29. CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 29

“Baby, loving you’s the real thing”

Daydreaming – Harry Styles

Deon

E very nerve in my body seizes as Nathalie weaves across the room. My eyes haven’t left her since she stepped out of the closet, her dress sparking and gleaming as she darts around.

Only once the crowd clears and I can track her trajectory, I’m out of my seat, chasing after her.

“Hey, Deon.” A large hand falls onto my shoulder, halting my pursuit, and I glance up at Davis Owens, a power forward for the Detroit Sun. We were friendly at the University of Texas.

In a rush, I slap him on the shoulder.

“How’s Detroit?” I ask out of politeness, though my eyes never leave Nathalie. She flips her hair and tips her head back in laughter as she reaches Savannah.

I quickly glance back at Davis, whose features flicker.

“I’m getting used to the cold,” he says with a forced smile.

For a brief moment, I leave Nathalie to fight whatever battle she started. Annoyingly, I have to peer up at Davis, who stands at a short 6 '7". He makes Jack look small.

“Not happy about the trade?” I whisper. His trade to Detroit from Los Angeles was all over the news. He never spoke out about the speculation that the front office forced him to leave or the rumors that he isn’t a team player.

I’ve always liked Davis. He’s upfront and honest and never played a person behind their back. If he had an issue, you knew about it. It was either resolved or he went about his business and you knew he didn’t like you.

“Didn’t know I was going to be traded.”

Oof. What can I say to that?

“I have to find my girlfriend,” I smile apologetically, “but let’s get lunch before you have to leave.”

Davis nods and I scurry away, beelining for my beautiful girlfriend and my serpentine ex-fiancee.

I slide to a halt and when Savannah’s attention lands on me, my skin crawls from the way her eyes roam over my body.

Nathalie looks over her shoulder and her fake smile morphs into something genuine. My heart skips a beat when she looks at me that way and I ride that feeling to power through whatever conversation with Savannah I’m about to endure.

Five years and she looks no different, but I’ve changed and that is a freeing thought.

“Hi, Deon.”

Savannah’s lip ticks up into a flirty smile, and bile rises in my throat.

“You know my fiancé?” Nathalie’s voice is two octaves higher than normal and she leans into my chest, dragging her fingernails along my abdomen in a possessive touch.

“Fiancé?” Savannah questions with a small frown.

What?

I school my confusion and let Nathalie do whatever she’s about to do. I can’t stop her, I can only agree with whatever nonsense she decides to say, the same way she agreed with my wackadoodle idea of fake dating.

Best insane question I’ve ever asked.

I only hope that she agrees to my next insane plan. The one I’ve spent the last week mulling over.

“We haven't announced it yet, but we’re engaged!” She lifts her left hand, a massive emerald on her finger. The same emerald I’ve seen on Maren’s finger. She throws her hand in Savannah’s face, who scowls. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Nathalie leans into my side, “Deon knows how much I love Lord of the Rings , so he got something to commemorate that.”

“Deon and I were engaged once.”

Instead of congratulations or a polite smile, that is what Savannah responds with. I wish I could say I was shocked.

“That’s old news.” Nathalie waves her hand in dismissal and the emerald catches the light. Savannah bites her cheek and I choke back a laugh. Whenever I thought about seeing her again, there was this sick dread that I would clam up and shut down, but as Nathalie assesses her, there’s nothing but pity for who she’s become.

I loved her once, truly loved her, but the woman standing before me is not the woman I fell in love with in high school. She morphed into someone I didn’t know. I’d like to think I’ve grown into someone better, too.

“I also heard you refused to give him blowjobs.” I choke, and Savannah pales. “Is that because you are afraid of failure?” Nathalie leans in conspiratorially. “He is quite large . There’s no shame in not being able to handle him, if you know what I mean .”

We all know what she means, but that’s enough. I grab Nathalie by the hand, attempting to pull her away.

“It was nice to see you, Savannah,” I lie. The only thing that was nice about this encounter is the stupid, stunned look on her face.

A deep laugh rumbles from behind me.

“Leaving so soon?”

Brian moves to stand beside Savannah, who stares at Nathalie like she wants to murder her. I want to drag her into the nearest closet and show her exactly how much I enjoy watching her confront Savannah, half-drunk.

I know she has at least some alcohol coursing through her veins because she would never confront her sober.

I force a smile at my former best friend, the man I thought would stand beside me at my wedding but slept with my fiancée instead.

“I have friends I want to see,” I say. “Hope you both enjoy your night.”

I attempt to pull Nathalie away, but she stands firm, assessing Brian and Savannah. “You two make a cute couple,” she mulls.

Oh, dear, she is winding up for something.

“Who are you?” Brian asks.

“She’s a bitch who—” Savannah starts, but Nathalie cuts her off.

“Does she refuse to give you blowjobs, too?” She nails the innocence of her question, but Brian’s face burns and we all know she’s struck a chord.

“That is not any of your business! Who do you think you are?”

Savannah takes a step closer and I move to cut her off, but Nathalie holds out her hand to stop me.

“I’m nobody.” Nathalie shrugs. “But you,” she takes a step towards Savannah, “are the woman foolish enough to fumble Deon. Does it bother you that he’s far better off without you than he ever was with you?” Savannah’s jaw falls and my lips tip into a smug smile. “So, I may be a nobody, but at least I didn’t throw away the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

“Are you serious?” Brian asks, blinking. “You can’t speak to her like that.”

“You’re an asshole, too,” Nathalie says flatly. “And have highly questionable morals if you think it’s okay to sleep with your best friend's fiancée. Now, if you excuse me, I am going to bet on things I cannot afford and spend the rest of my night with Deon. I wish you both all of the happiness in whatever dark hole you crawled out of.”

Nathalie bows, takes my hand, pulls me away, and back to the table where our friends sit, jaws on the floor. The only one unsurprised is Maren, whose phone is aimed in our direction.

“What did you say to her?!” Maren yells. “She looks like she’s seen a ghost.”

I flop into my seat beside Jack, shell-shocked by the conversation. It all happened so fast. I couldn’t stop it and I didn’t want to. My chest burned with pride and admiration and love as she stood up for me, even if it was slightly unconventional and contained far too many references about blowjobs for my liking.

It only solidifies my resolve to tell her how I feel.

Something flares in my chest, a knowing of sorts. A confirmation that I’m making the right choice in choosing her and trusting her with my heart.

“I asked her if the reason she never gave Deon—”

I slap my hand over Nathalie’s mouth before she can spill that embarrassing secret to all of our friends. Nathalie’s eyes widen in realization and once I’m confident she won’t drunkenly spill any of our secrets, I release my palm.

“I told her I loved her dress and then called her a fool,” she amends, beaming a lopsided, tipsy smile.

When she looks away, I slide her drink to the side and replace it with water. The night is young and Nathalie is small, with nearly no tolerance for drinking. As much as I love her public declarations—and I do—I don’t want to have to carry her out of here at the end of the night.

“And I called her husband an asshole!” Nathalie yells and Maren clinks her glass. “Here’s your ring back.”

Jack’s brows furrow as Maren slips the ring back onto her finger. “Why did you need Maren’s ring?” he asks, glancing confusingly between Nathalie, Maren, and me.

I lift my hands in innocence.

“Don’t look at me. I walked up and Nathalie was telling Savannah that we were engaged.”

“What’s going on? ” Declan asks from behind us and I leap.

“Nathalie confronted Savannah,” I say, pride in my voice. “Then told her we were engaged.”

Declan meets my gaze and smiles.

“Oh. So she’s drunk? ”

“Mhm.”

“Got it.” He salutes. “Well, that’s twice she proposed. Maybe it will stick a third time.”

I hum a non-committal response, but I can picture that future, one where I bend down onto one knee and ask Nathalie to marry me.

It was something I told myself I would never do again, but I also never expected to need a fake girlfriend, find one, allow her to move in, and then fall head-over-heels in love with her.

Declan slides into one of the two empty chairs and Gia falls into the other, her face a picture of indifference. He beams in her direction and it’s clear as day on his face, the desperation to find love.

His confession was heartbreaking. I’m all alone now . No matter what I say, I know that the hole in his chest remains.

It’s how I felt when I moved to Seattle and my life was so far from how I had imagined it. I was utterly alone and I felt the void, but I had my mom and sister when I needed them.

There’s no imagining how he must feel.

A soft tap hits my shoulders and I spin to find Coach Barrett standing beside his wife.

“Is this her?” he asks, nodding his head toward Gia.

I refrain from saying, “Fuck no,” and instead tap Nathalie to get her attention.

“Nathalie, this is my head coach, Dan Barrett. Coach, this is my girlfriend, Nathalie. She works with Henry’s wife, Sawyer, at a non-profit that provides after-school sports activities to low-income communities.”

I add Nathalie’s profession to the introduction, hoping it will help her. She plans events like these, after all, and having a relationship with an NFL coach who supports your cause can do wonders.

“It’s great to meet you.” Coach Barrett laughs before saying, “Gotta say, my wife and I thought you made her up.”

Nathalie and I exchange an uncomfortable glance and then a knowing smile.

“She’s real.” I pull her close to my side. “ Very real .”

“That I am,” Nathalie responds, plastering on a smile before snaking her arm around to pinch my ass.

I barely manage to conceal my yelp when Connie, Coach Barrett’s wife, tells Nathalie to contact her about helping raise money for GameChangers and they leave to mingle with other people.

I only breathe again when they’re on the other side of the room.

“We barely survived that,” Nathalie whispers.

“But we did,” I respond, high on the fact that by the end of the weekend, it will be real. All of it.

“You all remember Gia, right?” Declan says, eyes flickering around the table and then to Gia, who forces a smile.

Surprisingly, Maren is the one who offers an olive branch.

“How have you been?” Maren asks, “Last time you mentioned that you were traveling to Italy. How was that?”

“The stylist ruined my hair for the Oscar De La Renta show,” she pouts and Maren’s lips curl inward as she blinks.

“You looked beautiful,” Declan says, clasping her hand on top of the table.

Declan whispers in Gia’s ear and Nathalie offers him a small, reassuring smile. Maybe we’ve all misjudged her. Maybe she’s nervous.

Servers fly around the room as they begin to serve the meals. A plate lands in front of me and I plow through my steak, inhaling the food. I worked up an appetite facing Savannah and then Coach Barrett. I make sure Nathalie eats to soak up the alcohol, but she eventually slides her plate in my direction.

I kiss her forehead and dig into her food. When I finally finish devouring the rest of her dinner, I glance up to find Gia’s plate nearly untouched.

“Is something wrong with your food?” Nathalie asks. “Do you have an allergy? I can talk to someone.”

She turns her nose up at Nathalie and it takes every fiber in my being not to say anything. Nathalie grips my thigh below the table and I snatch her hand.

“I’m not hungry,” Gia pouts and looks are passed around the table. Declan glances away, embarrassed, and I empathize with him.

“Oh, alright.” Nathalie slumps into her seat, but tries again, even though I know she’s not Gia’s number one fan. “We didn’t get to talk last time, but I would love to hear about yours and Declan’s first date!”

Fuck, I love her. I love her perpetual kindness and bravery to stand up for others. I admire that she continues to extend an olive branch to Gia. It’s not for her sake, it’s for Declan’s, who watches the interaction with trepidation.

“It was at Dolce Vita,” she says and Nathalie’s lips curl into a true smile. That was where our first fake date was before she dragged me to a taco stand.

“Oh. Deon and I have been there. What did you think of the food?” Nathalie beams in Declan’s direction and I glance at Jack and Henry who watch the interaction like a car crash. Sawyer chews on her straw and Maren’s arms are folded with a scowl on her face.

“The salad was bland.” Gia’s eyes flicker to Declan. “But the red wine was nice.”

“The three hundred dollar wine?” is the question that tumbles out of Nathalie’s mouth.

Gia nods, but the conversation is cut off when people begin walking around to pass out betting paddles. Each of us grabs one and Nathalie begins to bounce in her seat.

“I’m going to bet on things to raise the price.”

Her smile is adorable as she twirls her paddle.

“You don’t want to win anything?”

“Well, sure. I want to win the tickets to go to the premiere of that new rom-com movie but I can’t afford that.”

“I’ll pay for it,” I say.

“ Really ?” She looks shocked.

“Yes.” I drag my thumb across her lips and the world fades away. “Consider it a thank you.”

“For what?”

“Making me believe again,” I say and her brows furrow in the cutest confusion.

“Believe in what?”

My heart is thumping in my ears when I respond. “Happy endings.”

She gasps, eyes searching my face, but the auctioneer begins rattling off numbers and items and hands begin to rise. Nathalie’s focused on the betting and I sneak away to peruse the silent auction items. I’ve been waiting until the last minute to see what Nathalie bet on so that I can write my name down as the last bet.

I chuckle as I notice some of the items she put her name under. Round of golf with a professional golf coach. Two tickets to an ice hockey game. A high-tech grill and smoker. Knowing she wrote her name on those to raise the bet, I skip them.

Her name is below the set of expensive pots and pans and the trip to Paris twice and I scribble down my name and an outrageous number in hopes no one will out bet me in the next fifteen minutes.

Once I’m satisfied, I return to the table where Nathalie is cackling, head tilted backward. A familiar warmth settles beneath my diaphragm.

Love.

“What’s so funny?”

“Maren outbid Savannah on an expensive piece of jewelry.” I scan the room to find Savannah, who sits at her table with a sour look.

“And out of spite, that lovely necklace will collect dust in the back of a drawer.” Maren takes a sip of her drink, a smug smile pulling at her lips.

Our eyes connect and she winks. I do not deserve the friends I have.

The auctioneer announces four tickets to a sold-out concert and Sawyer squeals.

“I’m going to win this!” Her hand flies into the air, time and time again, and the number begins to creep into the five-figure range.

Why would anyone pay that much for concert tickets?

It’s only when I notice that Savannah still has her paddle up that I realize that they planned this. No one cares what they win, only that Savannah loses.

I lift a brow at Henry, whose pockets have to hurt as his wife continues to throw up her paddle. Henry shrugs.

“The look on her face when she doesn’t win anything all night is worth whatever I end up paying.”

“I agree,” Jack chimes in. “It’s all for charity anyway.”

My chest warms and I glance around the table at my friends, the people who have become my family. Declan is quiet but he nods his head when our eyes connect. Without them—without my teammates—I don’t think I would have ended up here with another chance at love.

Emotion clogs my throat, but I manage to croak out a “thank you” before the auctioneer continues and Nathalie’s movie premiere is up. Her hand flies into the air as her eyes alight with joy. Her head darts to mine every time she raises the paddle and I nod, urging her on.

I can tell that she’s afraid to spend my money, but I want her to spend it. I want to spend it on her.

Hands at other tables begin to fall and Nathalie begins to realize she’s the last paddle in the air, biting back a giddy smile.

“Going once, twice…sold to the pretty little lady in the back!”

“I won!” Nathalie screams, wrapping her arms around my neck and smashing her lips against mine. Her lip gloss is tacky against my lips but I feel her smile as she pulls away. “Thank you, Deon.”

“Anything for you.”

The words reverberate in my soul.