Page 30 of Shameless
Betty stood in front of Britney and said, “I’ll want to meet my grandchild.”
I pressed a hand to my heart. “That’s entirely up to Britney.”
Her mother then curtsied at me and said, “Thank you for joining us today.”
Her eyes open wide, Britney asked, “Why are you so nice to him and everyone else except me?”
Her mother had no answer, and her parents let us leave without another word. We found our way back to the limo, which was waiting for us.
As we closed the car doors, she asked me, “Are yours that bad, or are you like me, building something up in your head and realizing the past wasn’t as bad as all that?”
“It wasn’t?”
“My sister and father shouldn’t be lumped in with my mother, so the trip reminded me there was some good too.”
Strong as always. Having met Britney’s family, I saw her in a different light. She was graceful in a way that was natural.
As we sped along, I stared into her eyes. “I promise it’s bad.”
She cupped my face and said, “Oh no. I’m so sorry.”
I shrugged and smiled. “You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
After we moved onto my plane and once we were in our brown leather seats, she relaxed and said, “Thank you for making me come here. I’m glad we mostly fooled them.”
She still thought we were a lie. My heart twisted as I spoke, wishing I’d backed up what I was saying more. “Nothing to fool, really. You are having my baby and wearing my ring, and going back early does give us a bit of time to plan the courtroom wedding.”
In London, I would sweep her away, and after we were done talking, I would show her a life she’d never dreamed possible. I had a plan to keep her out till dawn, dancing if that’s what it took.
When we were in the air, she broke the silence. “It might be nice if a few of my friends might come.”
The more real we were right then, the more she would believe me later.
I brushed against her soft skin and said, “And for you to wear a white dress.”
Her gaze seemed far off even as she stared at me. “You’d want that?”
My lips tingled to taste her again, but for the moment, I nodded and said, “I want this to be as real as possible.”
She cupped my face. “Okay. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go shopping.”
The idea of being inside her again burned me, but I waited for her to let me go, then I said, “And tonight, you can sleep in your own bed.”
When our plane started to descend, she gripped her armrests. “So I was awful in not wanting you to move in at first, and now I want to apologize for that as you’re great to have around and to ask about the condo.”
I’d always assumed her reluctance was because of my silence. I needed to fix that about myself. “The deal should be finished by the wedding.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Deal?”
I nodded. “I offered cash, and no one lives there, so assuming there are no hiccups, I’m hoping we can move in after the wedding.”
She rested on my shoulder for a while, and neither of us said much for the rest of the flight. The quiet was nice. Soon, we landed, and a smile grew on her face.
“And I can show off the new place to the rest of my friends.”
My heart twisted though I knew I was letting my money speak for me. “Sounds perfect.”
When we stopped and stood to head back into Manhattan for the night, I offered my arm. “I’m glad you think my plans are that good.”
