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NATHAN
Iwent to the gym to play ball with Harold after seeing Ciara. I needed a way to get out all my restless energy, and that was the perfect outlet.
I was still confused about her response. Why was she so distant all of a sudden? I thought we had hit it off. If anything, meeting Ciara made me feel better about getting married to her after only knowing her for a week.
But something had changed since the proposal. What was it?
I arrived at the gym with this thought in my mind. I changed my outfit and put my stuff in a gym locker, then headed to the basketball courts. Harold was already there, going up for a jump shot, getting his rebound, and putting it up for a layup. I watched with a smile. I was never really worth much when I played JV basketball in high school, but Harold, who made varsity, had lettered every season.
“Show off!” I called finally, grabbing his rebound before he could get down the court. He laughed, reaching out to slap hands and hug.
“Nice of you to show up,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “The town’s been aflame with gossip about your sudden engagement.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course it has. When are people actually minding the business that pays them?”
“Never. You know how it is. But to be fair…” He took the ball from me, dribbling it between his legs, switching his legs in quick succession. “You are a child ofthefounding family, so…”
“Yeah, but so are Brandon, Damien, John, and Mack,” I pointed out, trying to take the ball from him and missing. “And that’s not even to mention Zeke, who loves the spotlight. Why am I the one they focus on?”
“Because you’re the first son, the favored one.” Harold shrugged. “And the most successful. And the one who was being groomed to take Theresa’s place.”
I felt the pain of hearing my mom’s name deep in my bones. Memories of us at board meetings flashed in my mind, where she would doodle on her notepad while Mrs. Kingsley complained about one thing or another that wasn’t to her liking.Be cordial, be approachable, but be firm, she had always told me.
I let the memories fade as I brought myself back to my conversation with Harold. “So what are they saying this time?” I asked.
“That you got Ciara pregnant, and that’s why this is happening so quickly.” Harold went up for another jump shot. “That you met her online and are marrying her in a quarter-life crisis.”
“Well, part of that is true, I guess,” I mused. I took a look at Harold’s open mouth and said quickly, “Not the pregnancy part. The online part. We met online.”
Harold gave me a side-eye as he went to pick up the ball. When he came back, he said, “You decided to sign up for Ava’s app?” Ava Humphrey, the creator of the Happily Ever After app, was his little sister. She was around John and Mack’s age and used to hang out at the house almost as much as Harold.
I nodded. “Ava’s app is as good as Mack said it was. Ciara was a diamond in the rough, and I wouldn’t have found her if not for the app.”
He stopped dribbling and looked at me askance. “All of this did happen kinda fast, though.Areyou having a quarter-life crisis? Or is this a ploy to keep the estate or something?”
I hesitated, trying to find the right words that also wouldn’t incriminate me. After all, Harold was the family lawyer, and if Zeke did start sniffing around, Harold would be obligated to tell what he knew. Besides, Ciara and I had agreed to keep our real reason for getting married a secret from everyone—including family and friends.
“It wasn’t a ploy to keep the estate,” I said finally. “Though I will agree that it all happened really fast. Something told me to propose, even though it was in the middle of the party. John was pissed.”
Harold smirked. “I bet. But don’t deflect. So you really love Ciara? Enough to get married? After only, what, a week?”
“Eight days,” I corrected. “And yes. From the moment we started talking through the app, I knew she was different. She’s just so genuine, you know? Not like the other girls I’ve dated. I can truly let my guard down with her.”
“And she’s not just clout-chasing? She’s not after your money?”
I laughed.If only he knew what wasreallygoing on.“Nah, man. She rarely even speaks up about the things she needs. This feeling I have for her is real.”
“Okay.” Harold twirled the basketball on his finger, the movement as fluid as breathing. “I’m just lookin’ out for you. And not just because I’m your lawyer.”
I smiled. “Thanks, man. Actually, on the topic of Ciara…I think I messed up.”
Harold stopped spinning the ball and looked at me, frowning. “Already? What’d you do?”
“That’s the thing; I don’t know,” I admitted. “Things have just been weird since I proposed.”
Harold scratched the back of his ear. “Well, I mean, thatwasa janky-ass proposal.”
I reared back. “What? What do you mean it was a janky-ass proposal?”
