Chapter 33

Rachel POV

Blue Diamond

"I feel strange being here as a guest."

Nathan ordered sparkling water for both of us; I was grateful he hadn't tried to order wine because I wasn't ready to talk about my secret pregnancy.

If it had been Tyler, I was sure he'd have ordered a bottle of his favorite wine for himself and ignored ordering for me entirely. He'd just say water would have to be good enough. He wasn't one to think of the needs of others.

Except for his father, I thought bitterly, pouring my water into the provided glass.

Tyler was very worried about his father's opinion. He'd kept me a secret for three years because his father told him to---and so his father could keep making secret deals to secure him a more desirable wife.

"Don't worry so much. Everyone seems thrilled to see you again. Besides. You look stunning tonight. I've missed seeing you smile."

Trust Nathan to make me blush as if I were in high school again.

I felt younger with Nathan. He reminded me of hopeful dreams and youthful ideas of a better life than the one I had as Patrick Flores's daughter.

Nathan had never made me feel ashamed of my parentage the way Tyler did.

Nathan wanted me to get away from Patrick because he was a terrible father and a criminal; Tyler wanted me away from Patrick because it embarrassed him to be mated to the daughter of an omega house.

"I have missed performing here. It was easy, you know? Come in. Play. Enjoy people having a night out together. People always seem happy here, you know? Like they're celebrating something."

"Most people only come to a restaurant like this when they are celebrating something. It's a little more expensive than your average dinner date."

Sipping my water, I toyed with the glass to avoid looking at Nathan as I asked, "Are you saying it's too expensive? We could go somewhere else. Or I could pay for my half. Go Dutch? Isn't that what the humans say?"

"How would I know what the humans say? We grew up together. You know my parents are as devoted to a fully wolfen life as possible," Nathan laughed, "Besides, when have I ever complained about paying for dinner? I'd buy you dinner here every night if you wanted."

"If you got to have dinner with me, you mean?"

"Well, a guy has to use any advantage he can when he's got competition as fierce as mine."

"I don't think you need to worry about Tyler being competition," I snorted, meeting Nathan's eyes at last as I admitted, "He's only interested in getting me back because he wants his wolf to wake up. Did you know his father is still wife shopping for him?"

I was glad I had decided to look Nathan in the eyes when I saw his face contort in reaction to my question.

"You knew."

It was a statement. Not a question.

I didn't know how, but Nathan Lewis knew John Wright had been hunting for a wife for my mate. Had everyone known? Was I some kind of joke in our society?

Swallowing down a sick feeling, I asked, "Does everyone know? Am I a joke? The mate not good enough for an Alpha?"

Nathan reached across the table to take my hand.

I let him because I needed to feel desired, wanted, comforted if only for a moment.

A flash came from the corner of my eyes and I gripped Nathan's hand hard in reaction. Whipping my head around, I scanned the restaurant until I noticed a man with an obnoxiously large camera sitting at a table by himself. The camera flashed a few more times as he snapped more photos with me looking at him straight-on.

"Are you kidding me?" Nathan muttered, squeezing my fingers briefly before releasing my hand.

I pulled my hand back quickly so I could minimize the likelihood of an embarrassing photo showing me with my empty hand stretched out across the table. The idea of a visual example of my feelings of rejection made my urge to be sick stronger. I would be grateful when the nausea phase of my pregnancy was over.

"I don't think he got a good shot of you," I said, hoping I was telling the truth, "I'm so sorry, Nathan. I didn't think."

Tyler had warned me about paparazzi following me. Why hadn't I been more careful? Nathan was going to have a Hell of a time explaining away the pair of us holding hands at an intimate restaurant like Blue Diamond.

Nathan looked at me in confusion, "What? You think I'm worried about having my picture taken with you? Don't be ridiculous. I thought you were worried about the photos."

It was my turn to shake my head in confusion. There was absolutely no reason why I would be concerned over photos with Nathan. I'd already told the world he was my first love as well as the muse behind my love song.

"Why would I care?"

"So you think I'm worried about being photographed on a date night with you?" Nathan asked, looking as if he wanted me to confirm it again so I nodded, "Wait right here."

Nathan went over to the photographer and I felt my face flush darker. I hoped he wasn't going to make a scene. The photographer was only trying to make a living. Tyler would have probably broken his camera in a rage. I hadn't been with Nathan in three years, but the boy I knew had never been violent.

I wondered what Nathan the man would do now; I hoped I could handle it because there was no running away from the moment whether I wanted to or not.

Completely surprising me, Nathan escorted the photographer over to our table. They were both smiling so I took it they'd come to some kind of mutually beneficial agreement.

I figured Nathan had agreed to buy the photos from him for as much or more than he'd been planning to earn selling them.

"Rachel Flores, this is Harry Bart. I offered him the chance to get a better photo of us if you were feeling amenable?"

My fated mate had kept me a secret for years. Tyler had hurt me beyond words when he'd revealed part of his reason for hiding me was to allow his father to make marriage possibilities behind my back since I wasn't good enough to be luna of House Wright.

Having Nathan willingly offer to pose for a photograph with me -knowing it would be sold to the media- meant more to me than all the diamonds in the world.

Tears stung my eyes and I dabbed at them with my napkin before getting myself back under control.

I couldn't stop smiling as I nodded, "Absolutely, Mister Bart. Please take your photos. Would you like me to look at you or at Nathan?"

"Could I trouble you for both? I don't pick the one they use in the spreads. I just sell them options and the more they have, the better they like me."

I nodded my understanding. Music was the same way. I would record multiple takes of the same track then allow the sound engineers to decide which one worked best on the final master.

Nathan and I laughed, smiled, and held hands as Harry snapped picture after picture. He thanked us both profusely before leaving when our food was arriving. I appreciated his professionalism as well as his timing since I was starving.

We ate in silence for a while until Nathan cleared his throat. I looked up from my steak to see him studying my face.

"You know they're not all going to be so nice?"

"The paparazzi? Yes," I said, "I know. Tyler warned me they were following me. I don't know what they hope to catch me doing. I do know Tyler doesn't want them to see me with him."

"And now you know I have no problem at all letting them see us together. Does that earn me any brownie points?"

"You're a dream, Nathan. You don't have to worry about earning points. Any woman would feel proud to step out with you."

Nathan was still studying me as he asked, "Are you proud to step out with me, Rachel? I want to know this is a real chance for us. If you're only looking for friendship? You can tell me. I'll adjust. Right now though? I'm thinking I'm the luckiest man in the world because I get to try to win back the one that got away."

I didn't know if I was capable of giving Nathan a real chance at a romance with me after having experienced life with my fated mate.

My wolf, Rayne, would have howled in fury at the very thought. The only reason I wasn't having to fight her was because she was sleeping off her pain after Tyler and I had severed our mate bond. I wasn't sure Rayne would ever accept another wolf besides Wynd -Tyler's wolf- because she was devoted to her mate with every particle of her soul.

"I don't know what I can offer you, Nathan. I know I do want to be friends."

"Then we'll be friends. To start," Nathan added with a roguish wink.

I laughed and raised my water glass to toast against his, "To being friends. To start."

We completed our toast and went back to our meal with light hearts and happy smiles between us.

I hoped Tyler saw the pictures of us together because it was the best date I'd been on in my life and I wanted him to see he couldn't keep me miserable.

I was going to find a way to be happy no matter what Tyler wanted.