Page 74 of The Fool

“Wait, what?” I pull back from his hands with a thoroughly confused and horrified expression.

Ben tips his head back and laughs manically, prompting Nate to pull the corners of his mouth up into a wicked, teasing grin.

“What do you really need from me, Beatrice?”

“You’re no fun!” I pout with a sigh over him winning our little teasing sesh. “It does involve a wedding though, and it’s short notice. Ben and I have been railroaded into attending my sister’s wedding in a couple of weeks’ time.”

“Wait, the one who slept with your ex?” he clarifies, looking utterly confused over what I’ve just said.

“I’m kind of chief bridesmaid,” I reply with a wince; our family sounds like it should be on a daytime talk show.

“Yeah, and guess who she’s marrying?” Ben chimes in as he takes a seat on the armchair.

Nate looks over at him, then back to me in complete horror.

“And you’ve gotta be a bridesmaid for them?!” he gasps, to which I nod.

“So…I was wondering if you might come with me?” I end up holding my breath in anticipation of his answer because not one bit of this conversation is at all comfortable.

“Of course,” he says straight away, looking actually pleased that I’ve asked him. “I’m in New York that week, but I can always meet you there.”

“Really? You…you’ll come with me?”

“Why are you so surprised?” He grabs my hand and kisses it. “I’m here for you, Bea.”

“You are?” I whisper, to which he smiles, then kisses me. I melt inside his arms and begin to feel my heart beating again. That is, until Ben emits a fake cough, purposefully prompting us to break apart.

“Let me take you out, Bea,” he says when he laughs over my blushing red cheeks.

When Ben finally gets up to put his empty bowl in the sink, Nate takes the opportunity to lean in closer.

“And pack a bag cos you’re staying at mine tonight.”

_____

Bea

Nate takes me on a long drive to go out for lunch. He told me he wanted to take me to one of his old haunts from his previous, less serious, period of his life. He painted a pretty picture, so I was immediately intrigued. I was also relieved that he wasn’t heading to the usual fancy pants restaurants he takes clients to. When we hit the coast, I bask in the sunshine, letting it heat my face and clear all my worries away. No weddings, no Emma, no past, just the sight of the ocean and a handsome guy sitting next to me.

“What on earth made you move away?” I eventually turn to face his wide, carefree smile. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him looking so relaxed; I certainly haven’t seen this look on him at work. “This is beautiful…Ishould move here!”

“Dad wouldn’t allow me to stay. I only got away with it for as long as I did because I’m the baby of the family,” he shouts over the radio playing. “He decided it was time for me to push myself. Cam had been talking about coming to work with him for a long while, so it seemed like the obvious solution.”

“Are you happy working with your brother?”

“I love it, no question about it,” he begins, but the look on his face is telling me he has more to say.

“But…?”

“I don’t know, I just can’t shift the idea that I’m only where I am because of Cameron,” he says with a shrug.

“Perhaps to begin with,” I reply casually. “But nobody thinks that about you now.”

“How do you know?”

“PAs are unintentionally privy to a lot of office gossip, overheard phone calls and meetings and such,” I admit. “I’ve only ever heard good things about you. Trust me, people respect you and admire your work, no one more so than your brother.”

“Really?” he asks, looking utterly shocked.

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