I sighed, knowing that he was right and hating it.
“I found what I was looking for in the attic.”
“Yeah, looks like you found a few extra cobwebs too,” I said, swiping them out of his hair as he grinned at me, but then grew serious again as he held out a small box.
“This is what I was looking for.” Slowly he opened it, revealing the most gorgeous diamond and sapphire ring that I had ever seen. It looked old, and very very valuable.
“Oh, my,” Isabel gasped, “I haven’t seen that in ages. It belonged to my grandmother, Pearl. Oh Nate. It’s perfect.”
“What’s perfect?” I asked, looking from Isabel and then back to Nate.
“This ring belonged to my great-great-grandmother, now, I want you to have it.”
“Nate, I can’t take this! It must be worth a small fortune!”
Slowly, he got down on one knee in front of me and it finally hit me, what he was truly asking me.
“Poppy, will you take this ring, and make me the happiest man in the world by marrying me and becoming my wife?”
I gaped at him, my jaw hanging wide open, in pure shock.
“Yes!” I exclaimed, at the exact same time his mother shouted, “No!”
I didn’t hear her, I was too overwhelmed as Nate stood and slid the ridiculously beautiful vintage ring on my finger.
“It’s a perfect fit.” I said in awe.
“I told you it was perfect,” Isabel said, giving me a hard squeeze. “Welcome to the family, my dear. I couldn’t be happier for you, and for Nate.”
“Absolutely not! I forbid it!”
Three sets of eyes turned and focused on Nate’s mother, who was still hyperventilating in the doorway.
“Mother, I–.”
“No, you listen to me, Nate. This…this harlot has swept into your life like a parasite, she’s sucking you dry. I can see it! I’ve seen it from the very beginning. When you were dating Thalia–.”
“I wasn’t in love with Thalia, mother!” Nate said fiercely and I felt warmth burn through me like a bonfire at his words, at the look in his dark eyes.
“Oh, what do you know about love,” Nate’s mother scoffed and I glared at her, but she kept talking as if I wasn’t even there, “What do you even know about her?”
“I know that she’s funny, she’s smart, she’s ambitious, she works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. She is passionate and beautiful and generous and I love her. And she loves me.”
“Well, I know a thing or two,” Nate’s mother said, looking straight at me this time and her look said I was lower than a bug, lower than dirt on the bottom of her Louis Vuitton heels. “I know that this…this hussy probably got pregnant on purpose, to trap you into a relationship because she knew once she got her claws into you she’d never be able to find someone richer.”
My mouth dropped open in shock as pure outrage flowed through me.
“Oh, shut up, Beatrice.” Isabel snapped, sending a derisive glance towards her daughter in law and a sympathetic one towards me.
I was so angry I didn’t even know what to say and into the silent tension of the room my phone went off.
I looked down at the text. It was from Thalia. SOS. Emergency.
“Who is it?” Nate asked softly, and I shook my head.
“It’s Thalia. She says it’s an emergency.”
He looked around the room, at his mother who was practically vibrating with outrage and his grandmother who looked like she was just waiting for Beatrice to give her another excuse to take a bite out of her.
He let out a long, drawn out sigh.
“Maybe you should go, see what’s wrong. I’ll stay here and deal with my mother.”
“I’m sorry things didn’t go as you wanted,” I told him. I could see how much his mother’s reaction hurt him.
“It’s not your fault,” He smiled at me, though the corners were still sad, before giving me a light kiss. “I’m heading to my place soon. Meet me there after?”
“Absolutely. We’ve got a wedding to plan.” I grinned, excited and enthralled despite Beatrice’s attempt to ruin Nate’s proposal.
27
Poppy
My mind was racing with everything that had just happened as the cab sped back towards the apartment. I thought about calling Thalia again and demand that she tell me what was going on but I didn’t. I would be there in a few minutes anyway, and honestly, I needed the time to calm down after the confrontation with Nate’s mother.
I knew that Beatrice didn’t like me, that she thought that Nate was settling for some wierdo artist type as a way to thumb his nose at the family, even though that couldn’t be further from the truth. But for her to insinuate that I had gotten pregnant on purpose to trap Nate?
Just thinking about it made my blood boil once more. How dare she? Who the hell did she think she was?
Oh, right. Beatrice Elizabeth Williamson, heir to millions and one of the most elite socialites in L.A. I shuddered, withering a little bit at the thought.
I knew that it didn’t matter to Nate, where I came from, what my family was like, how much money I had. It was one of the many reasons that I had fallen so hard for him in the first place. He was so different from everyone else I had met.
I paid the driver and stepped out in the California sunshine, still trying to calm my anger at Nate’s mother as I walked up the sidewalk to the apartment and went inside.
“Thalia? Thalia, it’s Poppy. You said it was an emergency, I came as fast as I could.”
I stepped inside, looking around for her but didn’t see her right away.
“Thalia, are you here?”
I was about to call for her again when I saw her blond head pop out from behind the door of her bedroom.
“Poppy, thank god you’re here!” She shimmied out of the room holding up two dresses, both extra short and skin tight. “I need your help. I’m going crazy and I don’t know which one to pick.”
“Your emergency is…not knowing what outfit to wear?” I asked her, huffing out a laugh. “I thought it was serious. I waddled all the way here for nothing.”
“It is serious!” Thalia said, shaking the hangers, making the fabric shimmer, one bright red the other deep blue black. “It’s for a date tonight.”
I grinned at her.
“You’re finally doing it. You’re going on a date with Jefferson!” I nearly clapped in delight. Now they would both stop moping around the studio and acting like two strange cats around each other.
“No, not Jefferson,” Thalia said, her voice catching a bit on his name, “No, this is for someone else.”
“Who?”
“Promise me you’re not going to laugh at me.”
“I promise I won’t laugh.”
She looked at me for a long time, as if measure just how serious I was before finally letting out a long sigh.
“I’m going to see Nate tonight.”
“You…what?!” I stared at her, trying to make sense of her words. “Does…does he know about that?”
Thalia shook her head, looking uncertain for a brief moment before she was radiating her particular brand of confidence once more.
“No, I’m going to surprise him. I’m going to seduce him back, Poppy. After seeing him at the studio…He’s what I need right now. With everything that’s going on with my parents, he’ll be perfect.”
I stared at her for a long moment.
“Poppy, aren’t you going to say something?”
“You want him back just so your parents won’t cut you off?”
“It’s easy for you, Poppy. But I’m used to a certain way of life. A life with money in it.” She shrugged, her eyes imploring me to understand and I knew that whether or not the time was right, it was definitely time to come clean and tell her the truth.
The words stuck in my throat, my heart racing and sinking into the pit of my stomach at the same time. It was so much harder than I ever would have imagined, coming clean to her.
/> “Thalia, you can’t date Nate again.”
It was Thalia’s turn to stare.
“Why not?”
“Because…” I swallowed hard, wrapping my arms around my large middle, cradling the precious life inside.
“Oh my god, Poppy! What is that!” Thalia ran forward and grabbed my hand, staring at the large engagement ring.
“Thalia, you can’t date Nate because…he’s the father of my baby. And he’s asked me to marry him. And I said yes.”
* * *
Nate
I dropped onto the couch, glad to be back at my own place, but my mother’s words still played over and over in my head. That she would say those things about Poppy, about me!
I owed Poppy an apology. No, my mother owed Poppy an apology, but I knew her well enough to know that that was about as unlikely as her coming around to see that Poppy was the love of my life.
My mother didn’t really believe in love. Whatever had been between her and my father certainly wasn’t love. Convenience. Security. Even respect. But not love. Never love. I would say that my mother wasn’t capable of the emotion, but I knew that she loved me in her own way, and wanted the best for me.
She just went about it in the most awful, backwards way.
A knock sounded at the front door and I was so happy to open it and see Poppy standing on the other side. I wasn’t as happy to see the shadows smudged under her eyes or the red rims that told me she was more than distressed.
“Poppy? What’s the matter?” Panic suddenly filled me, “Is it the baby? Is the baby okay?”
“The baby is fine,” She said, following me inside as I closed the door against the night outside. “It’s not about that, it’s…”
I waited for her to go on but she paused for a long moment, finally letting out a shuddering breath.
“It’s Thalia. I had to tell her everything. About us. About the baby. That you’re the father. That we’re engaged,” She huffed out another sigh, “She didn’t take it well. That was the emergency. She couldn’t decide what dress to wear to seduce you back in.”
“That would have been awkward,” I said on a laugh, trying to make her feel better but her shoulders drooped. Instead, I pulled her into my arms. “I’m so sorry, Poppy. I know you wanted to tell her in your own way, but honestly, I’m glad the truth is out in the open now. No more sneaking around.”
She melted against me and the same heat and desire that was always there, burning on a simmer inside me, rose to the surface.
“Thalia will come around. Just give her a little time.”
“You’re right. I know that you’re right, it just…it still hurts.”
“I know.” I whispered against her, kissing her temple, her cheek, down to her lush red lips. “Come on, let me make you some tea.”
“Ugh, no more tea,” She groaned, then kissed me back, “I can think of something else that I would much rather have at the moment.”
“Is that so?” My entire body clenched with need at the sultry tone of her voice, the way she purred against me as my hands slid down her body and then back up again.
“Yep. Want me to show you?” Her whisper completely undid me. How could she do that with just a few words?
“I would love nothing more.” I meant it, and all I could do was follow along as she pulled me into the bedroom. She laid down on the bed, stretching out before me as she stripped off her clothes piece by piece, leaving my mouth completely dry and my body so hard I thought I would shatter at her first touch.
I nearly did when she reached out and pulled me on the bed behind her, snuggling her sweet curves into the crook of my body. My arms wrapped around her, finding her large, lush breasts and teasing her nipples until her hips arched sharply into mine.
“Nate, I want you. I want you so bad.”
“Oh, you have no idea.” I growled the words against her shoulder, my own need clawing at me from the inside out.
I gripped her thighs, spreading them open for me as I slid deep into heaven. We both groaned together, both wrapped in each other, and wrapped in our pleasure, the rest of the world disappearing until it was just us, just this perfect moment between us.
“Nate, faster.” Poppy moaned, and I loved the sound of my name on her lips as she was wild and lost with me deep inside her.
“No,” I said roughly, “I want this to last as long as I can.”
I heard her moan and felt her body clench at my words and her shudder nearly sent me flying over the edge of orgasm but I had told her the simple truth. I wanted this to last. I wanted to stay here, just like this, wrapped in paradise for as long as I could.
I lost myself in her, lost all sense on time, all sense of gravity. I just clung to her, feeling her tighten around me with her own pleasure as she threw her head back and screamed my name. That was it for me. Hearing that raw sound of ecstasy was enough to send me crashing into my own climax.
It tore through me, ravaging my body as I spilled inside of her, wrapped around her so tight that there was no space between us.
I was still holding on just as tight as Poppy finally drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep, and I followed after her.
28
Poppy
I felt like I was walking on clouds instead of the dirty city sidewalk as I headed towards the studio. I glanced down at the ring on my finger and sighed. I wished I could talk to Thalia. She was the queen of all things wedding. I just hoped enough time would get her to come around.
Last night, she’d exploded into tears and accusations after I’d told her, but a part of me knew it was just as much from me keeping secrets from her than any real feelings she had for Nate. Guilt still ate at me, but there was relief too. Now that everything was out in the open, we could talk about it, move on.
This wasn’t the first time me and Thalia had gotten into a fight. It was bound to happen when two models were competing in the same industry, thought because I had been a plus sized model it didn’t happen often.
After I’d booked the job with up and coming designer TK for a fall runway show that Thalia had ended up not getting, she hadn’t spoken to me for two weeks. And then I’d come home, she’d handed me a glass of wine and we watched a horror movie marathon, giggling together over the terrible special effects.
That’s how Thalia was. She had a short fuse, but it burned out fast and she never held a grudge. I hoped that it would be the case this time.
My thoughts were still swirling with that hope as I stepped inside the studio and flipped on the lights. It took me several long moments to process what I was seeing and even then I still wasn’t sure that my eyes were working properly. Because it looked like a tornado had been unleashed throughout the entire studio.
Clothes and fabric were tossed everywhere and there were long slashes in the garments that definitely weren’t there two days ago.
“What in the actual hell?!” I muttered to myself in disbelief as I went from dress to dress, from outfit to outfit, my shock slowly morphing into rage and then pure anguish. Almost all of the designs for the Midsummer show were destroyed. Who the hell would do something like this?
My mind reached for the first person I could think of and I had my phone out and the number ringing before I even knew what I was going to say.
“Poppy, I really don’t want to–.”
“How could you?” I demanded, fighting back tears. “How could you do this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The clothes! The designs for the Midsummer show, you know the one in three days! They are all destroyed! I don’t understand. I get that you’re pissed about Nate, but…”
“Poppy, I would never touch your designs. Just stay there. I’m coming over. I have to make a call first.” Thalia said, but I was too upset to hear her. I let the phone drop from suddenly numb fingers and slid to the floor, staring at the utter destruction around me. Months of hard work, all gone.
I was still sitting in the same exact position, kneeli
ng on the floor, dejected and desperate, when Thalia walked inside.
She gasped, exactly like I did, as she stopped and surveyed the damage done. It was terrible. Scraps of fabric that had been masterpieces but where now little more than rags were scattered through out the studio.
“Oh my god, Poppy! I am so sorry.” Thalia said as she knelt in front of me and gave me an encouraging hug. “You have to believe me, I would never ever do something like this to you.”
I looked up and could see the sincerity in her gaze. I could see that she was just as shocked as I was.
“Then who? Who would do this? Who would destroy all this work?”
Guilt flashed in her eyes for a moment as she looked away, and then took a deep breath.
“Last night, after you told me about you and Nate, I was still pissed off. Not so much about Nate but that you lied to me for so long.” She paused, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry, Thalia. I never meant for it to become such a big secret, it just…I didn’t know how to tell you. Every time I tried to bring it up you would get upset about Nate, or your family, and I didn’t want to hurt you even more. And I was scared.”
“Scared? Of what?”
“Of losing my friend. And my business partner. None of this would have happened without you and I…I was just scared.”
She hugged me again, and a little more of the tension between us faded away.
“You never have to be scared of that. Best friends forever, right?” She grinned at me and I found myself smiling back at her in relief despite the horror show around me.
“Damn right.” The smile faded as I glanced around. “But what about all this, then?”
“Oh, um, well, after our fight I needed to vent and I got a little drunk and I called…Jefferson.”
My eyebrows raised, “Jefferson?”
“I went over to his place and told him everything that had happened. I told him about you and Nate and how you had betrayed me.”
“Betrayed?”
Best Friend's Boyfriend (Be My Boyfriend Book 2) Page 20