Page 47 of Safer Together
~ Chapter Eighteen ~
Angela
Our bedroom, as it turns out, is the palatial master suite. We had just been here a few hours earlier, when I poured out my past for Elliot to hear. He said he didn’t care about my money and I believe him, I really do. But something is eating me on the inside. Why didn’t he ask me to elaborate? Why didn’t he ask me about my grandfather or my father?
I should be happy that he wasn’t asking about exactly how much money I was coming into. Maybe he already has an idea? There is the possibility that he has worked with my father in the past. Possibly even my grandfather just before he passed away. I’m conflicted if I should I ask or not? I’m torn.
Maggie and Arthur clearly have a problem with their son marrying me, they made that abundantly clear. I can see how they would want to protect their son from a gold digger. I would want that too if he were my son. But to just come right out and say it in front of everyone? I’m hurt; that’s the emotion that’s running through me right now, hurt and a little bit of anger is flowing within my veins too.
This should be one of the happiest days of my life. The man I love has asked me to spend the rest of our lives together. He has also gifted me two keys. Keys to both of his homes. I have so much to think about. My career is in Nashville. I have worked my butt off to get my name out there and be someone who homeowners choose to sell their biggest investment.
I also ran away from New York City, promising myself I would never return. How could I be so naive when Elliot lives here? He mentioned he could run his business from Nashville, but do I want him giving up his lifestyle here for me? He certainly doesn’t want me to give up my career to move for him. There is so much to think about. So much to talk about. Things I haven’t even given a thought to before today.
“So, should we call your parents and give them the happy news?” Elliot’s voice cuts through my thoughts. I really should just get it over and done with and just tell them. Luckily, they are on a cruise in the middle of the ocean without cell service. I don’t have to tell them just yet. I feel that I want to, though.
“Since they are cruising around, we won’t be able to reach them. I’ll send them a message to call me as soon as they get into a cell service area.”
I look at Elliot who is smiling. “Sounds good.” He steps towards me and I take a step back towards the bed, we do this twice more until the backs of my legs come against the side of the bed, one more step and Elliot is standing so close I can feel his hot breath on my skin.
I close my eyes and lift my face leaning towards Elliot. For now, I just want to kiss my fiancé. He doesn’t disappoint, pressing his lips to mine instantly. I lift my arms and they take their familiar position around his neck while his arms fold around my waist. We stand there loving each other until I begin to feel dizzy, I pull away from our kiss and I lean into Elliot’s shoulder. “Do you want to discuss what I told you earlier?” I’m scared to ask but I am also desperate to see if he has any thoughts on the information that he has been processing.
He pulls me even closer “I know your father, Angela. He has done a couple of jobs for me, mainly on my auction house. I also own a penthouse in one of the buildings he designed. I have also met your grandfather, just once though, not long before he passed away.” He pauses. Surely, he isn’t emotional over someone he didn’t know very well. “In regard to finding out about your inheritance, it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. That money is for you and any children we may one day have, along with my money. That all becomes yours once you become my wife.”
I have to ask a very important question before I lose my nerve, “You mentioned you would sign a prenup. Is that to protect your assets or mine?”
He lifts his arms to my shoulders and gently pushes me away, he leans down so he is looking me directly in the eyes, “everything that is mine will be yours. I don’t want to keep anything from you, all of my money, my properties, all of it will be yours, too, Angie. I won’t be making you sign a prenup. I will however sign anything you want. I don’t want your money Angie. I only want you. I want us, for the rest of our lives.”
The way he pours out his heart to me, this way, it makes me melt. He doesn’t want anything but us, he has more money than I will ever have, except when I marry him, I will also have his money too. I never expected my life to end up like this. I expected to be by myself.
“I trust you Elliot. I’m not going to make you sign anything. I believe you when you tell me that you want me, and only me for the rest of our lives, and I feel the same way about you. However,” I pause.
“However what, Angie? Tell me, what’s on your mind.”
“I don’t know what I want to do about my career. We have only been together for such a short amount of time, and I never even considered moving back to New York. But I know that I don’t want to ask you to move to Nashville for me either. Can I think about it and decide before the wedding?” That word sent a thrill through me.
“Of course you can baby, there’s no rush. Between now and then I’ll try to fly to you as much as possible, and you will come here too. It is easier for me though. I can run my company from my computer, so please don’t feel like it would be an inconvenience for me to come to you. I’ve been thinking about branching out, anyway.”
I smile at his response; he is so incredibly perfect. “Elliot, in terms of my wealth, I currently have access to over ten million dollars. When all is said and done, I will have around fifty-five million, and that’s before interest is calculated. I have the apartment you visited the other night, along with two others in New York. Then obviously I also have my home in Nashville.” He stays quiet, ensuring I am finished before speaking.
“Since we are sharing, I am about to click over into double digits, in billions of dollars that is. I currently have six properties. I have this property, a further four in New York, including Sands Tower, a penthouse overlooking Central Park, an entire apartment building close to the penthouse and a brownstone that I renovated some years back, but haven’t had the heart to sell. Then I also have a home in Nashville, where I met you,” he stops and kisses me on the nose, “and I also have a castle in England, which needs a lot of work.”
I knew he was wealthy, but hearing those items listed, almost makes my heart stop. My own net worth is but a drop in the bucket compared with his own, and yet he doesn’t make me feel any less than he is. We are equals.
“Our property portfolio is pretty enviable” I wink at him and he laughs softly.
“That it is, and if you move here, you can keep searching for more for us. Continue to build our empire.” I smile at the idea. That is something that I could easily do here in New York. After all, real estate is a skill I can utilize anywhere in the world, and it’s not like I don’t really know the area.
“Hypothetically, if I did move to New York, where would we live? Here? Or in one of the properties in New York?” He doesn’t hesitate.
“Wherever you want to live, that’s where we will be. I don’t care as long as we are together. We could stay in the city during the week,so we are closer to work if you wanted to, then escape out here on the weekends?”
There were so many options laid out in front of me, which will I choose? I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to be wherever Elliot was. I hop off the bed and begin absentmindedly, pacing across the hardwood timber floors. “Well, I’ll need to be in Nashville for a while more. I’ve got some listings I want to follow through with, and of course there is the restoration of Belle Meade that you hired me to look after.”
“Speaking of Belle Meade. How do you feel about keeping it? As our little slice of Nashville? We will have somewhere large enough to have friends over for events, plenty of bedrooms for the future” he lifts his eyebrows, making it obvious just what he is thinking about, children. Of course, that was something in our future. I hoped, anyway, and I loved the home. “You would also have a say in the renovation process, if you want something done, you let the team know. I’ll let Michael know you have creative free reign.” Michael’s name rang a bell for me.
“Was Michael an older gentleman with a beard? I think Kat introduced us.”
He smiles. “Yep, he is the one. He has been with me since I started the company, the best carpenter I could ask for. I made him a foreman from our first project. He is the kind of guy who can see something before anyone else. He will be handling Nashville and will be hand picking his team, too. We hope to have the entire project done within a couple of months.”
Elliot is smiling from ear to ear; I think to myself that he is suggesting a quick time frame. “Can it be done that quickly?”
Elliot slides off the side of the bed. “One hundred percent it can be. I’ve told them that I want it ready as soon as possible so we have a large team working on it together to make the whole renovation go quicker.” Walking over to me, he takes my hands in his once more, “I know I have given you a lot to process. Why don’t we go put a movie on and relax for a while?” he offers,
“That sounds good. Lead the way.”
And he does.
