I Agreed To Another Man After He Chose Her In The Collapse Chapter 02

I Agreed To Another Man After He Chose Her In The Collapse Chapter 02

I didn’t remember falling asleep. All I knew was that when I woke up, my face was still wet.

I pulled the curtains back. The windowsill was littered with notes and pebbles, everything Nolan had tossed up in the dark.

He never called the house phone. Too risky. My parents might pick up.

So this was what he did instead.

[I’ll be at your door in the morning. Don’t make me wait.]

Dad was still home today. I got myself together and rushed downstairs.

I barely made it outside before I saw Nolan. He was already marching toward me.

“I waited for you on the street all day yesterday. Why didn’t you show up?”

“I threw notes at your window and you didn’t read a single one. Didn’t even bother opening it. Wow, Celia. Real nice.”

He had his drill-sergeant voice on.

“I wasn’t feeling great yesterday. Went to bed early.”

It was the first time I’d ever lied to him. He didn’t buy it.

But one look at my face and he bit back whatever he was going to say.

He lifted me onto his bike and rode with me to the shop we’d missed the day before.

Inside, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

I tried to yank it free. He turned around, confused.

“What if someone sees us?”

“So what? Let them. We have nothing to hide.”

A week ago, that would’ve made my whole day. Now it just made my stomach turn.

He didn’t notice a thing. He was too busy dragging me to see a dress he’d picked out.

Said I’d look perfect in it.

But when the clerk pulled it out, I went still.

It was a white floral dress.

I told myself it was a coincidence. He just happened to pick white.

Nolan held the dress up against me, grinning.

Then he opened his mouth, and the floor dropped out from under me.

“You like it? White’s your favorite.”

He pushed the dress into my arms. “Go try it on. I wanna see.”

My fists clenched around the fabric before I even realized.

White was Vivian’s favorite color. Not mine.

I used to tell myself he was just bad at paying attention.

I’d told him over and over that my favorite color was blue. It never stuck.

Now I knew why.

“Come on, just try it on!”

He nudged me toward the fitting room, and something in me snapped.

I shoved the dress back into his chest.

He stared at me. Then his expression hardened, and he let out a short, ugly laugh.

“Celia, you really think you’re some kind of princess?”

“My men call you little princess Hartwell because they’re kissing up to your dad. Don’t let it go to your head.”

He was shouting now, full drill-sergeant volume, right there in the middle of the store with everyone watching. I couldn’t move.

Then he turned and walked out.

He tossed my bag at my feet on his way out.

“I brought you out here to do something nice, and this is what I get? Find your own way home.”

The clerk was staring at me. I gave her a tight smile and pretended I didn’t care.

I hadn’t even made it out the door when the sky opened up.

The shop’s phone rang. The clerk answered, then awkwardly held out the receiver to me. It was Nolan.

“Apologize, and I’ll come back for you.”

Before I could answer, I heard a girl’s voice in the background, soft, almost whispering.

“Nolan… I’m soaked. I’m freezing. Can I borrow your jacket?”

I didn’t say a word. I just hung up.

Only one woman would talk to him like that. The one who’d saved his life.

I just hadn’t imagined that while he was leaving me stranded in the rain, she’d be warming up at his place.