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“If she finds out after we’re married, she’ll forgive me,” I said, but Luca’s expression just told me I sounded like an idiot.
Maybe I was, but I had to take that risk. Besides, what were the odds that Lauren would find out, anyway?
I grinned at Luca. “Guess I’d better make a stop at the jewelers. I have a purchase to make.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Lauren
I WASN’T SURPRISED Nico had texted to tell me our plans to work would have to wait for the time being. For someone who had hired me to do a job, he was fairly reluctant to actually sit down and get the project started.
I didn’t mind the break, though. I managed to stop by my apartment and water my plants as well as check my mail. After shredding the junk and doing some general cleanup so the place wasn’t a wreck when we returned, I grabbed some fresh clothes for both me and Grady and started to head back to Nico’s until I decided to detour and pick up takeout from my favorite Americana restaurant.
Chester’s was my and Grady’s go-to spot for burgers and fries. I ordered and waited, stepping aside with my phone in hand, checking my emails for any word on the countless résumés I’d sent out.
But as I waited, a familiar voice at my back caused me to turn.
Patrice.
I forced a polite smile at the awkward encounter. I hadn’t realized Patrice was a fan of burgers—I’d always pictured her as more of a sushi and wheatgrass kind of person—but there she was, standing in all her pinched-expression glory, giving me the most condescending look I’d ever seen.
“How are you?” I asked, making conversation. “How is Luxe?”
“I wouldn’t know. I was fired.”
I tried not to let my jaw drop. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“As if you don’t know,” she returned with a sour expression that confused me. “Your boyfriend’s little shenanigans cost me my job.” She patted her hair as she drew herself up. “Thankfully, I have plenty of friends in this business and I was able to rebound. Unlike you, I’d dare say. How’s the job hunting going?”
I narrowed my gaze. “What are you talking about?”
“After what your boyfriend pulled, you’ll be lucky if you can find a job writing ad copy for dog food.”
I was starting to fume, but I needed to know what the hell Patrice was talking about before I punched her in the nose. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but if you’ve been bad-mouthing me to prospective employers, I could sue you for defamation.”
“I haven’t said anything that wasn’t true,” Patrice said, undeterred. “And don’t act so innocent. I’m sure you were well aware of what that asshole Donato was up to when he forced me to fire you.”
The contents of my stomach dropped to my bowels. “What?” I could barely get the word out, my throat had closed so tightly. “I don’t understand.”
Patrice stared as if she didn’t believe me, but when she realized I was genuinely floored, her expression turned sly and vindictive. “Trying to play the victim? How quaint. Donato came to me, promising advertising dollars for Luxe if I convinced you to attend the Griffin dinner with him. I tried, but you had other plans. I never imagined he’d pull his campaign because of something so silly, but he threatened to do just that, saying that if I didn’t fire you that he’d pull every cent of a very lucrative deal that I’d already sent to advertising. Against my better judgment...I did it. Well, corporate caught wind of what’d happened and said I’d grossly abused my power and let me go.”
I could only stare. I thought I was going to vomit.
Patrice sniffed. “But it seems you landed on your feet. Everyone saw you and Donato cuddled up at the Griffin dinner, looking like two lovesick puppies. Luxe got the advertising campaign, but I got the shaft. Seems everyone came out on top but me.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with Nico’s...deception,” I said, my eyes blurring. Nico had betrayed me in the worst way. I couldn’t quite reconcile the facts when my heart was screaming.
“Well, you can kiss my ass for a good reference because I don’t believe you.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. How could I be so stupid as to believe Nico was capable of anything genuine? Anything real?
Oh, God, and I’d exposed Grady to Nico’s manipulation, as well. I didn’t wait for my food and simply bolted.
Patrice’s laughter seemed to follow me, or maybe it was just the voice in my head telling me I should’ve known better.
Either way, Grady and I weren’t going to stay another minute in Nico’s place.
In my current state of mind, I was afraid I might murder him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Nico
EVERYTHING WAS READY. My hands were shaking, but my mind was made up.
“Marry me,” I practiced in the mirror several times, thrusting the black jewelry box toward an imaginary and ecstatic Lauren.
“Lauren...will you please marry me?”
“Lauren...make me an honest man...marry me!”
“Will you freaking marry me, please?”
“Grady, can I marry your mom?”
I double-checked that I looked on point. I wanted to look my best for my future wife.
I shivered at the word wife. Who would’ve thought that Nico Donato could be tamed? I chuckled, feeling pretty proud of myself. I was already picturing our wedding. Of course, Grady would be my best man. I couldn’t imagine anyone I would want more than Grady standing beside me as I married Lauren.
A contented sigh rattled free, and I checked
my watch. Lauren should be here any minute.
As if on cue, the apartment door flew open and Lauren came in, Grady in tow, but she was anything but smiling.
“Grady, pack your things,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. Grady shot me a sad look that killed me, and I couldn’t process what was happening fast enough.
“Whoa, what’s going on?” I asked, chasing after Lauren as she started shoving clothes into her suitcase, ignoring me. “Lauren...what’s wrong?”
“Mama said you did a bad thing...” Grady answered, sucking in his bottom lip to hide the tremble. “What did you do, Nico?”
A chill settled over me, but my skin felt damp. I swallowed, not quite sure how to answer. Surely she couldn’t have found out about Luxe...was it possible Luca had sold me out? My world tilted and I searched for words. “Sweetheart—”
She whirled on me, her eyes blazing, “Don’t you dare call me sweetheart or any word remotely attached to an endearment, or I swear I will split your skull open with this lamp.”
Holy shit, she knew. How? “Let me explain,” I said, forgoing any attempt at covering my tracks. It didn’t matter how she knew. I had to fix things now or lose everything.
“There is nothing you could possibly say that would forgive what you did to me, Nico. You forced Patrice to fire me? So that you could...make me attend a dinner with you? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“To be fair, if you hadn’t turned Patrice down in the first place, none of this would’ve happened.” Ah, shit. I knew the minute the words fell from my fool mouth they were the wrong thing to say. I stumbled on more words in my rush to pull my foot out of my mouth. “I was wrong to do what I did. All I can say is I’m sorry... I wasn’t thinking of how that might end up, but things worked out for the better, right? I mean, there’s no way you could’ve made it working at Luxe for much longer. Now you can afford to live somewhere nicer...somewhere—”
“I like where I live,” she cut coldly, jerking her suitcase closed and zipping with a savage motion before going to Grady’s and doing the same. Grady was crying quietly, and I wanted to die. Hell, how had things gone so sideways in such a short amount of time? “Lose my number,” she said in a low tone that seethed with rage. “I fucking hate you.”
