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Meanwhile, I stayed in our hometown with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and no job to show for it.
It would be interesting to see what she thought about me getting married to Nathan.
Mack studied me for a moment, finally sighing. “Look,” she said, “I know Sara had a reputation for being an asshole in high school. I don’t know if you ended up being on that list of people she terrorized, but she’s changed, I promise. And I’ll be here to keep her in line.”
I avoided her eyes, scratching my elbow as I considered it. “Okay,” I said finally. “Let’s do it.”
“Great!” Mack pulled out her phone. “I’ll text her now.”
As Mack texted Sara, I checked my own messages. In our brief exchange yesterday, Nathan hadn’t mentioned any details other than that he was coming to pick me up at 8 p.m. I didn’t know where we were going or what we were doing, and after the surprise at the party, I started to wonder if I should ask him.
But my phone remained silent and still, with no text messages from anyone except Brooklyn, who had sent her itinerary.
“Okay, so Sara’s in,” Mack told me, pocketing her phone. “She said she’ll meet up with us sometime in the next week or so. What’s your weekday availability like?”
I shrugged. “Other than applying for jobs and working at the shelter, I’m not doing much. I still have to help my dad out with bills and stuff, so I figure I have to get a job pretty soon…”
Mack gave me a strange look. “Why are you applying for jobs?” she asked.
I hesitated.Was I not supposed to be looking for jobs?“Well, I just recently became unemployed, and…”
“Hon, Nathan’s got you from now on,” Mack said, putting a hand on my arm. “We all have our own inheritance, and Nathan owns his own company,that is doing well, on top of that. You’ll never need to worry about money again.”
“But what about my dad?”
Mack smiled. “He’s family now, too. Whatever he needs, we got him.”
I tried not to fidget under the guilt that felt heavy on my shoulders. Not only would my dad’s pride get in the way of him taking any money from Nathan, but it couldn’t be a long-term plan, considering that Nathan and I planned to break up after a handful of months. Mack thought Nathan and I would be together forever; only Nathan and I knew differently.I may not have to worry about money now, but I will soon.
“Yeah,” I said finally, looking out toward the street. “I forgot about that. I guess it’s been me and my dad for so long, supporting ourselves, that I forget I have someone else to lean on now.”
“And look, I’m all for women’s empowerment and independence,” Mack said, holding up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “But it’s nice to have someone take care of things every once in a while, right?”
I nodded, feeling queasy. “Right.”
Sure, it would be nice for Nathan to take care of things for six months. But what would happen to me then?
I dreaded finding out.
By the time eight o’clock rolled around, I was a bundle of nerves. Between Mack’s reminder about what I’d be marrying into, and Brooklyn’s pending visit, my anxiety was at DEFCON 1. When Nathan rang the doorbell, I was already at the door, coat and purse in hand.
I stepped outside, quickly closing and locking the door. “Let’s go,” I said.
Nathan followed me quietly as I marched down my walkway and waited by his car. He hurried to open it, and I slipped inside.
The first ten minutes of our trip were awkward and quiet. I didn’t know what Nathan was thinking, but I was trying not to think about what was to come. I stared out the window without really seeing anything, the lights a blur that streaked past my window.
Finally, Nathan said, “I’m sorry.”
I turned to him. “For what?”
“For the proposal. And, um, not keeping in mind what you might want.” He took one hand off the wheel to brush it over his hair. “It never even occurred to me that it was the wrong thing to do because you wouldn’t like it. I’m kinda new at all this.”
I bit my lip, hiding a smile. “You mean, you’ve never proposed to anyone before?” I joked.
He grinned at me. “No, have you?” he teased back.
I shrugged. “Maybe once or twice. You know.”
