Valentine (A Standalone Novel) (Bad Boy Romance Book) (24 page)

Chapter 29

Tate

I'm not sure I could have been any more
nervous about going out to meet up with Val at her parents’ place. I was a
grown man, and yet felt like a wayward teenage kid as Sam and I walked through
the department store at the mall.

"Dude, I can't thank you enough for
saying you'd go with me out there today. I honestly feel like I'm going to
barf." I reached for a white button down shirt and held it up to my chest.
"Yeah? No?"

"No worries, man. You know that I'd
never leave you out to dry. Besides, I almost want to see if these rich
bastards are going to act like trash in front of their wedding guests. I can't
imagine that Val's father is going to be able to hold back his anger at seeing
you."

"Yeah, you're not helping, at
all." I put the shirt back on the rack and growled before tugging at my
hair. "Maybe I should just tell her that I can't make it."

"Tate, you know she needs you out
there. Stop acting like that. We need to get your clothes and get over to the
Gamma house soon, though. We have about two hours before we need to be in our
seats at the wedding. Hurry up." He leaned against a rack of jackets and
gave me a look.

"Alright, well help me find
something. I've never worn one of these monkey suits before." I checked
the price tag and almost passed out. "What the fuck? This is insane. I'm
not spending that much on an outfit I'm going to wear once."

"You'll wear it a lot more than you
think you will." He pulled out his wallet as I lifted my hand.

"No, I'm paying for whatever we end
up getting." I shook my head and moved away from him.

"Fine, but my mother sent this
hundred dollar gift card to this place. She got it at Christmas from my grandma
and doesn't want it. They won't give her anything but store credit, which does
no one any good, right?" He laughed and moved up beside me, pressing the card
to my chest. "Take it. I have plenty of suits."

"Alright, fine, but tell her that I
said thanks. I'll come over and tell her myself soon." I found a black
suit that didn't look too terribly bad. "What about this one?"

"They're all the same. Just get one,
try it on, and let's get the fuck out of here." He picked up a dark gray
shirt and handed it to me. "This would look good, and that black tie over
there."

"Shouldn't I wear white?" I
walked over to the tie rack and grabbed the tie as a stiff-looking guy glanced
up from the register and gave us a look of open annoyance.

"Can I help you two?" His voice
was almost as condescending as his glare.

"Nope. We're just looking, but when
we start buying, you can take our money. That sound good?" I lifted my
eyebrow and tilted my head just a little.

The guy swallowed hard and glanced back
down, mumbling his agreement.

"How do you do that?" Sam
whispered as we walked to the dressing room.

"Do what?" I walked into the
hallway, trying to ignore the anger that fluttered in my chest over the clerk's
attitude.

"Make other guys almost shit
themselves."

"It's the tats," I called behind
me before walking into a dressing room. "You should get some."

"Fuck, no."

I laughed and tried on the suit, liking it
quite a bit. I walked out and Sam glanced up and gave me two thumbs up.

"You riding with us over to the
wedding or taking your bike?" He stood after I changed back into my jeans
and sweater.

"My bike. I'd almost feel naked
without it." I shrugged and put the clothes on the counter. "Besides,
I need to make a good first impression, right?"

He chuckled. "And, what message are
you hoping to make by riding your bike up to their fancy house with all their
friends around?"

I glanced over at him. "The one that
says, 'fuck you,’ big and loud. The bastard threatened me and my mother. Just
me being there is enough to tell him Val's mine. Period."

"Okay." Sam lifted his hands in
the air as if surrendering and backed up a little. "I should call ahead
and tell them that Billy Bad Assis headed their way."

I laughed. "Keep it up, funny boy,
and I'll tell the pretty girl whose panties you're trying to get into that you
sleep with the closet light on."

"She already knows." He poked my
side. "She sleeps with it on, too. Ask me how I know."

"Oh Lord." I rolled my eyes,
paid for my stuff and walked out next to my best friend as he dove into every
intimate detail of having slept with Lucinda. Some part of me wanted to shut
him up, but I couldn't. He felt like he'd found his match in life. I understood
his excitement all too well.

*

I changed at home and walked into the
living room about thirty minutes before I needed to get on the road.

My mom glanced up from the couch where she
was reading and smiled.

"Wow. Don't you look incredible?"
She got up and fixed the collar of my shirt before brushing her hands down the
front of my chest. "You're going to be okay, right? They're not going to
hurt you?”

"Mom. They're rich people with a chip
on their shoulders, not axe murderers." I smirked and pulled her in to a
hug. "I love you. Don't wait up."

"Okay, but please text me and let me
know how you're doing throughout the night. I know you're a grown-ass man and
all, but please...or have Val do it. She won't mind." She touched the side
of my face. "I love you, too. Be safe."

"Will do. Lock up and don't answer
the door." I walked to the door and glanced back at her. "See you
tomorrow."

"Get out of here and stop
stalling." She dropped back down on the couch, and I left her cuddled up
with her book as I jogged through the freezing cold. It seemed like winter was
never going to relent.

Val's sister had to have an indoor
wedding. There was no way anyone would be able to stand out in the cold for
more than a few minutes without having icy fingers and toes.

I started the bike and pulled on my
helmet, suddenly worrying about my own extremities. I tugged a pair of gloves
from my pocket and zipped up my jacket before taking off to Val's parents’
place. I had the address on my phone, but I'd seen the beautiful mansion a few
times on some of my long rides through the city and surrounding countryside.

There was a comfort in knowing that Sam
and Val's closest friends would be out at the wedding before me. It was like
being welcomed into a crowd of people that I sort of already knew without
having to stand alone and pray for the night to be over.

I drove a little slower than I normally
would, but I couldn't help it. Trepidation sat heavy on me as I pulled up and
parked my bike beside a large line of overpriced cars. I locked it down and
glanced up to see Val's father standing on the front porch, staring at me with
malice on his face.

"Fuck," I mumbled under my
breath and pulled my helmet off. "Time to get this shit over with."

I walked toward him with my chin held high
and my eyes locked onto his. "Mr. Scott."

"Tate. I'm a little surprised to see
you here today, and yet I realize that men like yourself cling tightly to any
hope for a better day tomorrow than you've had today. You're not getting a
penny of my money. Not a dime." He shrugged and crossed his arms over his
chest.

"Why in the world would you think I
want your money? I've never had money. I wouldn't know what to do with it in
the first place." I smirked and moved past him into the house.

That
went much better than I thought it would.

I heard Valentine laughing before I laid
eyes on her, but when I did, my heart almost stopped in my chest. Her dress
shimmered slightly and fit her beautifully. She was in the middle of her
friends, and one of them must have alerted her to my presence, because she
turned around.

"Damn," I mumbled and let my
eyes run down the length of her. The dress was tight around her narrow waist
and accentuated her breasts beautifully – almost too much.

"Tate." She walked toward me and
reached for me.

"Hi, baby." I slid my arms
around her and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Your dad was waiting for
me at the door, but hopefully that was the only run-in we have to have
tonight."

"Doubtful, but I'm glad to see you
alive and not bloody." She nipped at my lips before rubbing her nose by
mine. "You look so good."

"Me? Naw.
You
look incredible. Tell me that we can have some fun later in
that dress. It's not rented, is it?" I raised my eyebrows and worked hard
to keep my hands on her waist. I wanted to touch every part of her and crawl up
under her dress to see what color her panties were.

She laughed. "It's mine. We can do
anything you want to do. There's a cabin about ten minutes north of here on my
father's extended property. I went up there this morning and got it ready for
us. Don’t tell anyone, though… My parents would die if they knew we were using
it."

"Oh, yeah? I like it already." I
stiffened as someone behind me cleared their throat.

"Valentine, did you want to introduce
me to your friend? The two of you seem to be quite close, seeing that you're
pawing at each other in the middle of my living room in front of
everyone." Her mother was an older version of Val and honestly stunning.
The tight expression on her face and pinched sides of her pretty green eyes
made her less than she could have been, but I could see the resemblance.

"Of course. Mom, this is my boyfriend
Tate." She slid her hand down my back. "Baby, this is my
mother."

"Hi, Mrs. Scott. It's nice to meet
you." I didn't extend my hand because the woman had yet to look at me. I
wasn't there, but it didn't matter. Val and her mother were in the middle of
some serious shit, and I was only going to be support. I only prayed that they
wouldn't have a huge blown-up and ruin some part of her sister's wedding.

"What about Kade Jones? Your date
with him last night wasn't what you expected it to be?" Her mother tilted
her head a little and lifted her eyebrows.

Every muscle in my body stiffened at her
words.

Val seemed to notice as she moved closer
to me.

"It wasn't a date, Mother. You tried
to set me up with him, but we simply talked about Tate all night long."
Val shrugged. "I told him that I was in love. I'm not interested in
anything or anyone but the man next to me."

"I don't approve." Her mother
took a step toward us aggressively as her voice rose.

"And, I don't give a fuck." Val
moved in front of me, her shoulders square and voice low and ominous.

"Hey," I moved in between them,
forcing Val's mother to look up at me. "We can have this nasty
conversation later. Today is all about Val's sister, right?"

Her mother's lip lifted in a grimace
before she grunted and turned, leaving us to stand there with all eyes on us.

I turned around and pulled Val into a hug,
kissing her several times to try and remind her that everything was fine.

"I didn't go out with Kade. I would
never do that to you." She touched the side of my face as tears filled her
pretty green eyes.

"I know that, baby. I trust you.
Completely." I touched the side of her face and wiped at her tears.
"No crying, okay?"

"Okay." She let out a sigh and
pressed her fingers to her eyes. "I just hate her so damn much."

"I know, but after tonight, we can
leave this place and never come back." I glanced up the stairs behind her
to see a girl who I assumed was her sister. "I think your sister wants
you."

She turned and looked up at the pretty
brunette bombshell with panic in her eyes who mouthed, “
get
up here.”

"I'll be right back. Stay with Sam
and our friends." She kissed me quickly. "Don't let my parents get
you alone. They might try and eat you alive."

 
"Stop worrying, silly." I laughed
and moved into a group of familiar faces.

Chapter 30

Val

"I can't do this." My sister was
pacing the floor as I walked into her bedroom.

The rest of the guests were waiting on the
back patio where my dad had rented large heaters that were affixed to the
underside of the roof. It would be an outdoor wedding in the middle of the
winter because my sister wanted it.

"What?" I closed the door behind
me and turned to face her. The last thing she'd said the night before as she
drifted off to sleep was that she did care about Bart and wanted to see if they
could make things work. Now, she was freaking out.

"I can't do this." She turned
toward me and stopped. "I'm not going through with it. Sneak me out of
here. Now."

"Allison. Let me just go down there
and tell Dad that you're not coming. I'll figure out what to say, but-"

"No!" She moved toward me, and I
almost flinched. Her eyes were wide with something like terror and I felt a
chill run through me. My poor sister was cracking.

"Okay. Tell me what you want and I'll
do it. I'll do whatever you need me to do. I'm here for you." I reached
out and gripped her arms tightly.

"Go downstairs and tell Bart that I'm
sorry, but I can't do this. Then sneak out the back and get me the fuck out of
here." She reached up and pressed her hands to her mouth. "No, I
can't run. Then what?"

"Allison." I gripped her
tighter. "Are you running because you don't love Bart or because you're
just freaking out?"

"Neither. Both. Fuck, I don't
know." She pulled out of my hold and started to pace the floor again.
"I'm not ready for this."

"Then we put it off while you figure
out what you want. Marriage is a big deal." I jerked back as she spun
around and pinned me with a stare that our mother would be proud of.

"I fucking know that." She
closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I like Bart, a lot. I'm not sure
about love, but how do you know if you really love someone, anyways?"

"Sis, listen to me. If you have any
doubts about this, then let's not do it." I walked across the room to her
again and pulled her into a tight hug. "How about we fake you being sick?
Like you have the torrential shits or something?"

She laughed loudly and nodded. "Yeah.
Maybe that's the answer. If we could just put it off for another hour or
so..."

"Alright. Stay here." I turned
on my heel and walked to the door, pausing before I walked out. "You're
going to have to fake being sick. Mom's going to come up here. You know
that."

"Right." She moved to her bed
and dropped down. "Just forget it. I'm a horrible liar. We'll just do it.
I'll get a divorce in a few months if this doesn't work out."

"Allison." I opened the door and
shook my head. "Just fake-"

"No. Just get things ready so I can
get this over with." She glanced down at her hands which were shaking
horribly. "Just promise me that you'll never marry because they want you
to. Promise me."

"I'd never, and you don't have to,
either." I hovered in the doorway as my heart broke for her.

"Yeah, I do." She glanced up at
me, her composure almost back in place. "It's okay. I have a way out. This
isn't a ball and chain. I'll see what happens. If I still feel this way in a
few months, then I'll just file for divorce."

"Promise?" I hated the way the
conversation was going, but she wasn't going to relent now that her
determination was set in stone. She was too much like our father for that.

"Yes. I love you. Thank you for being
the sane one among us." She smiled sadly. "You look beautiful in that
dress."

"You do, too. If you change your
mind, I'll have Tate drive his bike up in the middle of the ceremony and steal
you away. Sound good?" I wagged my eyebrows at her.

"Please. Do it." She laughed and
shook her head. "Get out of here before I change my mind yet again. I'm
good."

I turned and closed the door behind me,
passing my mother on the stairs. She acted as if she didn't even see me, but I
was used to it. She was the master of ignoring people when she was upset.

I walked down the stairs as my eyes found
Tate. He looked incredible in his black suit and dark gray shirt. He was every
bit the man I wanted in my life, for the rest of it.

He glanced up and a smile pulled at his
lips as his eyes met mine. He licked his lips subtly and moved through the
crowd to wait at the bottom of the stairs for me.

"Everything okay?" He extended
his hand and I took it.

"Not really, but my sister seems to
be trapped at this point." I moved into his arms and breathed in deeply.
"Let's just hope this thing goes off without too much of a ruckus."

"Oh, yeah? Someone causing more
fireworks?" he chuckled.

"No, just my parents forcing her to
marry someone she's not really in love with." I shuddered. "I can't
imagine that."

"I wouldn't do it." He glanced
around as the wedding coordinator walked up a few stairs and announced that it
was time for everyone to find their places. People started to move toward the
patio, and Tate released me. "I'll see you after it's all said and done.
Everything is going to be okay."

"I hope so." I smiled at him and
turned to see Kade walking toward me.

"Tate," Kade called out as he
moved up in front of me. "Hey, man. I wanted to tell you what a great girl
you have here. She's classy, beautiful, and everything a man with a good heart
could want. You're a lucky bastard."

Tate chuckled. "I figure you've been
trying hard to take her from me. Am I wrong?"

"Nope, but after last night, I
figured that it was time to stop being a dick and own up to the fact that she's
completely lost to anyone but you."

I smiled. "This is true."

Tate chuckled again and reached out to
take my hand. "She's my girl, for sure. Don't get any ideas, Mr. All-Star
Football."

"Shit, you're the one that's been
invited to the Olympic tryouts. Who gets to do that?" Kade extended his
hand to Tate. "Forgive me. I'm too much like my father, though I fight
against it day after day."

"Nothing to forgive, but stay away
from my girl." Tate shook his hand and turned to me. "See you soon,
baby."

"Okay." I watched him go before
turning to Kade. "You know...there's a really pretty girl in a black dress
walking around here who thinks you're pretty special."

He rolled his eyes. "You're not
giving up, are you?"

"Nope. Go find her and tell her she's
welcome for me." I pushed at his shoulder as he turned and walked off.
Things felt right for the first time in a long time, even though my heart ached
in my chest. My sister shouldn't have been marrying someone she wasn't
completely head over heels for, but I wasn't surprised that she was. She'd
always been compliant with my parents, no matter what.

"You know that I'm quite disappointed
in your choice to invite that slug to your sister's wedding." My father
moved up to stand in front of me as I waited patiently for the wedding coordinator
to come get me. I was the maid of honor and would be walking down the aisle
first.

"Not any more disappointed than I am
that you would stoop so low as to threaten his mother." I kept my stance
relaxed, but made sure to hold his eye contact.

"I did no such thing. He's full of
lies." My father's eyes narrowed slightly. "If you think that I'm
going to allow you to be disobedient and still pay for your schooling, you're
dead wrong."

"Take it away, Dad. I don't want your
money. I'll get loans like every other kid on campus and when Channel Two News
calls and asks for another interview on the Scott family and their giving
heart, I'll be sure to be honest this time. I have no problem explaining to
them that as long as people do exactly what you want them to, you're willing to
help. Otherwise, you turn into a monster." I couldn't believe I was
talking to him like that, but I was done. I would pay for my own schooling.

"You better watch your mouth, young
lady." He moved toward me, but I ignored him.

The wedding coordinator stepped up beside
him, oblivious to our heated discussion. "You're up, Valentine. Are you
ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I smiled and
moved past my father. "This is the last time I plan on being in this
house."

She glanced down at me as we walked toward
the patio. "What? Why is that?"

"Oh you didn't know? My parents are
monsters. They just have great make-up artists." I smirked and moved up to
the open door at the back of the ceremony. She chuckled and patted my back.

"Everyone turns into a three-headed
monster on wedding days. It's natural." She nodded and gave me a knowing
look. "Start walking. You look magnificent."

"Thanks," I mumbled and stepped
out onto the porch. I was a bundle of nerves as I walked down the aisle until I
spotted Tate sitting among our friends to my left. As long as I kept my eyes on
him I was fine. His face was expressionless, but I could tell he was keeping it
that way just for me. He knew how nervous I was, and that I would feed off of
his emotions if he gave me anything to work with.

I made my way to the front and turned,
keeping my eyes locked on him. The smile that finally began to play on his
mouth caused me to smile, too. I could easily see us moving in together,
finding some little run down house like his mother’s, and working together to
make ends meet. There were tons of scholarships that I could apply for. I'd
start looking the minute the wedding was over and things settled down for us.

The music changed, and everyone stood as
my sister moved into the back of the room with her arm wrapped around my
father's. She looked incredible, and I couldn't tell that she was nervous or
worried, at all. The girl who was freaking out upstairs only moments before was
now completely tucked away.

My eyes shifted to my father, who looked
like the perfect gentleman, the loving father. Sickness rolled through me, and
I couldn't help but wonder how many other people in the room were hiding their
true selves behind their fake smiles and nice clothes.

The ceremony was over within a matter of
minutes. My sister turned and pulled me into a hug before walking down the
aisle with Bart. I moved down behind them and tried to keep my emotions in
check. I knew she was walking into a loveless marriage, but she'd yet to figure
out how to break her willingness to comply with my parents’ wants. Fear held
her captive, but she would find someone like Tate one day and realize that
freedom meant far more than security.

Someone wrapped me in a hug from behind
and I looked back to see Tate grinning from ear to ear. "You were great.
I'm ready to find a broom closet and show you how much I like this dress on
you."

"Not yet, lover boy." Amy moved
up beside me and tugged me out of his hold. "I hear they have a DJ, wine,
and lots of desserts. We have a party that needs to be properly attended, and
then you two can go off and do whatever you biker-types like to do."

"You'd like to know what that
is..." Lucinda walked past us with her hand in Sam's.

"So would you," I called after
her and turned to find Tate watching me intently. "What?"

"You. That's what." The music
started and he reached for my hand, spinning me around a few times before
trapping me against his chest. "I thought this was going to be a disaster,
but it wasn't. We did it. Together."

"It's not over yet." I laughed
at the look on his face and moved us to the center of the room to get lost in
the sea of bodies. "I'm glad you're here. I couldn't have done it without
you."

"Sure you could have." He
brushed his nose by mine, slow dancing with me even though the music was moving
at a much faster tempo.

"I don't know. What if I don't want
to do anything without you?" I lifted up and brushed my lips by his.

"You don't have to." He nipped
at my lips. "How long do we have to stay here before it's appropriate to
leave?"

"Another hour or so." I smiled
devilishly. "We should keep up appearances and go now. I am the
black-sheep of the family."

"And, I'm your biker-boy, right? Is
that the name you guys keep using?" He lifted his eyebrow as I laughed
loudly.

"You're no boy at all." I
pressed myself to the front of him. "You're my man."

"Good. Your biker man is ready to
go."