I Agreed To Another Man After He Chose Her In The Collapse Chapter 01

I Agreed To Another Man After He Chose Her In The Collapse Chapter 01

Five years. That’s how long I kept my relationship with my dad’s old army buddy a secret. And I was finally ready to tell everyone.

I slipped onto the training field to find him, only to stop cold behind the sandbags when I heard his men talking.

“Nolan, your girl’s back in town. So what happens to the little side piece you’ve been entertaining?”

The whole group cracked up.

Someone else piled on.

“You gotta hand it to Commander Ashford. Got the Director’s daughter in his bed and she still doesn’t even get to call herself his girlfriend…”

“Meanwhile, Vivian’s the one who ditched him when he had nothing and ran off overseas. Bet she’s kicking herself now.”

The next day, Nolan Ashford suddenly claimed me as his. He was more affectionate than ever.

But the second an equipment rack started to collapse, he dropped my hand. Vivian Langley was standing farther from it than I was. He pulled her into his arms anyway.

I walked away bleeding. Later, I dug up the time capsule he’d buried years ago.

Every single thing inside was about her. Photos of Vivian. Photos of the two of them together.

Something in me died. Quietly. Completely. I picked up the phone and called my mom.

“Mom, that guy you wanted to set me up with? I’ll meet him.”

…

Dad was going on about the weekend dinner. I nodded along, but my head was spinning.

“Nolan called and asked me to set another plate. Said he’s bringing a friend.”

Mom’s voice cut in from the background, laughing.

“A friend? Oh, please. It’s obviously his girlfriend!”

Dad turned to look at me. I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat and made myself smile.

“Oh? I didn’t know Mr. Ashford had a girlfriend.”

Nolan wasn’t much older than me, but he and Dad had served together. I’d always called him Mr. Ashford. It was our little thing.

Dad didn’t catch a thing. He just kept going, happy to gossip.

“You don’t know this, but Nolan’s girlfriend actually saved his life.”

“It’s a sad story, actually… He’s a big deal now, but back then he was just a broke kid from nowhere. Before he could even propose, she took off and moved overseas.”

My hand slipped, sending my glass shattering against the floor. I crouched down to pick up the broken pieces, keeping my head down. If I looked up even a second too soon, Dad would see my eyes.

So Dad knew. Nolan had always been in love with someone else. No wonder he’d kept us a secret.

“Dad, that blind date you and Mom keep pushing? Set it up.”

That stopped him in his tracks.

Then he broke into a massive grin and called out to Mom.

“Our little girl’s all grown up! She’s finally ready to meet someone!”

I straightened up and forced a smile so tight it hurt.

“Yeah. It’s just a date. Doesn’t matter who it is.”

“Let’s do it next week!”

I turned toward the kitchen before the first tear fell. Once they started, I couldn’t stop them.

That night, Nolan kept tossing little stones wrapped in notes at my window. I didn’t open a single one.

I lay awake until dawn.

I couldn’t stop hearing what his men had said at the training field.

“Nolan, your girl’s back in town. So what happens to the little side piece you’ve been entertaining?”

“You gotta hand it to Commander Ashford. Got the Director’s daughter in his bed and she still doesn’t even get to call herself his girlfriend…”

Every sweet moment I’d ever had with Nolan curdled into something humiliating.

God, Nolan. You really played me.