“And they didn’t suspect you of lying?” I was shocked that his parents would accept Lory’s word above that of their son.
“It was beneficial that Virgil’s sworn affidavit was attached with Mr. Rowe’s withdrawal of the scholarship. Although I didn’t read it, it undoubtedly talked about Chris trying to force you.”
I wondered why Nicholas and Virgil had kept their actions from me while I nodded in agreement with Lory’s statement. Just one more thing I needed to do ask Nicholas when we had that overdue honest conversation.
Additionally, I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for Chris. Yes, he was a stupid idiot, but I hated that one drunken error-where I wasn’t even hurt-was putting his future in jeopardy so severely.
I was startled out of my reverie by Lory. “Laura, these are so nice,” she said while taking a bite of chocolate.
I shook my head. “Don’t give her too much sugar. She will be hyper all night long.”
Before chowing down on yet another snack, Lory snorted. But she knew I was right.
“So, when can I meet the great Mr. Rowe?
“In a few hours. Around seven is generally when he arrives home.” I fiddled with my phone while debating whether or not to call him.
“Tonight I’m cooking steak and lobster,” Laura announced and laughed when Lory fist pumped. “Why don’t you show Lory around the house, Willow? You guys can catch up before Nicholas arrives. You two get some alone time in before Nicholas hogs you,” she teased.
I completed my tour of the ground floor after Lory was done snacking. I promised Lory that we would go swimming at some time because she was itching to dive in. I picked up her suitcase and walked her upstairs to the room I had been in the first night came here.
“This is fantastic.” She collapsed in the center of the bed and wriggled on top of the blankets to make herself comfortable.
I chuckled before settling down next to her. She shifted to her side to face me, and when she didn’t say anything, I turned to look at her.
“What?”
She extended her hand to hold me and inquired, “Are you happy?”
I grinned as I entwined her fingers in mine. “Yes, I am.”
“How did you end up here, though?”
I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes.
“Willow, tell me.”
I would never be able to lie to her face, and she was aware of this. I looked back into her probing gaze. I did not want to lie to her.
“Why did you marry him, exactly?”
Guilt and shame twisted in my stomach. The words began to bubble up in my throat as if they had to be said. But if I told her the truth, what would she think of me?
I didn’t know what gave me away: my tight posture, the tears welling up in my eyes, or something else, but she sat up and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Willow, please speak to me. Tell me whatever it is, please. Nothing will ever change the fact that I adore you. But right now I’m afraid of your reaction. Just let me know what’s wrong, please.”
Then I did. I told him everything.
The meeting. The agreement. My worries. Everything in between.
She listened intently as I filled her in on every aspect. She never said a word, but she maintained a tight hold on my hands while everything came pouring out of me.
After I was done, I inhaled deeply and felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. I kept a close check on her gaze while she considered all I had said.
Finally, she nodded. “I can’t say I am too surprised.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, when you said you two fell in love right away, I sensed something wasn’t right. You’ve never before made a rash decision, especially one that involves emotions, to my knowledge. You’ve always been wary of letting people in because you assume they’ll leave you at some point. Although it surprised me that you accepted his proposal so quickly, it makes more sense than the storybook romance you initially painted to me.”
Although I frowned at what she said, I was happy that she didn’t seem very angry with me for lying to her on the phone.
“Just tell me that you didn’t accept this to fill a void created in your life by the death of your parents. That you aren’t choosing him because you lack a father figure.”
I firmly shook my head. “No! My gosh, he’s only eleven years older. I’m attracted to him… a lot. I’ve never experienced anything like the chemistry between us. He gives me a sense of.. ” I shuddered and struggled to find the perfect words to express the physical and mental effects Nicholas had on me. “It’s beyond description.”
She pursed her lips. “Okay, good. Just wanting to be sure.” She sighed. “I won’t deny that this is weird or perhaps a little worrisome. Be honest, you were scared to tell me because of the same reason .”
My stomach sank, and I kept my eyes on my lap firmly.
“You think I am a whore, don’t you?”
She tugged on me until I looked back into her eyes. “No! Cut that out. You are not a prostitute, a whore, or any of the other disgusting things that I know are going through your mind right now.” She paused, a flash of helplessness in her eyes. “Of all the people on this planet, I know you the best. Both your heart and mind are good. I am also aware of your strong desire to fit in. I simply hope that Mr. Rowe didn’t exploit this and seduce you into something you couldn’t escape.”
“He’s a good man,” I insisted. I wouldn’t permit her to look at Nicholas in a such bad light.
He had only ever shown me kindness and generosity.
She questioned, “Do you believe you could love him?”
“Yes.” It was spoken without any hesitancy. “I care for him already,” I added. “I am aware that we are approaching everything entirely backward, yet he is wonderful. He treats me well, and I can tell he cares about me. I’ve only begun to learn about his past, but I believe he has good reasons for entering into this deal. He struggles to put his trust in others.”
Lory laughed. “Despite hardly knowing one another, he has put an enormous amount of trust in you.”