Chapter 9

Amanda

The sound of the birds outside my window and the bright streaming sunlight coming in roused me from my sleep. I hadn’t slept that well in a really long time, and I wasn’t even surprised that the clock read noon when I looked over at it. It was Sunday, so there was no rush to get up, and Nathan had made sure to pay for two nights so we could sleep in and not be bothered. I rolled over on my back and stretched my arms over my head, yawning. Nathan propped himself up on his elbow and looked over at me, smiling.

“How long have you been awake?” I asked.

“Just about five minutes before you,” he said, pulling me into him. “You were so sweet in your sleep that I wanted you to wake up on your own.”

“Thank you,” I said, kissing him on the cheek.

“I love you,” he said, nuzzling my neck with his nose.

“I love you, too,” I said with a big, excited smile.

I couldn’t believe that we had both gotten to that place so fast. I was head over heels for this guy, and he had broken through all of my walls, forcing me to open up to him without much effort at all. I didn’t know why, but I just trusted him. It was crazy.

“I can’t believe how fast I fell for you,” he said.

“I was just thinking that,” I said, laughing. “You are reading my mind.”

“I wish,” he said. “Women would be so less complicated if that were possible.”

“I just never expected to fall in love again,” I said, sighing. “When my ex and I broke up, I was done, and I stayed like that for a long time. Then I met you, and it has been a whirlwind. I was totally going to leave the restaurant that day, but I was starving and had nothing else to do on that Friday night.”

“I’m glad you were starving,” he said. “I’m glad that both of us were content to be at that bar, scooting close to one another, and then letting go of our inhibitions. I knew the moment I started talking to you that you were different.”

“Me too,” I said. “I knew you were trouble.”

“You figured me out,” he said, laughing. “Let’s get up, get dressed, and go out on the town for the day.”

“In my evening gown?”

“I had the hotel send up some clothes for both of us,” he said, smiling. “They are in the living area.”

“You are too sweet,” I said, shaking my head.

We got up and went out in the living room, checking out the clothes that were sent over. I pulled on the cute pink panties and bra and then put on the jeans. They were low-rise with rips in the thighs. I liked the style, and I nodded in approval as I pulled the grey t-shirt over my head and sat down to slip on the Chuck Taylor’s. I stood back up and turned around, facing Nathan. We laughed, looking at each other’s outfits. Someone had a sense of humor because we were dressed almost identically, only his was the manly version.

“I guess we are twins today.” He chuckled.

“It’s not so bad. At least you look hot.” I smiled.

“So, do you,” he said with a smirk. “Like, woozier hot.”

“Woozier hot? Where does that fall on the scale?”

“Like way over the top,” he said, measuring it with his hand.

We went down to the lobby and hopped in the car waiting for us. We spent the entire day together, exploring places in the city I never knew existed until that day. Nathan wanted to show me all his favorite spots. Most of them were outside of the city on the outskirts of Los Angeles. We talked about his childhood and how he grew up in a middle-class family, his father owning the mechanic shop and his mom staying home with him. He had a really normal upbringing which I didn’t expect to find in a billionaire. Most of them came from money and then moved right into their own fortune. He was down to earth, which made me feel comfortable with him, especially since I didn’t grow up in a rich household, either. The whole day was fantastic, and I really enjoyed spending time with him and learning more about his life and how he became the man that he was. It was interesting not feeling like we had to rush, like we had the rest of our lives to learn about each other.

When it was time for dinner, he had the driver take us back into the city to a little Italian joint off the main streets. We pulled up out front, and he took my hand, walking up to the door and opening it for me. As I walked inside, I stopped, staring over at the counter where Sarah was standing. She turned and looked at me, a smirk floating over her lips. I couldn’t believe that out of all the restaurants in LA, we ended up at the same one as her. Immediately, I grabbed tightly to Nathan’s hand, and he looked down at me slightly confused. Sarah pranced over, stopping and looking at me for a moment.

“Oh, look, she found a new boyfriend for me to fuck,” she said, throwing her head back and laughing. “Good luck with this one.”

I gripped tightly to Nathan’s hand, and he cringed. I looked up at him with angry tears in my eyes, not knowing what to say. He had heard what she said, but she had no idea who she was. Nathan turned toward me and looked down into my eyes.

“I don’t know what is going on, but let’s find another place, okay?”

I nodded my head, totally not wanting to fight him on this. Either I left, or I would explode on her, and I didn’t want to lose my cool, especially in front of Nathan. I didn’t care about my ex, but I cared that Sarah was such a bitch. How dare she make a snide comment like that to me? She was the whore in this situation.

I let Nathan pull me out of the restaurant, turning away as we passed Sarah. Once out on the sidewalk, he kept walking, taking me down the block and to a park down the street. I sat down on the bench and took in a deep breath. Nathan sat across from me, patiently waiting for me to talk to him. I felt like an asshole, allowing myself to get so irritated and upset over Sarah. It was a good thing I saw her for the first time again tonight, and not at the wedding. I would have had an issue getting away from her there, and I didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone at Lindsey’s wedding.

“That’s one of the women that my ex cheated with,” I said, trying to get through the emotions. “That’s Sarah, the one I told you about. She knew I was in a relationship with him and slept with him anyway, just to spite me. She has always had it out for me for years. I don’t understand what I ever did to her, but she just doesn’t like me.”

“Oh,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “I figured it was something like that. I heard what she said, and I want you to know, I am not a cheater. I would never in a million years’ cheat on you, no matter what, and definitely not with a nasty woman like her. I could tell just by looking at her that she had no self-respect whatsoever. I don’t want that to be a worry in your mind. I know that’s easier said than done after having your last boyfriend betray you like that, but I want you to know that I won’t hurt you like that.”

“I know.” I sighed. “I was just thinking about how I trust you already. I don’t have any fears with you.”

“Good,” he said, scooting around to my side and wrapping his arms around me. “That girl looked really familiar. Tell me who she is again.”

“She probably looks familiar because she is Lindsey’s little sister,” I said. “They are like twins, only Sarah is a bit younger than Lindsey. If you know Lindsey, then Sarah will definitely look familiar.”

“I’m sure that’s it,” he said. “And now I get it. She is Lindsey’s little sister, the one you told me slept with you ex. Okay. And she’s going to be at the wedding?”

“Yeah,” I said. “And she will probably try to be the center of attention. She will most definitely hit on you, too, now that she knows we are together.”

“She might not want to try me,” he said. “You may want to keep the peace, but I will embarrass the hell out of her in front of everyone. I give no shits.”

“You’re silly,” I said, hugging him. “But I appreciate your support. It really means a lot to me to have you there and understanding that this is something that is really sensitive to me. It’s not about my ex. I don’t give a shit about him. It’s about her and what she did.”

“I don’t blame you at all,” he said. “She has known you her whole life. It is really messed up that she would go and do something like that to you. I don’t know anyone in my life that would betray me like that. There is something wrong with her if she thinks that kind of behavior is acceptable. Are you going to tell Lindsey what she said?

“Maybe after the wedding,” I said. “I don’t want to upset her or cause any turmoil before her big day. I want her to have an amazing wedding and be happy and joyful, not worry about whether a cat fight is going to break out on the dance floor.”

“You’d win if it did,” he said, chuckling. “Just go for the hair and then straddle her and smack her around a bit. I’ll bring the camera and get it on tape. I’m sure we could make some serious dough off of that.”

“Shut up,” I said, laughing and slapping him on the chest. “Besides, that would only work if we were naked. Nobody will buy a regular cat fight.”

“Just let a nip slip or something,” he said, laughing.

I dried my eyes and laughed hard, feeling the stress rise up off my shoulders. I felt better just being next to Nathan, but having him there to talk to was even more comforting. I was leaning on him, and I had never done that with any man in my life. He was there for me, and I was okay with that, feeling like I could give him my problems and let him help me sort them out. There was a connection there that went beyond sex or love, and it was pretty intense. I knew that seeing Sarah had made me emotional, but this was something different. I breathed deeply, not wanting to think too much about it.

“Why don’t we try this again and go get some food somewhere?”

“I like that idea,” he said. “I was starting to think about eating out of the park trashcan, I’m so hungry.”

“You are gross,” I said, standing up and shaking my head.

“Oh yeah?”

He stood up and started chasing after me, growling as I ran away. I giggled loudly, shrieking as he caught me in his arms and turned me toward him. I looked deep in his eyes and smiled, leaning in and kissing him on the lips. He was exactly what I needed.