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Twenty-Five

RIZZO

This is the best night of my fucking life. I hadn’t been worried exactly, but I’d been nervous as hell. It’s batshit crazy but, well, what about Nat and me hasn’t been? It may be insane, but I know it’s completely and totally right . I spent most of my adult life loving the freedom of not being tied down. But now, all I want is to be tied to Nat in every possible way for the rest of my life. When you know you want forever, why wouldn’t you want forever to start as soon as fucking possible? So, yeah, I don’t give a shit if anyone else thinks it’s too fast or too crazy or too whatever else.

Knowing I was going to do this is the reason I hadn’t asked Nat to move in the second that she had the fight with her dad that day. I figured it would be way smoother to ask my fiancé to move in. I have a flare for the dramatic, what can I say?

Everything had gone perfectly to plan—even this newest development was a contingency I’d planned on, just in case.

Charles Harrington stands on the other side of the room, looking only the tiniest bit flustered. Nat stiffens in my arms when she sees him and I straighten. He meets my gaze and gives me a nod of understanding and a bit of respect, and I return it.

Nat turns to me, confusion in her eyes.

“What’s going on? Did you call him?”

“I…just laid out some facts and let him do with that information what he would. But I think you two should go talk now that he’s here. He doesn’t completely deserve it, but…olive branches and all that.” I shrug. “Use the office.” I give her what I hope is an encouraging look and kiss on the forehead. She looks a little skeptical, but there’s a bit of hope there too. Despite everything, I know she doesn’t want to cut her dad out of her life. They may not have the easiest relationship, but he’s still her dad and I know she loves him. She nods and walks towards her father. He tenses but follows when she gestures down the hall.

I let out a long breath. I hope to God this doesn’t turn out to ruin this entire fucking night. If it does, at least maybe I’ll have a good excuse to punch the guy.

I think back to my meeting with him yesterday.

I’d gone to his office and to his credit, he hadn’t just had security toss me out immediately. His office is on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in Seattle and the room itself and the view very much give Master of the Universe . He’d been seated behind his massive mahogany desk and looked stoic as hell when I’d walked in. He probably intimidates most people, but my hands had clenched into fists as I’d stalked inside, remembering the shit he’d said to Nat that day at her place, and he didn’t look intimidating to me. He looked small and pathetic, but I forced myself to keep my cool. I had things to say and decking the guy probably wouldn’t help matters.

“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” he’d asked, the sarcasm so sharp it could cut through steel.

I held up a hand.

“That’ll be the last bit of talking you do for the next few minutes or I swear to God I’ll put you through a wall for the way you spoke to Natalie last time I saw you.” He’d narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenching, but I’d given him a look that told him I was dead fucking serious and he apparently believed me, so I continued on when he remained quiet.

“I’m here to talk, not to have a conversation. I’m asking Natalie to marry me tomorrow night.” His eyes widened a fraction in surprise, but he didn’t try to comment. Smart man. “I’m not here to ask you for permission—you don’t have any right to have a say in her life after how you’ve treated her, and I’m pretty sure Nat would kick my ass if I actually asked you anyway—I’m just here to tell you to your face that I’m going to marry your daughter. I love her more than anything else on this earth and I’m going to give her the best possible life that I can. I will use every single breath that I have making sure she knows how fucking amazing and beautiful and smart and talented and special she is, making sure she knows how loved she is. You don’t deserve to know, but I’m telling you anyway, because if I’m ever lucky enough to have a daughter of my own, I sure as shit would want to hear this from the man who wanted to marry her.”

His jaw worked beneath his short beard as he clenched and unclenched his teeth, but there was more than just anger in those gray eyes then, the eyes that are so much like Nat’s that it’s startling. There was…regret. Hurt. Maybe even a little shame.

I’d leaned forward and thrown a piece of paper on his desk—my address and a time.

“If you decide to get over your bullshit, there you go. If not, well, it’s your loss, honestly, not hers. But I know what it’s like to have a parent choose to walk out of your life and she deserves better than that. Make the better choice. Just because her life may not be the one you pictured for her doesn’t mean it’s not a damn good one.”

With that, I’d turned and walked out of his office without a backwards glance.

“Damn, I still can’t believe Nat is really a Harrington,” Bobby says taking a sip of his champagne and wrinkling his nose, pulling me out of the memory. I laugh.

“Want a beer instead? I’ve got plenty.”

“Oh God yes, please. I’ve never liked this stuff. Probably stems from projectile vomiting after drinking too much of it at my cousin’s wedding when I was like fourteen.”

“Same here,” Jules says, sidling up to us. “I mean about not loving champagne, not the puking thing. Come on, Bobby, I’ll grab a beer with you.” Bobby thins his lips for a heartbeat before putting on a very convincing, but very fake, smile. Jules said that the two of them got in a pretty heated argument over “something stupid” and they’re apparently still working on getting past it. I have a feeling I know what it is, but that isn’t my secret to tell, so I’m keeping my trap shut.

“Want anything?” he asks before they walk away.

“Nah, I’m good.”

Mac comes up after they walk away and throws her arms around me, kissing my cheek.

“If you had told me five months ago that Anthony Fucking Rizzo would not only be in a real, monogamous relationship, but engaged , I woulda said you were smokin’ the good stuff.”

“I know, I know.” She wipes the lipstick off of my cheek and the sheer joy I see shining in her eyes makes my throat feel thick. My best friend really did get the best girl. Well, aside from mine, of course. “Thank you for the help scheming.”

“Our pleasure,” Shep says, walking up behind Mac and pulling her back into his chest. He leans down and kisses her cheek before rubbing his scruff against her, making her squeal and giggle.

“So, uh, what’s the story with her dad showing up?” Mac asks quietly.

“I went to see him.” Her brows fly up.

“No shit?”

“No shit,” I confirm. “There were some things he needed to hear and I guess he listened to them. Or, I’m hoping that’s why he’s here. I guess we’ll see.” My phone buzzes and I pull it out. “Oh, lemme grab this. One sec.” They nod and walk away to talk to the rest of the group.

“Hey, guys,” I say, answering the video call.

“Well??” mom asks, practically jumping up and down in her excitement. I’d only told her it was happening right before Nat was supposed to arrive because God love her, mom is worse at keeping secrets than Jules. She wouldn’t have spilled the beans on purpose, but she somehow would have found a way, I just know it.

“She said yes.” My cheeks are throbbing from the dumb ass grin I can’t seem to wipe from my face. Mom screams so loudly I wince and Ray covers his ears. “Ma. Ma! You’re going supersonic here,” I say with a laugh.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m just so happy, sweetheart!” Her eyes water and Ray beams.

“Congratulations, son.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“Well, where is my soon-to-be daughter in law? I want to see that ring.”

“She’s…talking to her dad, actually.” Their expressions of shock are so nearly identical that I want to laugh.

“Wow, so your big pep talk worked, huh?” Ray asks.

“Only time will tell.”