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“You need to understand what it’s like for me as your mother, Nolan. Sitting next to that woman, meal after meal, while she constantly belittles and puts you down, isn’t easy. If you didn’t love her—and only God knows why you do—I would’ve scratched her eyes out months ago.”
I lift my beer to my lips, using it to hide the smile threatening to break free.
It’s just after nine when I leave our parents’ house with my brother in tow. Mum made one last-ditch attempt to talk Nolan out of marrying Amanda, but this time I stayed quiet.
She goes at him so hard sometimes that, although I agree with everything she says, I was actually feeling sorry for the poor bastard. If he can’t see what he’s getting himself into by now, I don’t think he ever will. At least not until it’s too late.
She also insisted I bring Poppy to the wedding so she could finally meet her, which only soured my mood further. I can’t even ask because she’s still refusing to talk to me.
With a heavy sigh, I pull the Audi fob from my pocket and press the button. As the lights blink, illuminating the dark driveway, Nolan asks, “Whose car is that?”
I let out a long breath. “I bought it for Poppy.”
“So why are you driving it?”
I like that he asked that instead of questioning why I bought it for her. “She broke up with me,” I admit, hating how gutted I sound when I say the words out loud.
He lets out a low whistle as we come to a stop beside his Range Rover. “Your fake girlfriend broke up with you, and you sound like you’re about to burst into tears.”
“I do not,” I grumble.
“Yeah, you do. Why is that?”
I rub a hand over the back of my neck. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
When a smug smile curves his lips, I know I’m right. “You bet your arse I am.”
“Fine.” I sigh. “Somewhere along the line, things got blurred, and it became real.”
“I fucking knew it!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
“What did you do to make her leave?”
“What makes you think I did something?”
“Because you’re a bulldozer by nature, Bennett. Did you come on too hard, too fast, and scare her off?”
“No, arsehole, I didn’t.”
“Did she not like the car?”
“She doesn’t even know I bought it. I never got the chance to give it to her.”
“Why?”
“Because she broke up with me, arsehole,” I growl, losing my patience with him.
“You already told me that part; what you haven’t said is why.”
“I paid off the mortgage on her grandparents’ home ... and her HECS debt.”
“Ah, the fixer strikes again.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“But it’s true. It’s what you do. It’s what you’ve always done. Don’t get me wrong, I love that about you, but I can understand why Poppy was pissed.”
