here for a really long time—talking about helping with our wedding plans and watching our children grow up. Then I asked if she really thought all that was possible and she looked confused. She made it very clear that she’s as healthy as a horse.”
He lets out a deep chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” I wait, but he continues to laugh. “This isn’t funny! My feelings, emotions, and wasted time aren’t funny! We either have to break up or really get married, Matthew. Your grandmother is fine.”
“I know she’s fine,” he laughs out.
I freeze. “What do you mean? Did she call you? When did you plan on telling me?”
“Don’t be mad,” he says, holding up his hand as he gets control over his laughing.
I sit, waiting patiently for his explanation.
“I lied about my grandmother. She isn’t dying. I made it up. It was the only thing I could think of to get you to agree to our arrangement,” he confesses.
He lied about the whole thing? Why? “Why would you do that?”
He shrugs and takes a deep breath. “I wanted you, Poppy. From the moment you first walked into my office for your interview in that pencil skirt and those red heels, I wanted you. But it was like from the moment I opened my mouth, you hated me. And then, I hated you . . . but I only hated you because you hated me, and I knew that I’d never get my chance with you. I was angry at myself because you hated me so badly. I hated myself for not being the type of guy you could see yourself with. I hated you because even though I have a good job and money and my shit together, that I still wasn’t good enough for you. So, yes, I lied. I tricked you so I could give myself what I wanted, no matter how you felt about it.”
I’m not even sure what to say to that. Should I be angry? Should I feel sorry for him? Should I be happy that he did what he did in order to get me to where I am now? I can’t help but feel a little bit of everything. He lied and tricked me. He manipulated me to satisfy his own needs, though if I’m honest, so did I. I purposefully tried to make him hate me to fire me, dump me, and let me get away with assaulting his car. I can’t deny the fact that we both completely fucked this whole thing up, but instead of hatred or anger, I realize I still love him more than anything.
I don’t even know how to address this, so I let out a long breath and join his laughter. “So what’s the plan now? Your grandmother isn’t dying and your whole family thinks we’re engaged. Where do we go from here? What was your endgame?”
“Well, actually,” he says, pulling a black box from his pocket, “this is my grandmother’s ring. It’s been in our family for hundreds of years—passed down time and time again.”
My mouth drops open and I freeze.
“I know I wasn’t honorable in how I got you here, but I feel like everything between us happened for a reason. You’re my reason to live now, Poppy, and I’m sorry I had to take the steps I did to get us here. If I only could have been this man when we met, things may have gone differently. But the man I am now isn’t an act. I’m not trying to fool you or anyone into thinking I’m something other than what I am. I’m this person because of you. Being with you, touching you, kissing you, falling in love with you—it’s all made me who I am today. And I can’t thank you enough for that. I never thought when I started this whole thing that this is how we’d end up, but I can’t help but feel like things happened for a reason. I don’t want to lose you. I thought one night of having you in my bed would be enough. But it’s not. I can’t settle for anything less than having you in my arms every single night for the rest of my life. One night with you—hell, one month or year with you—would never be enough. I need forever. Will you marry me . . . for real this time?”
He opens the box and my mouth drops open wide. I take in the ring and it’s far better than