Page 42 of Cocky M.D.
We stood up, and I brushed off any dirt that might be on my old jeans. “Family loves each other, and it’s like I’m their baby. I’d hoped when they became moms, they’d ease up, but I guess not.”
He took my hand and said, “I’m glad you’re marrying my dad and staying, Olivia.”
“Bradley, you’re a great kid,” I said and wished it was enough to be his stepmother.
It was his father that had decided to prove I wasn’t worthy of him, which was sad. I’d thought I was opening up to him and speaking more freely, but I guessed it was all a big lie.
We went down the aisles of the store. Bradley had a picture of the dress I’d liked, so we both searched for a similar style.
He found one first. Sure, it had fewer lace details, but I would still look like a princess worthy of love.
We headed to the dressing room to be sure, and when I paraded down the small catwalk, I nodded, and he rang the bell that told the salesclerk that I’d chosen a gown.
I had my dress and a great future, but my heart kept pounding. It could all be a mistake.
I packed the dress in the car, and we stopped for pizza. I hoped everything was fine, but I kept wondering why Johnny was pushing me away.
We drove back to their home, and his Mercedes was parked out front. I steeled my back and left the dress in the car for the staff.
Bradley held me like he didn’t want me to go anywhere as we crossed the threshold.
With wet hair and wearing shorts and a green T-shirt, Johnny came down the stairs toward us. Bradley stayed beside me like he was my soldier.
“You were gone awhile.”
I uncurled our hands and hugged the boy. I would never hurt their family, and they loved each other. He’d already heard too much, so I said, “Bradley, go to your room.”
He didn’t hug his father and instead said, “Be nice to Olivia, Dad.”
Johnny’s shoulders seemed tense. Neither of us said a word or moved until Bradley was out of sight.
Then he asked, “What happened?”
I motioned toward the balcony, then once we were outside and he’d closed the doors, I hugged my waist and said, “I’m not stupid, y’know.”
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Yeah, right.My stomach was knotted, and I felt jumpy. I lowered my hands to my side to speak my truth. “You sent me to a store I’d couldn’t afford to buy a shoe from to test me.”
“Test you?” he asked.
Once, I’d been afraid to speak up too much. But I squared my shoulders and said, “You think my wish for love is unbelievable, and you’ve made it clear that you want our relationship to be sex only while I spend time with Bradley.”
He enunciated every syllable. “It is stupid.”
My spine tingled. At least I knew the truth. I lowered my head and tried to get my heart to stop racing. “I’m asking you to stop if you want to marry me for real.”
He tilted his head like I was speaking a different language. “What do you mean?”
There was a major difference between my future husband and my sisters’ devoted spouses. I stood straighter and said, “You want to prove to me my life will be better with your money, but my sisters’ husbands never once humiliated them like you want to do to me, sending me to outrageous places.”
He didn’t even blink as he asked, “So you didn’t get a dress?”
Fuck. So that was part of his judgment about me. I lifted my chin and said, “Oh, I have a dress. I bought it from the outlet store I know near my old house.”
His eyes widened. “Wedding dress outlet?”
I flinched. It was another reminder that we were from different worlds. My sisters might have crossed over, but me… no way. Johnny was pushing me away. I ignored the knot in my chest and said, “You are so out of touch. If you want to marry me, for real, though, I need you to be prepared.”
