answer me?” he asks nervously.
My eyes widen. I’ve been standing there, lost in thought, making him sweat to hear me say yes.
“Of course, I will,” I whisper.
I lean down and kiss him as he slides the stunning single cut diamond ring along my finger. It’s a perfect fit. A cheer erupts from the crowd as he stands up, sweeping me into his arms. He flushes and hands the microphone back to the theatre director, muttering an apology.
“Sorry to hijack your reopening,” he mumbles.
We move off the stage and walk over to where Dad, Mandy, Kayla and the kids are waiting. They all admire my ring, while I stand there, still in shock.
How did I not see this coming?
I glance at Dad and Mandy suspiciously. “You two obviously knew,” I say.
Mandy squeals, examining the ring yet again.
“It looks even better on your finger.”
I raise my eyebrows at Nick. “You showed them? Exactly how long have you been planning this?”
It's Complicated Page 13
