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I gritted my teeth. “Nothing happened. And nothing will happen in the future.”
“You don’t have to make those decisions right away. You can see where this goes with Freddie without cutting out every other man in your life.” She picked up her coffee mug and walked back to the sink.
“I’m not cutting out anyone,” I muttered. “He’s the one who rejected me.”
* * *
“Knock, knock.”
I turned away from the mirror over my dresser to find Mamma standing in the middle of my bedroom.
“You look lovely,” Mamma said, eyeing my maroon floral wrap dress that was even shorter than the one I’d worn last weekend. It would go perfectly with the thigh-high boots I planned on wearing with it.
“Thank you.”
She closed the distance between us and reached out to finger my hair. “I love it when you let your hair loose. It suits you.” She let go of my hair and tucked her hands behind her back. “That’s quite the necklace.”
I touched the necklace automatically. “It’s beautiful.” And way too much from a man I wasn’t really dating, but I didn’t say that out loud.
“Piper, don’t let any man think he can buy you. No matter how beautiful the gift, you don’t owe Freddie anything. You can take this slow, set the paceyou’recomfortable with.”
“He’s not trying to buy me. This is how he shows he cares. He’s just trying to be sweet.”
“It just seems like things are moving awfully fast with you and Freddie. I can’t help wondering if you’re trying to make a point. To Sam maybe?”
I turned away from my mother, afraid my expression would betray my feelings. “There is no me and Sam, Mamma. There never was. He’s Nacio’s business partner and friend, not mine.”
“I saw the way he looked at you—”
“No, Mamma, you didn’t.” I spun back around to face her. “He doesn’t want me. The only reason he’s ever spent time with me was to watch out for his friend’s little sister. Now I’m better off spending my time with a man who might actually give me a ring and a future someday. Freddie’s perfect for me. Even Sam thinks so. I thought this was what you wanted for me.”
“I wanted you to find love, sweetheart. I wanted you to be happy and have the kind of blessings your father and I have. And I’ve never seen you as happy and alive as when I saw you look at Sam.”
I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever I might have felt, he doesn’t feel the same.” I faced the mirror again, staring at the jewels around my neck. “I’d rather marry a man who wants me and who cares enough to bring me gifts than waste my life begging for attention from someone who’s not interested.”
Mamma’s arms wrapped around my waist, and she rested her chin on my shoulder. “You are a prize. Any man would be lucky to have you. Freddie is a lovely man, and if he makes you happy and is what you want, that’s absolutely wonderful. But if you want something else, please don’t settle.”
I wasn’t settling for Freddie. So far he seemed like he could be everything I was looking for in a man. And I wasn’t exactly engaged or anything. I grabbed a stack of bangles off my dresser and shoved them over my right hand. “I should finish getting ready. He’ll be here any minute.”
Mamma let me go, but she didn’t leave the room as I sat down to put on my boots and tried not to think about how this whole outfit felt like armor I shouldn’t need.
I was on my way down the stairs when the doorbell rang.
“Hey,” I said with a smile when I opened the door to reveal Freddie waiting on the front stoop.
“You look stunning.” He looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes on my face.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.” Freddie was dressed as he usually was, in khakis and a short-sleeved button-down, this one light purple. “Are you ready to go?” There was no reason to invite him in since I was already dressed with my shoes on and my purse over my shoulder. It had nothing to do with wanting to keep him away from Mamma and Papa tonight.
Freddie looked a bit taken aback, but he held out a hand to me. “As long as you are.”
Unlike last weekend, tonight’s party was at a house that belonged to the family of one of Freddie’s friends. It had a different vibe than Hayden’s party. People stood around, mostly in couples and small groups of friends, talking and sipping beers and glasses of wine.
I still wasn’t sure inviting Shawn to this was the best idea, but it was his last weekend before school started and I wanted to spend time with him. He’d agreed and said he was going to bring a date. So now I kept scanning the room for him.
“Are you all right?” Freddie asked.
“Yeah. I’m just worried about my friend. I don’t think he’ll know anyone here. Also, I’m really anxious to meet his date.”
