Page 1 of Don’t You Dare Marry Me (Love in Massachusetts #3)

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Nicola trembled.

Her entire body shook in the small way that no one would be able to see when she was moving around. She hadn’t managed to make it stop, but she had managed to keep it hidden so far with a plastered-on smile that felt like her face was going to break.

Warren was off talking to his mom, which left Nicola standing in the middle of a family that she had never felt comfortable with.

She didn’t measure up. She didn’t meet their expectations.

She wasn’t worthy of standing here with them.

And yet somehow Warren had chosen to marry her—at least he had for a while.

He’d finally figured out that she wasn’t good enough for him.

The ring buried deep inside her purse was a weight that she hadn’t ever considered before.

It was stunning, but now she was required to give it back to him—the family heirloom.

Which was the sole reason she was here. She should have stashed it in her sister’s rehabilitation room instead of bringing it with her because she had an idea that Warren was going to fight her tooth and nail on that check he’d promised her.

She was an outcast in this group, and she knew that.

But she hadn’t wanted to do this one-on-one.

She wanted at least some protections from whatever shade Warren was going to throw in her direction.

She’d been there a full five minutes so far, and no one had even noticed her yet.

It seemed they were waiting for something, but Nicola had no clue what.

Not that the family ever let her in on what was happening. She wasn’t one of them.

Straightening her back and fixing her smile, Nicola walked toward Warren and sidled on up next to him. “Hey,” she said.

He grimaced when he looked at her. That was definitely a grimace! She had proof of it this time. “Aunt Abagail is late.”

Oh. That’s what they’re waiting on . Now that Nicola knew that, she could prepare herself.

Aunt Abagail was a force to be reckoned with.

Nicola had only met her a handful of times before, but Warren had told her that, when planning the wedding, everything would have to be approved by Abagail since she’d be paying for it.

Not that any of that would be happening now, and she’d already been brushed aside, so it wasn’t like she was going to be able to ask him about the check when he was so distracted by the fact that his aunt wasn’t there yet.

Nicola resisted the urge to cross her arms, and she skimmed her hands down the short cocktail dress that Warren had bought her a few months ago.

She’d have to sell it soon enough anyway so that she could have enough cash to live off.

The material felt so soft against her skin, but once again, she felt as though she was an imposter.

Well, she was.

She didn’t belong here, and that had always been clear throughout her entire relationship with Warren. He liked her, and what she did for him, but she wasn’t one of them. And now, due to the breakup that he’d handed her a few days ago, she would never be a part of them.

“I’m tired of waiting,” Warren muttered to his mother.

Estelle flicked her gaze to Nicola and frowned at her. “I can’t control what Aunt Abagail does. I’ve never been able to.”

“If Dad were here…” Warren trailed off.

Nicola had heard that threat from him many times before.

It was hard to lose a parent. That was what had bonded them together at first, but Warren had never seemed to move on from the fact that his dad had left them at the mercy of his aunt.

Nicola, however, had no one but her sister and her aunt, and they wouldn’t break that bond no matter what. They were their own little family.

“He’s not here,” Estelle hissed. “And don’t piss Abagail off. That’s the last thing we want.”

Well, that was a warning if Nicola had ever heard one.

She’d clearly missed something going on.

Was Abagail going to show up and give them all a dressing down?

Maybe she’d tell Warren he was a dumb idiot for dumping her.

Nicola had to hold back her snort at that one.

Abagail had never liked her. There was no way she’d be there to do that.

“What are you even doing here?” Warren turned on her, all that pent-up anxiety and rage that he’d had because of Abagail’s late arrival now solely focused on her.

When they were dating, Nicola had just rolled over and taken it.

She’d let him move through the emotions instead of correcting him, but she didn’t have to do that now.

“You told me to come here,” Nicola stated firmly, not bothering to take a step back even though she really wanted to. “To get that check.”

Warren’s lip pulled upward into a sneer. “Like I’d give you any more money.”

“Warren…” Nicola’s jaw dropped. As much as she had expected this to happen, she hoped desperately that the man she’d fallen in love with was still in there somewhere. Wasn’t he?

“Where’s the ring, Nicola?”

Nicola locked her mouth shut. She wasn’t going to give him the ring back if she didn’t get the cash.

Not tonight anyway. She’d quit everything for him.

She’d moved out of her apartment for him.

She’d put everything in her life in his hands.

And she was paying the price for that. The least he could do was give her the cash he’d promised her so she could continue to pay her sister’s medical bills.

“Where’s the check, Warren ?” If he was going to give her this attitude, then she’d dole it right back.

There was no reason she had to play nice anymore.

Her heart stung at the prospect of who they were together now, but she couldn’t let that affect her.

She needed the money to pay the credit collectors.

“Nuh-uh-uh.” He turned on her fully now, towering over her. Anger crossed his features. “You don’t get anything else from me. I want the ring back.”

“Rings are considered a gift. It’d be my choice whether or not to give it back to you.

We had this conversation already. If you want it back, you’re going to have to buy it from me.

” Nicola gripped the strap of her purse tighter and squared her shoulders.

She wasn’t going to back down. “Fifty thousand dollars, Warren. That’s what we agreed on. And that’s chump change for you.”

Warren snorted. “You little b?—”

“Aunt Abagail!” Estelle’s voice rose above Warren’s curse. He immediately straightened and his entire face changed. He went from antagonistic and nearly demonic to genteel and serene. He held out his arms to Abagail, as if expecting a hug, but she just stared at him.

“Bitch?” Abagail said, the word filled with disgust. “Is that what you were going to call her?”

“I-I-I…” Warren stuttered.

“That’s no way to talk to your fiancée.” Abagail’s lips pressed together before pursing out. It was the only sign that she was truly disturbed by what she’d just witnessed.

Nicola’s heart raced. Abagail had never been on her side before, and this was no different. Abagail was scolding Warren, but it wasn’t for Nicola’s benefit.

“She’s not my fiancée, Aunt Abagail.” Warren tilted his head down thoroughly scolded.

“She’s not?” Abagail’s gaze landed on Nicola, and a rush raced through her, like it did every time she ended up in Abagail’s direct gaze. But just like before, this rush came with a pang of fear in it. “Then why is she here?”

There.

That’s why Nicola was afraid. Abagail held the reins on absolutely everything in this family, and it was a death grip.

She’d seen it in action more times than she cared to admit.

Perhaps that was Warren’s problem. He didn’t have the money.

Abagail did. Which meant that he couldn’t actually give her the cash that he’d promised.

“She’s supposed to give me Nana’s ring back.” Warren pointed at her like she was a witch on trial and he was going to burn her at the stake.

Nicola bit the inside of her cheek and took a steadying breath. There was only one way to work around this. “I am supposed to give it back. We had an agreement, and once Warren holds up his end of the bargain, he’ll have the ring back in his skinny little fingers.”

Abagail’s lips twitched. Was that the beginnings of a smile on her lips? Nicola had to hold herself in check.

“When that happens, I’ll gladly give the ring back.”

Abagail hummed, her gaze drawn away from Nicola to something—or someone—behind her.

The hairs on the back of Nicola’s neck went up immediately and she held her breath.

The perfume that reached her nostrils was so familiar, and her stomach clenched at the thought.

Sure enough, as soon as she turned, she found none other than Chaya.

She swayed her hips, a smirk on her lips, as she walked right by Nicola and planted herself on Warren’s arm.

“Sorry I’m late, love.”

Love? If Nicola didn’t watch herself, her eyes were going to bug out in shock and surprise.

“Don’t worry about it.” Warren dropped a kiss into Chaya’s hair.

Right, so he had already moved on. Or perhaps he’d moved on well before he’d actually gotten the nerve to dump Nicola.

How long had they been fucking behind her back?

Warren put his arm around Chaya’s waist and tugged her in sharply.

He’d done that with Nicola more times than she cared to count.

She’d loved it when they were together. Now she just saw it for what it was—possessive assholery.

“What are you doing here, Nicola ?” Chaya whined out her name, making shivers run up her spine.

“You know? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Nicola gripped her purse strap tightly.

“It really doesn’t matter in the long run, does it?

” She looked from Warren to Chaya to Abagail to Estelle.

They all hated her. They’d hated her from the very start.

She began to turn away but stopped short.

“Warren, I expect that check you promised me.”

Without another word, she walked out of the house.

The air outside was cool, exactly what she needed to fill her lungs with.

The weight in her purse was heavy from the ring, and she didn’t even know what to do with it now.

She’d give Warren a few more times to give her a check for it, but then what?

She’d hate to sell it since it was a family heirloom.

Running her fingers through her hair, Nicola shuffled her feet against the cement as she made her way out toward the street.

The houses here were few and far between, and there weren’t neighbors immediately nearby.

Nicola wiped the tears that streaked down her cheeks as she set her shoulders.

She could do this. She could pick her life back up and make it exactly what she wanted it to be.

Right?

Wasn’t that the American dream?

Except she’d had the rug pulled out from under her more times than she could believe. This was just another one of those times. And she’d find her way to stand back up on her own two feet. All she needed was time. And unfortunately, time wasn’t something she had.

Turning down the street, Nicola walked to her old run-down car that barely worked anymore.

She’d parked far away from the house, not only because of the cars that were already lining the driveway and the street, but because Warren had never wanted proof of her poverty to be on display for the neighbors to see.

Tossing her purse into the passenger seat, Nicola’s heart thundered.

The rain was heavy now, and her dress and hair were getting wetter by the second.

But what the hell did it matter? She needed to find a job that paid better, and she needed to get cash fast. How hard could that be?

Really. She had work experience, even if she didn’t have an education to bolster it.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, Nicola rifled through her purse to find her keys.

Her hands trembled as she slid the key into the ignition and turned it.

The car stuttered.

She closed her eyes and pressed her head to the steering wheel.

This was the last thing she needed. She could not get stuck at her ex-fiancé’s house like this.

She wouldn’t be able to bear it. And it wasn’t like she had anyone to call.

She’d given up her life when she’d decided to marry Warren, and she hadn’t even realized it.

She’d given up her friends, her family—everyone who mattered.

Not that she had that many friends to begin with.

The only people she had left were her baby sister and her Aunt Simone.

Nicola sat back up and tried to relax her shoulders.

She could do this. She could get what she needed from Warren to get her life back on track and then never look back at him again.

And she wouldn’t put up with the damn embarrassment any longer.

She was tired of his shenanigans. She bit her lip as she turned the key in the ignition, listening to the engine splutter as it turned over and tried to start.

Pressing her foot to the gas pedal, Nicola plied it and prayed that it would be just enough to catch.

She pushed and clenched her jaw as she waited.

Finally, it caught. The engine roared to life and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She wouldn’t have to wait for a tow truck to come and rescue her—something else that she couldn’t afford.

Checking her purse with a single glance, Nicola pulled away from the curb. She hoped this was the last time that she would see that house. She wanted it to be the last time she saw Warren, but she knew that wasn’t going to be possible.

The car horn blasted her ears.

Nicola slammed on her brakes and came to a halt. She turned to look up and found a black SUV right next to her. Her heart hammered, and cold washed through her. She bit her lip, not sure what to do or what to say. She hadn’t even looked, had she?

They stayed in silence, and she waited for someone else to take her down a few notches. But instead of that, the car slowly pulled away from hers and started down the road. Nicola groaned and pressed her forehead to the steering wheel again.

“What the hell am I doing?”

She took another minute before she made sure to check her blind spot this time and finally drove away from the house. She really needed to get her shit together. ASAP.