by Frankie Love
I see Helen and Fiona struggle to make sense of my story, and I just want someone—anyone—to say something. Emmy and Tess can’t even seem to look at me.
But Ace catches me off guard when he’s the one who speaks up.
“Claire, I understand. Completely. I spent five years hiding, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. And my friends forgave me, my wife forgave me. Hell, you forgave me. I wasn’t honest because I was fucking pushing away the demons of my past. It’s okay, Claire. That’s why you have us. We forgive you, of course, but mostly we’re just sorry you went through all that.”
Emmy laughs softly. “He’s right, of course. We’re really sorry, Claire.”
Fiona tilts her head at me, her face lined with confusion. Geoffrey sits beside her, gripping her hand, though none of the story seems to surprise him.
“Do you love him?” Fiona asks. “I know this whole thing was fake, but ... it seemed so real.”
“It really did,” Tess agrees. “Like, insanely real.”
I swallow, hard, blinking away tears. Because so much of this trip has felt like the absolute truth. Landon’s proposal in the airport. Sliding a ring on my finger. The way he held me all night long, the way he touched my skin, my heart, my soul. The way he said I love you. The way I said it back.
“I do love him.”
Helen pulls in a sharp breath. “Oh, love,” she says, waving a handkerchief. “Arthur, do you hear her? She really loves our boy.” Helen grips her husband’s hand, and I feel so lucky to be in the presence of such generous people.
Because I need this. After everything before ... I need to see with my own eyes that love is real. Love exists. The way Arthur and Helen, Ace and Emmy—even Geoffrey and Fiona, in their own weird way—love one another.
I’m reminded that my love with Landon, while new, is real.
And I don’t ever want to lose it.
I want it forever.
But I don’t know if he feels the same way.
“So ... no double wedding?” Fiona asks. “Because I made an appointment at a bridal shop tomorrow for our gowns. The flowers are ordered. The guest list is completed, right, Helen?”
Helen nods.
“And the date is set, for next Saturday, at five o’clock in the evening.”
“You have been busy,” I say, unable to hide my shock.
“Well,” Emmy says. “Last night you were a bit put out, and since I have some experience with putting together a wedding in short order, I helped. So did Tess and Helen. You said you didn’t care about the details....”
“Right.” I cringe. “I’m really sorry. I should have told everyone the whole truth yesterday. I was just so upset. And now you’ve done all this.”
“So you really aren’t going to be marrying Landon?” Tess asks.
“Well, we aren’t really engaged. We clearly can’t get married if he’s never actually asked me. And right now I’m not sure if he’ll forgive me for my lies. I made a mess of everything.”
Right then, Brandon enters the sitting room with an announcement.
“Excuse me, but I wanted to inform you that a party of five has just arrived.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Landon
We slept the night away, and by the time we land in Heathrow, get into a car, and start back to my parent’s home, we’re all pretty hopped up with anticipation.
Sophia bounces in her seat while Eva points out the window at the double buses, Big Ben, and the London Eye. And then, as we leave the city, the countryside stretches out before us and everyone seems to sink into their seats, instantly relaxed with the greenery, something the Vegas natives in this car never see.
“Where are you from, McQueen?” Eva asks as we drive along.
“Kansas City, ma’am,” he says. “I’m a long way from home.”
“That’s where Dorothy is from, and Toto too,” Sophia says.
“Something like that,” McQueen says, smiling. “Jack, though, is from New York; that’s the big leagues.”
“Oh, I want to go to New York one day,” Sophia says, her eyes bright.
“And why’s that?” I ask her.
“Because that’s where miracles happen, on 34th Street.”
“She knows her movies,” I say to Eva.
“Yes, just like her mama.”
I smile, ignoring the reality that I had no bloody clue Claire loves to watch films. There’s so much I don’t know about her ... so much I need to learn.
How many things are necessary to know about the person you commit to spending your life with? Do you need to know details about favorite colors, favorite shows, favorite books? Or is knowing a person’s heart enough?
I’m banking on the latter.
“That castle is so gorgeous, so unexpected,” Eva says, looking out the window once more.
“That’s my parent’s home, actually,” I tell her. “Let’s see if there are any princesses about, shall we?” I ask Sophia.
“And Mama’s here?” she asks.
“She is.”
“I’m so glad you’re her friend,” she tells me. “Landon, you should be her BFF.”
“Just because of my parents’ place?” I ask. “I don’t think we should pick friends based on their homes.”
“No, silly. You should be her best friend forever because you’re so wonderful.” She smiles, dimples poking out of her ridiculously cute cheeks, her bright eyes beaming at me.
I’m bloody over my head for this whole lot.
I need to get a grip, before I step foot inside the house. For some reason it feels like I’m starting the first day of the rest of my life.
And I just hope that life involves Claire.
When we enter the house, Brandon quickly announces our arrival, while Sophia and Eva head to the loo. McQueen and Jack whistle low as they enter the foyer.
“Holy shit, man, your parents are loaded,” McQueen says.
“Were loaded. Remember, that’s what started a lot of this mess? The impending bankruptcy.”
“It’s all covered though, bro,” Jack says, fist bumping me. “We got your back.”
When Eva and Sophia return, the five of us head down the hall to the sitting room. Eva takes everything in, her face in awe the same way Claire’s was.
The guys don’t seem as phased. I’m guessing they’re already having withdrawals from the fact that last night they went to sleep on a plane, as opposed to going to bed with whatever hotties they’re used to bringing home.
When we make our way to the sitting room, Sophia can’t help herself. “Mama,” she exclaims, running to Claire, who has shock written all over her face. Shock, but also complete joy.
I think we’re all a little choked up at the reunion. Seeing Claire with her daughter is something so foreign, something none of us have ever seen.
It is beautiful. It is love.
“Oh, sweet pea, you’re here,” Claire says, kissing Sophia’s cheeks over and over, pulling her into her lap. “I had no idea you were coming. Mom, why didn’t you tell me? I had no idea.”
Eva shrugs, then gives Claire a hug.
“It was unexpected, Claire,” Eva says. “Sorry I didn’t ask about Sophia riding in a plane, but we all thought you might be missing her quite a bit.”
“Landon brought us here! he is the best friend ever, Mama. He read me stories after Gram fell asleep, and he promised me you were in this castle—his Mum and Dad’s castle—and you are. He keeps his promises.”
“He does, doesn’t he?” Claire says, looking up, meeting my eyes.
I swear the entire world stops. It’s just her and me.
I want to weep, and I want to kiss her, and I want to scream to the world that she’s mine.
But first, Fiona speaks. “Claire explained an awful lot this morning.”
“A lot? Does that mean everything?” I ask.
“Everything,” Claire says, taking off her engagement ring and handing it to me, not meeting my gaze.
I had no idea Claire planned on laying out my lies, but it’s her story to tell. I can’t be mad at her about it.
Just fucking pissed.
Still, I need to apologize to my parents before I can talk to her.
“Well, then,” I say. “I’m sorry, Mum and Dad, for lying. It was a poor imitation at being an adult. I should have done better.”
“Ah, but had you done differently, would you have found this?” Mum asks, tilting her head toward Claire and Sophia, who are cheek to cheek, heart to heart, arm in arm.
“I suppose I wouldn’t have.” I look over at Claire, my jaw clenched. What the hell? We swore we wouldn’t tell my parents.
“That would be a pity, wouldn’t it, son?” Dad asks. “Now, I know your posse has just arrived, but your mum and I need to speak with you for a moment, all right?”
“Right.” Then I look over at Claire, who’s biting her knuckles, clearly sensing my anger. “But do you suppose I could speak with Claire first?”
“If you need to, son,” Dad says.
I nod to my friends, before grabbing Claire’s hand and dragging her out of the sitting room.
I lead her up the stairs, so confused. Wanting to scream. Why did she never return my calls? Why did she tell my family the story that was mine to tell?
“What the hell, Claire?” I ask, the moment I’ve shut our bedroom door behind us.
“What do you mean?” she asks, running her hands through her hair.
“What do I mean? I mean why did you tell my family it was a fake engagement?”
She scoffs, turning to face me. “Are you serious right now? You’re the one telling me all the time to be brave. To stick up for myself. To not be ashamed. So, one time I grow a pair and set the story straight, and you get mad? I can’t win.”
“It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about being in this together,” I tell her, wanting to grab her and scream, but also wanting her to believe me. Trust me. See me for who I fucking am.
Hers.
“Oh, together? Is that what we are?” she asks, incredulous. “Is that why you hung up angry, screaming on the phone, because we’re in this together?”
“I want to be in this with you, Claire. But, fuck—I’m not perfect. I was shocked when we talked on the phone. You kept things from me. You let me confess my love to you, totally playing me for a fool. I can’t have my woman making me into a fucking pussy.”
“Is that what I am? Your woman? I don’t want to be your thing, Landon. That’s what happened the first time. I was someone’s thing. Now I want to be a partner. A wife. A mother. A daughter. A friend. But not your woman.”
“Fuck that,” I tell her. “You can be all those things; you should be all this things. But you can also be mine. And when I say you’re my woman, I mean I will fucking protect you. Keep you safe. Cherish you. Fight for you.”
Her eyes fill with tears. She shakes her head and tries to move away, but I grab her wrists, pull her to me.
“You don’t get to run from me because you’re scared,” I tell her. “Let me in. Let me be there for the hard conversations. Let me be there for the parts that feel impossible. Let me take care of you.”
And then she kisses me.
And her salty tears wash away her fears, wash away my questions. Her mouth melts against mine, and we become one.
Anything I may have finished with Claire is interrupted when Brandon summons me to my parents’ room.
I knock on Mum and Dad’s door. When they let me in, Dad asks, “So, you and Claire have things sorted out?”
I nod, relieved that that’s my answer, and also that this isn’t going to be an inquisition. My parents are just checking in with me. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Good,” Mum says. “I know that confession of hers was a lot to take in—but, Landon, things tend to work out when everything is in the open.”
“I hope so, Mum.”
Dad uses a key from his bureau to open a safe in the back of the closet.
“Are we on a treasure hunt?” I ask, not knowing what they’ve called me here for.
“I suppose so,” Mum says, smiling slightly as if she has a secret.
Dad opens the safe, and begins pulling out trays of jewels.
“Holy shit, Dad, this trove alone could save The King’s Diamond. These must be worth hundreds of millions alone.”
Mum presses her palm to her chest. “But these are family jewels, Landon.”
I laugh. “You’re both bloody insane. I just got my friends to invest in the company to save you from bankruptcy. Meanwhile you have jewels that could be auctioned off for hundreds of millions of dollars.” I pick up a ring with a diamond the size of a poker chip. “Why is this not in a bank vault in London? I mean, seriously, who knows you have these?”
“They are family heirlooms, Landon,” Dad says. “No one knows.”
“Truth is, though, Arthur,” Mom says, “the only ones that really matter are the two diamond rings the boys need for their wives. The rest aren’t necessary ... perhaps we’ve held too tight to the past. As long as we do, we won’t be able to take the business into the future.”
“I can’t believe you’ve had these all this time,” I say, dazed at the collection.
“Why do you think I was able to start The King’s Diamond in the first place?”
“I don’t know—because you went to Cambridge and learned business? Because you were an entrepreneur?”
“Well, those things, surely, but our family has been in the business of gems for hundreds of years.”
“Does Geoffrey know about this vault?” I ask, picking up a brooch with an emerald the size of my phone.
“He does now. I showed him yesterday, when we asked him to pick out a ring for Fiona.”
“And what did he say?”
Dad laughed. “He called me a bloody fool, and told me I was under no circumstance allowed to sign anything having to do with new investors, considering this safe contains hundreds of millions worth of jewels.”
“And what was your response?”
“I told him that if we could save the business with these jewels, then perhaps it was time for me to retire, after all. That maybe the ruse to get you here was actually the best plan of all.”
“Dad—” I begin, not wanting him to change his plans for me, not after all the lying I did.
“No, Landon, listen for a moment. I’m tired. I’ve become a bumbling fool. I want to sit at home with my wife, drink tea, enjoy my grandchildren. I don’t want to work. I’ve clearly lost the drive, considering the last few years have been a complete disaster for The King’s Diamond.”
“Well, I think Geoffrey had as much to do with that as anyone.”
“Because I left him to flounder,” Dad says. “He needs a partner. He needs someone to do this with. And I think that person is you.”
I run my hand through my hair. Bloody hell. I just named myself the General Manager of the new club, practically begged my friends to help. Had Denzel set everything up so I could have a legitimate job.
But working with my family seems like my destiny—what I was really made to do, what I want to do. I’ve just run from it for so long.
“You trust me to work with Geoffrey, sell these jewels, save the business—even though I lied to you for the past week about being engaged to Claire?”
“Oh, darling,” Mum says. “It may have started as ploy, but I think it was your smartest move yet.”
“The next smartest move, of course,” Dad says, “will be you being the co-owner of The King’s Diamond.”
I shake my head. I came here lying, looking for my parent’s approval—and somehow, when I became most honest, most true, I found it.
“Now pick out a bloody ring and propose to Claire properly,” Dad says.
“There’s a double wedding to be had, after all,” Mum says, smiling.
I look down at the rows and rows of rings tucked in the velvet box. I know that, while I don’t
know Claire’s favorite movie or favorite type of pie, I do know her, and I want a ring that represents that.
A ring that represents my love for her. Just as Dad has told me, for so long, an engagement ring should.
Claire
My friends and family being here feels like a gift I don’t deserve. A life I don’t deserve. But as I look around the room—see the smiling faces, listen to the jokes, the laughter—I can’t help but feel this twinge of acceptance well up inside of me.
Maybe I do deserve a life so full, so boundless.
“Do you like Landon?” I ask Mom, while Jack spins Sophia around the room. Apparently they’ve all gotten to know one another quite well over the past twenty-four hours.
“He loves you, and you love him. That’s enough for me.” Mom looks down, collecting her thoughts, and when she looks back up she’s crying. “But to think you found someone as wonderful as him, someone committed to helping you out of the past you were stuck in, someone so welcoming of Sophia and me … I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Don’t cry, Mom,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her.
“Oh, Claire, for so long you’ve been holed up in hiding—maybe not literally, but emotionally. You’ve kept everyone at a distance. But Landon seems to have cracked your heart wide open.”
I squeeze her tight, so grateful to have her support.
“So what happens next?” Mom asks, sitting back into her seat on the sofa next to Tess
“A double wedding, of course,” Tess says, grinning.
“Don’t, Tess. We aren’t even engaged. And after all the drama with Robert Mackle ... I bet Landon’s going to need to really think through what a relationship with me looks like.”
“You’re so dense,” Tess says. “Did you see the way he looked at you when he walked in here?”
I did. His eyes met mine, above Sophia’s head, and I never wanted to look way.
In my heart, I really don’t think he wanted to either.
A bit later, Landon returns to the room with his parents, and everyone seems to look around not knowing what to do. It’s awkward, because what I really want is to pull Landon in my arms, kiss him, never let him go.