She turned and stomped out of the room.
46
FINDING FAULT
“Don’t you dare leave on me,” he yelled back and scooped up the papers in a messy pile in his arms to chase her down the stairs.
She turned at the bottom and went to the living room. She wasn’t sitting and the way she was pacing told him to not even consider suggesting it.
He’d been warned she wouldn’t be happy if she ever found out.
He should have listened to his grandmother.
“I’m not leaving, but we’re having this out.”
“Fine. I just told you. I’m sorry. I am. I didn’t want to scare you if you knew that.”
“Scare me?”
“Come on, Natalie. If I told you I came here to reconnect with you and see if the spark was there, what would you have done?”
“Laughed. Not believed you.”
Huh? That didn’t seem right. “That’s it? Nothing more?”
“No,” she said. “I would have remembered you were the guy that always made me laugh. That made me feel and do things others couldn’t.”
Damn it.
He fucked upbig.
Didn’t she laugh not that long ago when he eased his way in there about pursuing her so hard when he got to the island?
What an idiot he’d been!
“I didn’t know that.”
“You never gave me a chance. Just like with the house. Like your mother said. You’re impulsive and spontaneous. You do what you want, when you want, and think only of yourself. When you dig into something though, nothing stands in your way. I’m what you dug into, right?”
“No. I mean, yes. We both did when we started dating. And as for the other, I thought I was putting down roots for us. I messed up. I acted like my father buying the house alone. I get it now.”
“That’s right. This is a partnership, not a solo relationship.”
He hated hearing the truth. He couldn’t argue it. But then something else hit him.
“Back up. When did you talk to my mother?” He put the papers down on the glass coffee table, some falling to the floor. His eyes landed on the word prenup.
Motherfucker!
“She was just here and stopped in to see me and had that. I told her we haven’t talked about a wedding.”
“She had no idea I bought a ring.”
“I think it was just wishful thinking a wedding was next and she wanted to protect you. The funny thing is, I have no problem signing that. Not ifyouwant it. I even told her that.”
“I don’t want one,” he argued.
“Maybe I do. Maybe it will make me feel better to have it so everyone will feel easier about things.”
