AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Joyce Athena Andrews, will you marry me?”
Jumping in the air, Anna squeals, not believing what she’s seeing. Joyce, on the other hand, seems mortified, with both hands over her mouth, and her eyes teary and incredulous.
If she says no now…
“Yes!” she finally responds.
I put the ring on her finger and then stand to kiss her and hold her. The staff of the store watch and applaud, and Joyce pulls out her phone to immediately takes pictures, one with just the two of us, the other with Anna.
We’re heading out, and she still has her phone in her hand when it rings.
“It’s Jane!” she says, excited. “I can’t believe she’s calling! Hello?”
Her bright smile quickly fades away and my heart drops.
“Jane, calm down,” Joyce says, a hand raised in the air. “Yes, Logan is here. You want me to put you on speaker? Um… okay.”
She puts the phone on speaker and then raises it up in between us. I hear Jane say, “Hi, Logan.”
Her voice sounds on edge, and she goes on as such. “I asked to be on speaker because I want you to hear what I have to say to Joyce.”
Joyce and I look at each other with apprehension, and even Anna looks up to us not knowing what is going on. And Jane keeps on going, “First a question, Joyce: how does it feel to have your tuition paid for by a billionaire?”
I see Joyce furrowing her brow, confused and afraid. “What do you mean?”
“Jane, shut up,” I say, dry, unwilling to have my day ruined.
“No, Logan! I’ll say what I have to say!” Jane shouts. “Come on, Joyce, do you really think they would give you a scholarship out of the kindness of their hearts?”
Joyce looks at me, her lower lip quivering, matching the frown on her face.
“He paid for it, Joyce! I pretended to be his assistant and called the dean’s office. You only got your scholarship because he paid fifty grand for it!”
Tears roll down Joyce’s face, and I know I’m in trouble because I remember how much she insisted that I not give her any money.
“I told you I didn’t need your help, Logan,” Joyce says in between clenched teeth.
And right then and there, Jane ends the call.
“I just wanted to help,” I try to defend myself, as calmly as possible, hands splayed at my sides.
“By shoving your money in my face?!” she says, spiteful, looking from me to the ring on her finger.
She starts to remove the ring, and I hold her hands, trying to keep her from doing it.
“Let go of me!” she shouts, and all I can do is step back and watch her undo all we have built.
Anna is pouting, on the verge of crying, but being strong because she knows it breaks my heart anytime I see her in tears. Joyce goes down to reach Anna’s eye level and puts the ring into her little hands.
“This is for you to keep. And you…” She looks back up at me, blind fury in her eyes.
Now she stands on tip toes to try to reach my eye level, and says, almost spitting fire in my face, “I only asked you to marry me because it’s the right thing to do. A baby needs a mother and father, but I don’t need you to raise this baby, and I don’t need your money. I’ve helped at home since I was fourteen, I provided for my family when mom was sick, and Gabby was unemployed. We will make due and be just fine.”
Joyce breathes, appearing to calm down. I want to hold her and say that she doesn’t have to worry about those things because I will take care of her and the baby whether she wants it or not.
But I know it will only make things worse. The best thing to do right now is to let her talk, then try again later, because patience is the key to a broken heart.
But I’m not patient. I approach Joyce until her back is pressed against the wall, search for her hands, and plead, “Joyce, please… Talk to me. Let’s not let Jane ruin this special moment!”
