Page 97 of Connected By Stars
“Mav...” I say, trying to get his attention as he glares at David and takes another step closer.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Maverick
I can feelthe anger toward him coming off my body in waves. I’ve never liked this guy and would love nothing more than to punch him in his ego-centered face right now and wipe that smirk off of his face. The only thing stopping me is that Luna may be watching, and I don’t want her to see me snap like that. I try to reign in this anger, but nothing can stop the next words that spill from my mouth.
“She’s not fucking single, asshole. She’s my girlfriend, and she’s mine. So if I ever hear you so much as breathe her name in public, I’ll have a fist in your face faster than you know what hit you. And tell all your other friends too that she’s off limits and to stay the fuck away from her.”
Breathing hard, I feel Bell take my hand and squeeze it, bringing me back to the present. I can feel the silence around me and know I’ve just dropped a bomb on our families, who I’m sure witnessed the whole thing.
David puts his hands up and steps back. “I had no clue, dude.” He says, half laughing and trying not to let it show how close he came to getting punched. He glances at Bell again. “If it doesn’t work out, you know where to find me.” Istart to take another step toward him, but Bell stops me as he turns and meets his friends before they walk back down the beach.
“Shit,” I say under my breath, knowing I have a lot of explaining to do. Taking a deep breath, I tighten my hold on Bell’s hand and turn toward our parents. I see my mom’s amused smile first and notice Sage and Mimi have the same. Thankfully, Papaw and Luna are at the shoreline looking at shells and missed the whole thing.
“You owe me a bottle of wine,” Mimi tells Sage and my mom. I blink, not sure I heard that right.
“I thought he would at least last until dinner,” Sage says, laughing.
“I was so close, too.” My mom glances at her watch. “I guessed four, and it’s two.
“What the hell is going on here?” I ask the three of them. I look over at Bell, and she’s just as confused as I am.
“Come sit.” My mom points to the chairs next to them.
“Luna? Want to go swimming with me?” Sophia asks, walking up to her. I silently thank her with my eyes, and she nods slightly.
“Sure. Race you in!” Luna gives Papaw her shells and races into the water with Sophia right behind her. We take a seat next to everyone, and I keep my hand in Bell’s, needing the contact right now.
“We’ve had our suspicions for a while now.” My mom looks at us, and Sage and Mimi nod. “We saw the way you were so protective of her and the way you looked at her when she wasn’t looking. We knew, though, that you didn’t even realize it yourself.”
“Bella was the same way. She was always going on dates and getting you so riled up, but there was no doubting the love and longing in her eyes when she didn’t think anyone was watching her. As a mom, I saw her watch you with that look before sheeven knew what it meant.” Sage reaches out and squeezes Bella’s hand.
“We knew that you guys needed to work out those feelings yourself, and eventually, they would have to be addressed. The wedding was our final confirmation, though, that you guys had already acknowledged those feelings. The way you looked at her, honey when she walked down that aisle, I thought my heart would burst out of my chest. There was no denying the fact that you two were in love.” My mom smiles at me through the tears that formed. I swallow the lump in my throat and feel Bell tighten her hold on my hand.
“What we can’t figure out is why you guys just didn’t tell us,” Mimi says, looking at the two of us.
I let out a breath, knowing I need to be completely honest. I want them to know how seriously I’m taking this. “That’s on me. I was afraid that because of my past,” I pause, feeling uncomfortable. “I haven’t exactly been lacking company the past few years,” I clear my throat and force myself to look at Jax. “I was afraid that you would think I wasn’t good enough for your daughter because of it. I didn’t know how Noah was going to handle it, so we decided to wait until after the wedding to tell everyone. We were going to talk to Noah first when he got back, but I guess I let our secret slide today.” I give a small laugh and rub the back of my head.
Wanting them to know how I feel about her, I continue, “I closed myself off to her a long time ago when I started to notice I had feelings. I shut them away and told myself it was because I was protective and just wanted what was best for her. I think I was just protecting my heart and afraid to put myself out there. It was easier and safer just to have flings with no emotional attachment than to go after the one person who could break me if things didn’t work out.”
“Oh, Maverick, honey. How could you, for one second,think that you wouldn’t be good enough for our daughter? You’re like a son to us, and we love you like one of our own. To be honest, I’ve secretly wished for this to happen. Nothing could make me happier than knowing Bella is with someone like you. Someone who is loyal, kind, and would do anything for her.” Sage smiles at me, and my heart couldn’t feel more full than at this moment. “And don’t worry about Noah. He’ll see what we see when we look at the two of you.”
I nod, unable to speak.
“She’s right, you know.” I hear Jax speak for the first time and meet his eyes, trying to figure out what he’s thinking. “I get why you were afraid, but your past doesn’t make you a bad person. You were young and trying your best to navigate emotions that were flying at you. It’s not like you were a cheating bastard like the guy you almost punched over there.” I return his grin. “We know your heart, Mav, and if Bella chooses to give you hers, then I have no doubt it’ll be in good hands.”
“Thank you for trusting me. That means more than you know. I would never hurt her.”
“We know, son.” Jax grins at me, and my dad gives me a wink and smile, letting me know he’s proud of me.
“You guys really made a bet today?” I hear Bell ask, lightening the mood for us.
“We had to make things interesting. We were just curious how far you would take this charade of not having feelings for each other. I thought having Bella ride with you was a nice touch.” My mom grins at me. I knew they were up to something.
“Mimi’s time was closest, though, so Maya and I will be buying her a bottle this week.” Sage laughs and looks at Mimi.
“Better be top shelf,” she says, looking at our moms.
