“Derrick?” Gloria stepped between Drake and Love. “You’re here.”
Love frowned at her. It wasn’t a question, and there was no hint of surprise in her mother’s tone.
“How did you know I was here?” Love asked him, knowing the answer already.
“You didn’t tell her I was coming?” Derrick asked Gloria.
She averted her gaze as a blush crept up her neck to her ears. She pushed a strand of her gray hair behind her ears. “I didn’t. But you can leave.”
Derrick narrowed his eyes. “What? We talked about this. I flew all the way here.”
“Mother, how could you?” Love felt the sting of tears in her eyes.
“I didn’t. Your father called and asked for the details of the family reunion . He told me that Derrick wanted to win you back, because he realized he made a mistake letting you go. I’m sorry, Lovely. I should have told you, but I thought I was helping you.”
Love couldn’t stop the snort that escaped. “Help? You encouraged a man who broke my heart to come to my family reunion and propose? Mother, do you realize that he broke up with me with a text message, after he cheated on me with his colleague for months? That means I wasn’t worth more than a few characters.”
She felt Drake’s hand on her shoulder. The soft squeeze that came next soothed her frayed nerves, and she shot him a grateful glance out of the corner of her eye.
“I’ve got this,” he whispered in her ear. “Harper, you’re out of order. For you to show up, after a year, and expect her to fall into your arms and accept that whack proposal, you must be crazy. It’s obvious to me that you don’t think much of Love.”
“How is this your problem?” Derrick asked, his dark eyes icy.
“Love is my problem. When you don’t respect her, I have a problem with it. You’ve already hurt her enough. I’m not going to stand here and let you try to insert yourself back into her life so you can do it again.”
“Drake.” Love squeezed his arm. “I’m okay.”
He looked down at her, his eyes soft. He shook his head slightly before turning a hard glare back to Derrick. “Get out. Go home. Don’t call her again.”
Derrick snickered. “Why don’t you let Love talk?”
Drake stepped closer to him, nose to nose. “Don’t let the fact that I’m a surgical resident make you think that you won’t see these hands.”
Gloria spoke up. “Derrick, you need to go. It’s too late, anyway. Drake and Lovely are—”
“Mother, stay of this,” Love snapped. The way her mom had reacted to the news of the marriage hadn’t been a shock. Gloria had always shipped a potential Love and Drake union , and she was itching to tell anyone that the two of them were married. Love couldn’t let that happen. So far, they had managed to not outright admit it to her, but they hadn’t fully denied it, either.
Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the two men in front of her ready to go to blows any minute. “Derrick, you need to leave. You’re not welcome in my life anymore.”
“I don’t believe you.” He held up the ring. “You know we belong together. It just took me longer to realize it. I was stupid, full of myself. Then I realized that you were everything to me. I want to marry you.”
“I can’t do this,” Love said, pulling Drake back out of the doorway. “I’m done.” Without another word, she slammed the door in Derrick’s face.
Drake barked out a laugh. “That was good. I’m proud of you.”
“Lovely, I’m sorry.” Gloria pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry. I should have never listened to your father. Why didn’t you just tell Derrick that you and Drake were together?”
Sighing, Love backed away from her mother’s embrace. “Mother, I need a minute. I’m upset and I need to talk to Drake. Alone.”
Gloria’s shoulders fell. “Fine. I’ll go.” She gathered her purse and headed toward the door. “I’ll see you at the dinner tonight, right?”
Love turned away from her hopeful stare, and nodded. “I’ll be there. And, Mom, please don’t say a word to anyone about what the concierge said.” She didn’t give Gloria a chance to answer, but simply walked into the bedroom and closed the door.
CHAPTER 5
Love sat on her bed and stared at her painted red toenails against the plush beige hotel carpet. It had been several hours since her mother had left. She and Drake had gone to the Hunk O’ Burning Love Wedding Chapel, only to find that it was closed due to a “family emergency.”