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After Nick leaves, I get dressed, clean up the apartment and decide to make dinner for us tonight. I pull out the paper where his mom wrote down the recipe for his favorite macaroni and cheese and read it over. Then, I look through the fridge and cupboards to see if we have everything I need. Looks like it, but I don’t have bread crumbs. I suppose I could make some, but I’m hardly known for my cooking skills.
So, I pick up my phone and call his mom. “Hi, Judy, it’s Savannah,” I say when she answers.
“Hi, honey. How are you?”
I really like his mom. Both Judy and Bob, actually. They gave me a much easier time than my dad gave Nick, but I suppose that’s because he still thinks of me as his little girl.
“I’m going to make the mac and cheese, but don’t have breadcrumbs.” I pull a loaf of bread off the top of the microwave. “Can you tell me how to make homemade ones? I’ve got a loaf of bread here.”
“Of course. It’s very easy and homemade will taste better, anyway.”
Thirty minutes later, I don’t just like his mom. Iadoreher. She not only walked me through making the recipe until I placed the casserole dish in the oven, but also talked with me like I’ve been her daughter-in-law for years.
As I set the timer on the oven, I figure I still have about ten minutes before I’m supposed to be naked in bed. Boy, is he something, I think with a smirk.
“I should probably get going,” I say. “Thank you so much for helping me.”
“Oh, anytime, honey. I’m so glad you called. Oh, and I meant to ask if Nick received the inheritance yet?”
My ears perk up. “Inheritance?”
“You know, from his Grandma. We weren’t ever sure he’d actually get it,” she says with a chuckle. “But, Lena was pretty firm about him finding love and being married first. Personally, I think she was just scared he’d wind up having a midlife crisis and blow it on some big, crazy purchase like a boat or fancy car or something.”
“Right,” I laugh, playing along.What is she talking about?
“Alright, well, have a good night and let’s talk soon.”
“Sounds good. Bye, Judy.”
I mull over what she just said about an inheritance from his Grandma. Nick never mentioned a word about it so I’m a little confused. The way she made it sound…
No.I shake my head, not letting my thoughts stray that way. But now I’m beyond curious. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but I wander into my bedroom and my gaze drops to his duffel bag laying in the corner. It’s open and I move closer.
I am not a snoop. Not usually, anyway. I glance at the clock on my nightstand and know that he’s going to be home any minute now. So, I have to move fast. I drop down and reach into his bag, shift a few things over and feel a folder.
With a frown, I pull it out and see what looks like a law firm’s name and logo on the front. A bad feeling curls in the pit of my stomach and I almost put it back. Except, I want to know if the small, niggling suspicion at the back of my mind is right.
I hope to God it isn’t.
I open the folder and scan down the first page. It’s a lot of lawyer mumbo-jumbo, but when I get to the part about Nicholas Knight, Grandson of Lena Eleanor Maxwell, and her leaving him two-hundred thousand dollars, my eyes widen. Then, the following sentence hits me like a dagger to the heart.
“...contingent on his decision to enter matrimony…”
My mouth drops open and I re-read the entire paragraph three times. And, with every word, my heart sinks further and further in despair.
Oh, my God.Nick married me to get his inheritance.
I feel like such a complete fool. Here I am in a bubble of hearts and flowers, believing that I’m in love with a man who is obviously only using me. I was on the verge of passing on the career opportunity of a lifetime because I didn't want it to take time away from Nick.
How could I have been so naive? So trusting? So fucking stupid?
I am so furious with myself and Nick that I can’t even see straight. He never mentioned one word about this so I know he didn’t want me to find out. If he had developed any true feelings for me then he would’ve told me about this.
But, he kept it a secret and used me. Why else would he want to elope in Vegas after being an asshole to me then doing a complete one-eighty switch and pretending he’s into me? God, it all makes sense now. His motive was so despicable, so dishonorable, and I feel beyond betrayed.
He never cared for me. It was all an act and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. He stole my innocence, whispered pretty lies to me and then cashed his inheritance check. I drop down on the bed and run my hands through my long hair.
Nick Knight is a fucking asshole. A liar who made me believe that he actually cared.
