Page 3 of Infatuated as They Come (Sinful Trilogy #2)

Sawyer

Even though I knew I wasn’t proposing to Holly, it sure as hell felt like it.

My fingers tightened around the velvet box in my pants pocket. I was itching to give it to her. God, I had been itching to give it to her since I bought it but had been not so patiently waiting for her birthday.

I tugged at the collar of my button-down shirt, hoping that would help me breathe a little easier, but that didn’t stop the nerves.

There was a time in my life when I didn’t want to impress Holly Sutton.

When I didn’t wake up wanting to be the man that she had always dreamed of being with. That felt so far, far away.

My back up against the Sutton’s dining room wall, I took a long look at Holly.

She was in a deep conversation with her mom and best friend, looking all pretty in her long, white dress.

Big crowds weren’t my thing and it seemed like just about every one of Holly’s family members were in her house to celebrate her nineteenth birthday. I just wanted to get her on my own.

“Hey, have you had any of the food?” my cousin asked as he sidled up next to me against the wall, his hand rubbing at his stomach. “Rich people eat weird food, man.”

I frowned at Brodie. “What’d you eat?”

“I don’t know, but I hated it.”

“Didn’t you eat the cake?”

“Are we allowed to eat it? I thought we were banned from the cake. ”

“We aren’t banned from the cake,” I said with a laugh.

“Are you sure we can eat it?”

“It’s cake and we’re at a birthday party.”

Brodie shook his head. “I don’t know, man. You saw it, right? I’m shocked they even cut that thing in the first place. It probably cost a thousand bucks.”

A point had been made. Holly had been given the most Holly cake I had ever seen in my life: pink, three-tiered, and covered in intricate piping that made the cake look like it was covered in lace or frills or something.

“Just try it. The cake’s pretty nice,” I said.

“Maybe when no one’s looking. Hey, did you give Holly her gift yet?”

My eyes fell on Holly who was still in the middle of a conversation with Annie, both their eyes glued to Holly’s phone. “Nah, not yet.”

“Don’t be nervous. She’s gonna love it.”

“I hope so. I really want her to…” A good chunk of the money I had earned on my art projects was going towards moving to New York, along with Brodie’s own move to Boston.

I had my old life to pay for on top of the new ones we were both about to have.

There was so much shit to pay for, and I was determined to make sure Holly didn’t have to worry about me not contributing.

That meant that I had been on a bit of a budget when looking for her birthday gift.

But every week for the last few months, after paying for the rent and bills and food and the thousand other necessities, I made sure to put some money aside for her present.

Every spare dollar, every spare coin, every spare cent meant that I got closer and closer to buying her the things she deserved.

“She loves everything you give her,” Brodie said. “Honestly, I think she’s just happy you’re her boyfriend.”

Boyfriend . That word was enough to make my heart race. It always did. I was the one she had chosen. She was giving me her heart and that meant so much to me, and honestly, I didn’t trust anybody else with something so special.

Brodie gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I’m going in for the cake, everyone seems distracted.”

Eyeing my cousin, I watched as he approached the dining table with slow, subtle steps, but one of Holly’s aunts caught him before he could grab a slice unnoticed.

I laughed lowly, watching as he put his hands up in defense even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Holly’s aunt gave him a slice of that fancy ass cake, placing it on a pink plate that matched all the other decorations in the dining room.

For every encouraging word Brodie said, I knew he didn’t ever feel completely right in Holly’s world either.

It was different when we had been at school: when she was the popular cheerleader that just happened to have a shit ton of money.

But being in her home—right there under the watchful and judgmental eyes of her dad—was when we were reminded of where we came from and who we were.

Speaking of…

“You’re being quiet, Sawyer.” Holly’s dad was suddenly by my side, gray hair swept back neatly as he leaned up against the wall. “Everything okay?”

We both knew that he didn’t care about how I was doing, so I just shot him a small, fake smile. One that matched his, because I knew that grin he was giving me was forced and that Joe Sutton was still hating every single second of me being his daughter’s boyfriend.

“I just don’t have anything to say right now,” I said.

“You’re on your best behavior. I’m honestly very impressed.”

“Did you think I was gonna start a fistfight on your daughter’s birthday or something?”

“Fistfights are kind of your thing, aren’t they?”

I shrugged lazily. “Been a while since I’ve been in one, actually.”

“You know what?” He pointed a finger at me. “I’m shocked you and Holly have lasted this long.”

“I’m not.”

“And I won’t lie to you, I was hoping you two would break up before she started college,” he said with a hearty chuckle. “I was really, really hoping for that.”

“That’s too bad, huh?” I muttered.

“How are you feeling about this move?”

“I’m excited. ”

“And you’re up for the task of looking after my daughter? Making sure she has everything she needs? Keeping a roof over her head?”

“I’m gonna look after her. I won’t let anything bad happen to Holly.”

“I’ve seen photos of that little shoebox apartment you’re gonna have her living in since it’s about the only one you can afford, so if something bad does happen to her, you know who I’m gonna blame…”

“Me. Right. Got it.” He said it like that wasn’t already on my mind, like I wasn’t focused on wanting to take care of her, like I wasn’t already applying for mechanic jobs in New York City.

While summer had kept me busy with a good chunk of art projects, I knew I wouldn’t have that when me and Holly moved.

Over there, I’d be starting all over again and would be just one of the many starving artists struggling to make a name for themselves.

Something steady was better, anyway. Something more reliable than a random project here and there, and since I didn’t have to waste my days at school anymore, I’d have the chance to bring in a bigger paycheck every week.

Which meant for a while, my art would have to come second place, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make for Holly.

“You know,” he said, dragging me out of my thoughts, “I noticed that you haven’t given Holly anything for her birthday.”

“I got her a gift.”

“What’d you get her?”

“It’s a secret.”

“I thought we agreed on no secrets?”

“This is just a small one.”

“Do you want to know what I bought for her?”

“I’m sure you’ll be happy to tell me.”

“Five Birkins, four Kellys, three Constances, and all the new additions to Van Cleef & Arpels’s Frivole collection. All shipped right in from Paris.”

I didn’t know what the fuck any of that meant, so all I said was, “I’m glad you got Holly a nice gift.”

“ Gifts . Plural.”

“She deserves it.”

“Add them up together and they’re probably all worth more than that little trailer of yours.” Blue eyes flashing with fake sincerity, he held a hand to his chest. “Sorry, home. That’s your home. My apologies.”

My tongue clicked. It was the dumbest, most pointless dick measuring contest of all time.

It was also bait. Very obvious bait. Maybe he thought I was dumb enough to take it.

It would have been everything he had been hoping for since me and Holly got together.

He had been waiting for me to fuck up from the get-go.

For me to make some unforgivable mistake that would have Holly walking away from me without a second thought.

And what bigger and better fuck up would there be than me losing my shit in front of just about every one of Holly’s family members on her birthday?

“I bet Holly will love it,” I said.

“I know she will. What’d you buy her?” he asked, voice low.

“Why do you care?”

“I’d just like to know if you made an effort.”

“Define effort.”

“I’m starting to think you didn’t get her anything at all.”

“I got her a gift.”

“Which is…?”

“Is it really that important to you?”

“I was just curious what you got for her.”

“I’m sure she’ll show you later.”

“I’m sure she will. And I’m sure it cost a lot.”

For me, it did. I just wanted to give her something good. Something special that she’d always want to wear and keep. My fingers tightened some more against the box.

“It’s just still hard for me to wrap my head around it all,” he said. “I mean, she goes from five-star hotels and luxury resorts to… spending her summer at a trailer park.”

“Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are.”

“What the hell do you two even do down there all day, anyway?” He held up a finger suddenly. “Don’t answer that question.”

From across the room, I could see Holly’s mom’s eyes find mine. Then they moved a little over to the right to her husband, and with her hands on her hips, she gave her head a shake. It was probably easy for her to understand what kind of conversation was taking place.

“Be. Nice,” she mouthed out.

Seemed like she knew when her husband was being a pain in the ass.

I had no idea how she had been tolerating him for so fucking long.

The rest of Holly’s family had been pretty nice too, just like her.

I had been worried they’d all be like her dad, that I’d have to sit through hours of stares and not so quiet whispers about how they couldn’t believe that Holly was with someone like me, but instead, I was welcomed with open arms as Holly introduced me to all of them, a big smile on her face as she said again and again, “This is my boyfriend Sawyer. He’s an artist.”