True Bliss (Bliss #2)(46)
Author: B.J. Harvey

“I love you too.” I reach up on my toes and turn his light peck into a deep, probing kiss before standing back down on my flat feet again.

“What was that for?” he asks, catching his breath.

“Just wanted to give you a reminder of what’s waiting here for you.”

“Won’t ever forget that, babe. Wherever you are, I wanna be. Forever and always.”

Well f**k me dead and call me Nancy. Forever and always. There’s a new one.

The baby shower is awesome. A lot of Mac’s workmates turn up as well as relatives from both her families. We play games like pacifier throwing, sniffing ‘dirty’ diapers that have chocolate in them, and of course, guessing the size of Mac’s now huge baby belly. When the guys return a few hours later for food and presents, the party gets louder. Mac can’t wipe the smile off her face, and I’m over the moon to see her so happy.

She has her happy ending, and I’m working towards mine.

ZANDER

Wanting to be out of the house for the afternoon, I go down to the bar to hang out with Zach while he worked. The plan being that we’ll grab dinner on his break later on.

I need some time out of the house to get my head straight. My guilty conscience has been making its presence known more and more lately. It’s been three months since I’ve moved in with Kate, and five months since I started talking to her as ‘nightdancer.’

She thinks that I’m so noble, so honest and upfront. How can I go on letting her believe that when I assumed an online identity to talk to her? It’s eating me up. I love that girl so damn much, and I want to give her everything her heart desires. What she demands is honesty, and my deceit, or what she will see as deceit, could be our undoing. Everything we’ve been working towards, building together, is at risk.

“You look like your dog just died,” Zach announces as he replaces my empty glass with a full one.

“I haven’t told Kate about the online dating thing.”

He looks shocked. “You f**king idiot. Do you want to lose her? Is that what this is about? Dude, that stuff festers and you’re gonna ruin everything before it’s had a chance to take hold. “

“It’s already f**king taken hold, Zach. I’m in love with her, and I want to be with her, but how the f**k do I say ‘oh, by the way, you know that guy you’ve been chatting to on the net? Yeah, that’s me. So what’s for dinner?’”

He smirks at me. “Well no, but you need to tell her, and soon. Are you guys still talking on the site?”

“Wouldn’t have a clue. I haven’t logged on for months. Oh shit, what if she’s messaged me?” Fuck! I’ve been so wrapped up in everything Kate that I didn’t even think about the site. She was my sole reason for me being on there after I’d fulfilled Zach’s dare.

“Well, how about we check.” Zach walks away through the bar’s back door, returning a few minutes later with his laptop. “Here. Go wild, just no  p**n . The boss will chew me out. Again.” I crack a smile, but I have a horrible feeling at the pit of my stomach.

I bring up Chicago Singles and log in, feeling sick when I see one message from Kate which was sent weeks ago.

FUCK! I slam my fist down on the bar, shaking the bottles lining it and grabbing everyone’s attention.

Zach looks around the bar. “Sorry guys, won’t happen again. What the f**k dude?” he whispers loudly.

I turn the computer around and show him the screen. A minute later he looks at me, his face full of sympathy. “Shit, Zan. You have to tell her asap.”

“I know,” I say, resigned to the fact that tonight may be my last night with Kate. Mac warned me dishonesty was Kate’s deal breaker, and I’ve been lying to her for months. She struck up a friendship with me, but didn’t know who she was talking to. She got drunk, laughed and shared her feelings with this version of me, some things she hasn’t even told me in real life. Come to think of it, she’s never even told me she was on an internet dating site. Was she ashamed of it?

I’m broken out of my thoughts when I see Daniel and two older guys walk into the bar and take a seat at a table in the middle of the room. There’s no way I can avoid talking to them without coming off as a bastard, and I don’t have a problem with Daniel. In fact, he should really have a problem with me.

I look over, and lift my chin when he does the same. He grins at me and jerks his head, inviting me to sit with them. Well, this should be interesting at least.

“Hey man,” he says standing up and slapping my back. “This is my father, Will, and Mac’s father, John.” I shake both of their outstretched hands before taking a seat next to Daniel.

“We’re leaving the women to it and decided to come down here for a few drinks and some pool. You want to join us?” John asks.

“You sure, man?” I ask Daniel.

“Yeah, of course. The past is the past, and I’m looking toward the future in a big way,” Daniel says. I raise my brow and look at him and he gives me a chin lift to let me know everything is fine. I don’t miss the fact that his whole body looks tense, and he looks nervous as hell.

“So what do you do for work, Zander?” Will asks as I lift my beer bottle to my mouth.

“I’m a rookie cop. Graduated a month ago.”

“Congratulations. That’s a fantastic career. Have you always wanted to be a cop?”

“I’ve always been protective, so it just seemed like a natural progression.”

“It’s the best way.”

“So Daniel, when are you going to make an honest woman out of Mac and give those twins a committed family unit,” John pipes up. I choke on my beer and look at Daniel who takes a deep breath before leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table.

“John, part of the reason I wanted to bring you here is to talk about that. Mac is the love of my life. I think I fell a little in love with her the first time I met her, and I fall more in love with her every day. I see our children growing in her belly, and I picture our life together in five, ten, fifty years. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, and I worked my ass off to get Mac in my life. I’ll continue to appreciate every single day that I’m with her and tonight, on our way home, I’m going to ask Mac to marry me, and I’d really like you’re blessing.”

Will and I watch as John frowns, considering Daniel’s declaration of love for his only daughter. John makes him work for it, keeping him waiting while he makes ‘mmm’ and ‘ah’ noises, like he’s seriously considering whether to give his permission or not. Daniel starts to shift nervously in his seat, and I swear I can see sweat on his forehead as he waits for an answer.

“John, I think you better put my boy out of his misery. Look at him, he’s a mess,” Will says with a shit eating grin on his face.