My head whips around. “He didn’t propose. He just told everyone that to get Ivy off his back.”
“I’m confused, Izzy.”
“Me too.” I need to explain this a little better. So, I do. I start at the beginning––to the night Ivy showed up at Nash’s place. When I’m done, I can’t tell if Rose wants to laugh or cry. “So, that’s why I was upset.”
“You don’t want to marry him?”
I glare at Rose. “I’m not going to marry him.”
“Why the hell not? You’ve always had a thing for him.”
I push myself up, grabbing my purse as I go. Before I get to her front door, I look back at her. “You don’t get it.”
“I suppose not. What’s your issue?”
“When I get married,ifI ever get married, it’s going to be for love. The man who proposes to me will love me as much as I love him, Rose. I’m not going to just marry a guy because his ex is a witch. I’m so damn angry at Nash for putting me in this position because I’ll have to be the one to end this thing, which means I’ll be the center of the gossip mill for months.”
“I can see that, hon. You deserve someone who worships you. Nash was a shit to throw you under the bus like that. You were doing him a favor pretending to date him in the first place. Then, he goes and does that shit. Pretty manipulative if you ask me. And all that just to keep his kid away from that bitch, Ivy.” She shrugs then smiles. “However, thereareworse reasons to marry someone.”
I stare at Rose again. She’s right about one thing. This is about Andi. I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. “I know this is about Andi, but I can’t be suddenly responsible for whatever is happening between Nash and Ivy.”
Rose stands up and walks a little closer to me. “I absolutely agree. This is between them. He should never have put you in that position.”
I nod, but I know she’s just trying to appease me. Now I can’t think of anything else to say on the matter. When a horn honks, I reach out and hug my friend. “Thanks for letting me vent. I’ll talk to you later.” I open the door and see my mom’s minivan parked at the curb. I give Rose a little wave. “Bye.”
“Bye, Izzy.”
* * *
I’m barelyin the front passenger seat of Mom’s van when she says, “Isabelle, what the hell’s going on?”
Like it’s on repeat, I tell Mom the entire story from the beginning. Of course I leave out the part where Nash wants to doitwith me––once. Mom’s don’t need to hear the sordid stuff. The surprising thing, though, is Mom just listens. She doesn’t interject at any point in the story. It’s a tad disturbing because that’s not Grace Harmon. When I’m done, I release a sigh and look over at her. She’s staring straight ahead as she drives back to our place. “Mom?”
“Hm?” she says absently.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Still silent as she pulls into our long driveway and into the garage, I watch her slide the car into park. After she turns if off and pulls out her key, she turns her body to face me. “I’m at a loss for words, Isabelle.”
I look at my mom but remain silent. Even though she’s at a loss for words, I’m confident she’ll find some. I don’t have to wait too long.
“Let me ask you some things before I give you my unbiased opinion.”
I roll my eyes, because there’s no way my mom will be unbiased. “Okay.”
“Do you think Nash was serious? Do you see him planning a wedding and going through with it?”
Where is she going with these questions? “I don’t know.”
“Maybe you’ve got this wrong. Maybe he wants to marry you, but this is his backward way of doing it. Maybe he loves you.”
Leave it to Grace Harmon to think like a romantic. “He doesn’t love me. Heck, Mom, I’m not sure he likes me that much.”
“Oh, he likes you. He always has. Remember Isaac’s wedding, he—”
“He didn’t say one word to me at the wedding. It was like I was invisible. Then at the open house—”
“Oh, no. I saw him when you arrived at the rehearsal. His mouth fell open when you walked into the church.”
