Page 103 of Blindly Yours

I hold her gaze for a long moment. “Don’t you want to talk about this?”

She pushes her hair from her face and shakes her head. “I don’t know how to fix it.”

“Neither do I right now. That’s why we need to talk,” I reply resolutely.

She wrings her hands, sighs, and then gestures toward her building. “So, do you want to come up?”

I shove my hands in my pockets and nod.

Our ride up the elevator is as quiet as the previous descent. Rose is a shell of herself, and I entirely believe she has no idea how to fix this, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. This is the first time we’ve hit a bump in the road, and if I learned one thing from my previous relationships, and especially my marriage, it’s not to let an argument fester.

TWENTY-THREE

Rose

When we’re inside my apartment, Nate takes a seat in an armchair and I sink onto the sofa with my hands between my knees. Daisy weaves between my legs, blissfully unaware of the temperature of the room.

“So…” Nate says again, setting his jaw. “Were you afraid your parents wouldn’t allow me to dinner if they knew who I was?”

“Yes,” I respond quickly, looking at the floor. My mom probably would have canceled if she found out. It’s the truth, and I hate it.

“Are they going to, like,disownyou if we stay together?”

I shake my head. “No, it’s not that bad, thankfully. But…” I take a long breath. “I wish I could explain it to you.”

“Try,” he says simply, firmly.

I lift my head, lick my lips, and sit back. I have to start at the beginning because this goes far, far back. “My grandparents—on both sides—were very wealthy. They came from old money in Europe. Very proud. Believed in keeping apurefamily line…whatever that means.” I rub my forehead, not meeting his gaze. “When my parents met, it was the perfect match in their parents’ eyes. My mom’s a Hearst, and my dad’s an Astor…distantly related to John Jacob Astor who sailed as one of the richest men on the Titanic. These are two families who had generated an insane amount of wealth and so much respect in their communities. They knew my parents union would help themgo places. And they have. They’ve built a billion dollar corporation over the course of their marriage, and they’re so proud of it.” I chance a glance at Nate. He’s watching me intently, but he’s expressionless. “I think my parents—my mother especially—really credit their success and happiness to theperfect matchthey entered into. It worked so well for her.” Daisy hops up onto my lap and stretches her back. “My parents love each other. And I think they truly believe that their similar backgrounds are what make that love so easy. And of course, parents want the best for their children, right? So, they named their first two children after kings and then they named me after my great-grandmother.” I take a deep breath. “But ironically, I feel like I’m actually the Rose on the Titanic who just wants out.”

There’s a long pause before Nate speaks. “And I’m your Jack.”

“Bingo.” I shake my head and close my eyes. I hate that I’ve introduced him to this mindset. “I’m afraid they’d never truly accept you. It would be a lifetime of nights like this one.”

“Yeah, but I’m not dating your parents.” Nate shrugs. “If they’re going to be rude to me, I can handle it.”

“But that’s not fair to you, Nate,” I plead.

“No, it’s not,” he agrees. “But I can deal with it.”

I frown and run my fingers through Daisy’s fur. I don’t want him todealwith it.

Nate’s voice comes low and even. “What doyouwant?”

I lift my eyes to his. There’s only one answer, and it’s easy. “You.”

I expect him to smile, but he just takes a deep breath and says, “Then I have to ask, why did you have lunch with your ex-boyfriend on Friday and not tell me?”

Shoot.This is such a mess.

I sigh and shift on the sofa. “He showed up unannounced with meals for both of us. I didn't eat, but I couldn’t get him to leave.”

“Did youtry?”He raises a slightly agitated brow.

“Yes!” I plead. “Yes, I did! And I don’t know, maybe I didn’t try hard enough, but you know I have a hard time standing up to people. We talked about this.”

“This is different.” He frowns.

I lower my eyes to the ground again.

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