Page 33 of Masked in Deception
I can’t stop the scoff,or was that a snarl,and the eye roll that escape, and before I even realize what I’m doing, I’m turning on my heel and stepping away from him.
He tries to stop me. “Margot, please…”
I’m saved from his annoying begging by the front door opening to Henry. I hasten to greet him, leaving Jack behind and vowing to avoid him like the plague when I’m in New York, auction be damned.
Chapter thirty-two
Two years and there she is. I want to take her away and never let her go again. What an idiot I was not to hold on to her in the first place. For a while, every moment of silence I had would be spent thinking about her. Until I couldn’t take it anymore. I put my head down and worked seven days a week to get Rendezvous Too up and running. Whatever energy I’ve had left after a fifteen-hour workday, I’ve been burning off at the gym, making sure that by the time I get in bed, I’m too tired to let my mind wander to her. Thankfully, most nights I’m even too tired to dream because when I do dream, it’salwaysof her. When I do dream, I wake up with whatever bit of heart I’ve regrown ripped out all over again.
It didn’t take me long to realize the major mistake I made. I was in New York, Ledger was preoccupied with Sloane, and Blanche and Henry were too caught up in their own lives to make frequent visits. We were all scattered in the wind. And I missed them all, but none so much as Margot.
I realized all too late that she was worth it the whole time. That even if all she gave me was a month, it would be worth losing everything I’ve ever known and loved. I realized all too late that once I had her, living without her wasn’t life at all.
By the time I came to my senses, finally ready to sweep her off her feet, I found that she was living just fine withoutme. If her social media and updates in the family group chat were anything to go by, she was happy.
And that was enough.
So I let her chase her dreams. I let her live her life. Liveourlife. Because the only life I’ll ever have is her.
“Jack, dear, can you do the honors?” Blanche’s call for help brings me back to the moment.
Right, Ledger and Sloane’s gender reveal. I head into the kitchen to get the punching bag filled with either blue or pink powder and wheel it back to the expecting couple.
“We thought this would only be fitting, considering the night you, um, got married,” I say, glancing at where Sloane’s parents are sitting in the corner. Being careful not to word vomit like I did the last time we were all together. “Sloane, you’re welcome to do the honors, I suppose, but I think this was designed for our dad-to-be.”
Fuck. My brother is about to be a whole-assdad.
Sloane steps back, letting Ledger take the reins. “I haven't fought since that night either, but I’ll give it a go.” He rips through the material with one punch, sending blue powder flying into the air.
“It’s a boy!” the entire room screams in unison.
“Hey! A little Ledger!” I say, bringing the happy couple out of their little bubble of bliss after what I feel is an appropriate time to grope each other in celebration.
“OhLord,let’s hope not, for everyone’s sake,” Blanche responds, making her way over to congratulate her son and daughter-in-law.
She’s not wrong. The older I get, the more I realize how much trouble the two of us caused growing up. Ledger especially. A little boy. Wow, a little Ledgerindeed. Poor Sloane really is going to have her hands full if he’s anything like his dad.
I look over to where Margot stands with tears welling up in her eyes. With everyone preoccupied with the news of the baby boy, I allow my gaze to linger on my princess for the first time in two years, fully taking her in. This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing her in her whole life, and she’s…changed.
She somehow looks both older and younger at the same time. Although her skin glows and her features remain as youthful as ever, her style has matured. Her long hair is pulled up in a clip instead of flowing down her back, her posture is more rigid, and instead of the pink frills she used to wear frequently, she’s sporting a charcoal pantsuit.
She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
I’ve done my best to get on with my life since leaving for New York. It took several months after realizing we were never meant to be, but I was finally able to numb the feelings down to a slight sting. Seeing her like this, though…they’re all flooding back in.
If I ever guessed Blanche would’ve approved of our relationship, maybe I wouldn’t have left. That wouldn’t have changed the fact that Margot would be sacrificing her dreams, but maybe we could’ve made it work long-distance until we could figure something better out.
We could very well be married by now. I certainly wouldn’t have needed time to figure out if she wasthe one.She’s always been the only one.I don’t think she would’ve been ready to have a baby so soon, but what if she did? Or even if it wasn’t planned, accidents happen. This could’ve been us. I wonder if that smokewould’ve been blue or if we would be preparing for our own little princess. One with her mother’s blue eyes and free spirit.
I’m lost in my thoughts about how it would feel to be celebrating our own child when her voice brings me back. “Soooo do you have any names picked out?”
“Well, I think Ledger Jr. would be perfect,” Sloane replies.
Wow, our baby boy would be a fourth if we went that route. Unless I took her last name and officially became a Sinclair.
“You know Henry the fourth is always an option,” Henry says, pulling me out of my fantasy.
“Ew, you weirdo, it’s notyourson,” I remind him, honestly forgetting he’s not referring to Margot’s and my baby.
