Valentine (A Standalone Novel) (Bad Boy Romance Book) (23 page)

"Already done, fool. Later." I
turned and jogged back into the locker room. Martin wasn't the first person to
judge me and wouldn't be the last. Besides, I'd judged him too and been dead
wrong. Much like I was with Val.

Speaking of...I picked up my phone and
called her as I moved around getting dressed. She was more excited than me
about everything, which caused me to fall harder for the dark-haired beauty.

She wanted me to visit her parents and while
I'd have said hell no a few days before, now I was ready. I wanted to fight for
her.

No matter what that might mean.

Chapter
28

Two
Days Later

Val

Tate had my car working in time for me to
leave for the weekend at my mom's house. Allison's wedding was the next day,
and the rehearsal dinner and final decorations were that night. I hated the
fact that I was on my own as I headed out there that afternoon, but Tate would
be joining me for the wedding. All of my friends were invited to the wedding,
and I knew they would all be there to support me, if nothing else.

Between the news of the psychology offer
and the Olympic tryouts coming up, Tate was in a great mood. I enjoyed being
around him even more than usual and felt his absence almost too much as I
pulled up in my parents’ driveway. I sat there for a minute, taking in the
beauty of their mansion. A soft huff left me at the fact that my almost
run-down car was a punishment for not being or doing enough in their eyes. It
was sad, and for the first time ever I didn't feel sorry for myself, but for
them.

They could control Allison and me until
she was married and I was graduated. Then we were free women, and then what? I
wasn't ever looking back when I was done with school. I'd been spewing the same
nonsense my dad had pumped into my head when I told Tate that I would probably
end up at Scott Enterprises.

"No way in hell." I got out of
the car and let out a long sigh before grabbing my bag and greeting the latest
bellman at the door. I had no clue who he was or any of the people working at
the house and on the grounds. My mother’s lack of patience and ill temperament
meant that employment at the Scott mansion was a revolving door.

"Afternoon, Miss." The older
gentlemen at the door nodded and smiled at me.

"Hi, there." I extended my hand,
surprising him a little from what I could tell. "I'm the black-sheep of
the family, Valentine."

"Ah..." He smirked. "I'm
the outcast of my own family, as well. It's nice to meet you."

"How is everyone? Crazy?" I
walked in and looked around, wishing that I had the same warm welcomed feeling
standing in my own house that I did at Tate's mom's place.

"The wedding frenzy has taken a hold
of just about everyone, but I didn't say anything." He pursed his lips.

I laughed, liking him already. "Mums
the word."

"Valentine?" My mother's voice
caused my muscles to lock and a cold chill to run down my spine. There was no
other person in the world that could make me feel as small as she could, and
she hadn't even done anything yet. It was the promise of the berating to come.

"Yes, Mother?" I picked up my bag
as she walked into the foyer.

"Don't carry your own bag." She
turned her attention to the bellman. "James, this is your job. Do it or
you'll be packing and looking for another one."

"Mom, I got it. Seriously." I
lifted the small suitcase and wagged it in front of her. "It's one-"

"Now!" She ripped the bag from
my hand and half threw it at the guy. "And you, don't teach these people
around here that they don't have to do their jobs. I can't stand your
generation and their willingness to bend the rules for anyone or anything. I
swear."

"Nice to see you." I smiled.
"You look pretty."

"Don't chastise me, young
woman." She poked me in the chest. "Your sister is going to have a
beautiful event tomorrow and you're not going to ruin it or you will pay for it
for the rest of your life. Understood?"

"Is Val here?" My sister bounded
down the stairs, and I was grateful for a reason to turn away from the witch in
front of me.

It hurt that I didn't have tears in my
eyes from the way she spoke to me. I was too calloused by it.

"Hey, you." I moved to return
the warm hug Allison gave me. "Are you excited?"

"Very, but I'm nervous, too."
She giggled. "We're doing the run through in an hour, so get changed into
something nice. After that we'll have the dinner, and then Bart and I are going
out for a drink. Mother said that-"

"That I have a boy I want you to
meet. He's a great choice for you, Valentine." She cleared her throat.
"You do remember me mentioning him, right?"

"Yes, Mom, but I'm seeing someone.
I'm not-"

"Surely not that biker trash that
your father had to warn off." She laughed, and my blood ran cold.
"Please tell me that you didn't disobey us to that extent."

I kept my eyes on my sister. "Am I
going with you and Bart for drinks? Is that part of the blind date?"

"Yes, and your date is a great guy,
but we'll talk later. Go get ready." My sister pressed her forehead to
mine and whispered, "Before she eats you alive."

"Amen." I turned and jogged up
the stairs as my sister moved in to interfere on my behalf. I couldn't thank
her enough for being good to me. It was nice to know that I didn't stand alone
as the only decent Scott in Minnesota.

I would go on the stupid after-party date
and be nice to the poor guy, but I wasn't interested and nothing would become
of us. I was falling in love with Tate, and nothing was going to change that.

*

"Well? What did you think?"
Allison stopped in front of me as we wrapped up the rehearsal dinner. My mother
and father were busy saying goodbye to various guests who had come to be part
of the event. My mother had showed her ass three or four times during the
evening, and I needed more than one stiff drink to get through much more with
her.

"It was perfect. The wedding is going
to be great." I looped my arm into my sister's. "It's about time for
my mail-order groom to show up, right?"

She laughed as we walked out the back of
the house onto a large balcony that overlooked a large frozen lake. "You
how Mom is."

"Yes, and I'm glad that her meddling
worked out where you and Bart are concerned, but I-"

"Val, I don't love him." She
glanced over at me as her big blue eyes filled with tears.

My heart broke in my chest as I reached
for her. "Then why are you going through with this?"

"Because I have no choice." She
choked on a soft sob. "I keep thinking it's going to be okay, and he
really is a great guy, but I just would rather be friends. There's no passion
between us. No heat."

"Oh. Wow." I hugged her tightly
and moved back as someone coughed behind us.

Bart.

"You pretty girls ready? My cousin is
almost here." He gave us a warm smile, and I could see why Allison liked
him, but if she wasn't in love...

"Yeah, we'll meet you out front.
We're just having a sister pow-wow." I offered him a smile in return and
waited until he left to give my sister my full attention. "You need to
tell him, Allison. Maybe he's not in love, either."

"No, he is." She wiped at her
tears angrily. "I know you think I've always had it so easy, but I
haven't. Mom and Dad are no different with me than they are with you. I just
comply because I hate strife more than anything else. I just want them to love
me for being me, but they don't."

"I get that." I reached up and
wiped a tear off of her cheek. "You can't go through with this."

"I have to. My whole future rides on
wrapping up this last promise to them. They want me married to Bart. His family
is powerful and they own half the oil fields in Texas." She rolled her
eyes. "It’s complicated."

"Do you have any debt?" I ran my
hands over her shoulders and squeezed softly.

"What? No, of course not." She
shook her head. "I just don't want to walk out of here with nothing. I
mean, like...nothing."

"You can't live like this. Marriage
is forever." I moved back and tugged at the sleeve of my blue ball gown.
"I feel like a frumpy Cinderella in this thing."

"You look like one. Your tits are way
too big for that." She rolled her eyes and walked with me back into the
house. "Mom picked them out. Ugh."

"Oh, great. You get to look like a
princess and I'm stuck looking like a swollen blueberry."

"Stop it." She laughed and shook
her head. "Please don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Bart's a good
man."

"This conversation isn't over,
Allison." I turned as we approached Bart and another guy who was a little
bit bigger than him. His voice was a little too familiar. Kade Jones.

His eyes widened as he saw me. "No
freaking way."

I laughed and walked toward him.
"Please don't tell me that
you're
my
blind date."

He pulled me into a hug and chuckled.
"It would seem so. I guess our parents aren't too horrible from time to
time."

"Wait. You guys know each
other?" Bart asked as he wrapped an arm around my sister's shoulders.

"Yeah. He's the TA for one of my
classes, and we've been to a few parties together." I looked up at him,
realizing how incredibly handsome he was. My mom had done well this time. Too
bad I was taken.

"I've been trying to get this girl's
attention for a month now. She keeps trying to set me up with her damn friends,"
Kade laughed again and let out a long sigh. "I feel much better knowing
it's you, Val. Let's get this show on the road."

Worry rushed through me as we followed my
sister and her fiancé out. I reached for Kade's arm and pulled him to a stop.

"Hey. I'm with Tate. You know that,
right?” I released him and took a step back. "We're just friends, me and
you."

"And, I can't twist your arm for
anything more?" He reached out and touched my face. "I have a lot to
offer, Valentine. I think you know that."

"I know you do, but I have all that I
need." I moved past him and tucked my arm into his. "Now we just need
to find the right woman for you."

"Oh Lord, not this Amy stuff
again." He clamped his hand over mine as I held onto his arm. "I'm
interested in you, but you know that."

"I do, and if I was free, I'd return
your interest, but I'm not. I'm in love with my biker boy." I got into the
back of the car and was grateful that Kade got in the front with Bart and left
my sister to get in the back with me.

He turned around and pinned me with a hard
stare. "And, if that ever changes?"

"Then, I'll come looking for you
first." I smiled and leaned back.

*

Dinner was great with Kade there, and I
could so easily see myself fitting into his life, and him fitting into mine,
but he wasn't Tate. Not in the slightest.

We stopped at the door, and he watched me
with desire in his gaze, but I ignored it. Allison gave Bart a quick kiss and
turned, jogging up the stairs and calling after me to join her.

"Night." Kade reached out and
touched the side of my face. "No chance at all, right?"

"Nope. Not even a little one." I
cupped his hand on the side of my face and smiled at him.

"That's a lucky guy you're with. He
knows that right?" He moved closer.

I released him and pushed at his chest.
"He knows. Get out of here before I have to pull out some of my self-defense
moves on you."

"Yeah, cause that makes me want to
leave," he laughed.

"Night, Kade. See you tomorrow at the
wedding." I turned and jogged up the stairs feeling good. I dropped down
on my sister's bed and let out a long, girly sigh. "That was fun."

"You seemed to really enjoy Kade. Why
are you so dead set on being with this other guy? Because it pisses Mom and Dad
off?" She moved up beside me and propped her head up on her hand.

"No." I looked over at her.
"Because I like him a lot. I want him in my future."

"Really? Maybe you should borrow my
dress and get married tomorrow. That would be a win-win, for me and you."
She tried to smile, but her expression saddened. "I want to love someone
like that."

"Like what?" I reached over and
brushed her hair back from her face.

"In a way that I didn't care about
what it meant to be together or what it cost. That strong bond between two
people that nothing could break, least of all the pressure of their
parents." She rolled onto her back. "I don't know if I can do this
tomorrow."

"Then don't." I moved onto my
side. "You'll miss out on the greatest adventure you could ever
have."

"Fending off Mom and Dad?" She
smirked.

"No, silly. Being in love."