I can’t help but shake my head in response. “I have a feeling that won’t go over well withheror your mom,” I reply honestly,tightening my arm around her. “If we want this to work, then maybe we should go. Get it over with.”
Hattie frowns and moves to sit up. “What’s wrong?” she asks, putting distance between us. Shadows play in her eyes as a wave of guilt crashes through me.
I sit up with a sigh. “Nothing,” I tell her, scraping a hand through my hair. My heart is still pounding with the feeling that something is going to go wrong and I don’t know how to stop it. I love Hattie too damned much to fuck this up, and after the day we’ve had, I don’t want anything to jeopardise us.
And yet, her family might just do that.
“Something is very obviously wrong,” she starts, moving to her knees beside me and leaning closer. I can already tell she’s trying to get a read on whether I’m lying to her or not, and I honestly don’t know if I am. “You told me you wanted me to stay for you—forus. That has to mean you want something real, Casper. Which means communication. You can’t expect me to give up my entire life to stay here if you won’t open up to me.”
I swallow hard. I know she’s right. Hattie is always right, and maybe that used to infuriate me when we were kids. But now, I know I have to listen to her.
Sighing, I sit back and scrub a hand down my face. “It’s just a feeling I have. Part of me thinks Stella messaging you is an indication that something bad is going to happen. The other part of me thinks we should go to show a united front and really show your family how serious I am about you.”
Hattie’s eyes soften as she sits back. “How serious you are about me?”
“Yeah, shortcake,” I reply, voice thick with emotion. “I’m serious about what I said. And I mean everything that I’ve done. I’m not letting you go again, and our deal is still on. I told you: I’m a man of action. And that means showing your family I one hundred percent am withyou.”
A smile curls her lips, cheeks darkening to a deep red. “Okay,” she says, nodding her head once. “I’ll text Stella back. Tell her we’ll be there.”
I match her smile with one of my own, despite the feeling not disappearing.
Tonight will likely change everything. Either I’ll be able to convince Hattie to stay, or she’ll decide the deal isn’t worth it—thatI’mnot worth it.
And I’m scared I’m not ready for that.
There’ssomething about this that feels like the calm before a storm, when the dark clouds start rolling in and the air turns quiet before the first bolt of lightning crosses the sky and the thunder crashes above your head. It’s that moment before the rain comes, when the air is sticky with the heat of lightning, the smell of rain heavy on the wind.
The house Hattie grew up in sits dark against the evening. I pull the truck into a spot in front of the house and put it in park, sitting back, heart pounding. Maybe coming here wasn’t the best idea. But I want to show her family just how serious I am.
I want to show Hattie that I’m capable of protecting her against them if the time came.
“We’re a team,” Hattie says, her hand covering mine on the steering wheel. “Right?”
I can’t help but smile, some of the nerves getting pushed away. “Yeah,” I reply, looking to her with all the love I have for her. Love that hasn’t dimmed in the ten years we’ve been apart. “A team.”
The smile that forms on her lips has my heart skipping a beat. “Then let’s show them that.”
I refuse to give her family—Stella, in particular—the power to tear us apart. Not again.
Especially not when I finally have Hattie again.
When we get out of the truck, a strong, chilling wind blows over the residential street. It picks up the long, black strands of Hattie’s hair, whipping it around her face while she holds a hand out to me.
I rush to her side and entwine our fingers as the front door opens. Standing in the doorway surrounded by Hattie’s family is Stella. She has on the tightest dress possible, blonde hair perfectly blown out. Either side of her stands their parents, and behind them, almost hidden, is Brad.
Thank fuck. That man might be a good buffer. I doubt Stella will do or say anything that might put her engagement in jeopardy.
That has me blowing out a relieved breath and tugging Hattie into my side. She looks up at me without hesitation, without fear in her green eyes, and maybe for the first time since getting that text from Stella, I can meet her stare with a similar look.
The family greets us with strain and tension, though Brad is the only one to offer me his hand. “Good to see you again,” he says, shaking my hand, gaze darting to Hattie. “Both of you.”
I clear my throat, wrapping an arm around Hattie as her stepfather closes the door behind us. “Good to see you, too,” I reply.
Hattie just gives him an awkward smile. It’s unfortunate that he seems so…genuine.
I hope this family doesn’t completely screw him over.
There’s tension between everyone as we walk into the family room. A fire burns in the fireplace, a giant photo hanging over the mantle of Hattie’s mom, her husband, Stella, and Hattie. The first three stand close together with giant smiles, while Hattie is pushed off to the side, her smile small—tight.
