Once Upon A Bet

/ Epilogue /

Dedicated to kcdm012, thanks for all the support so far <33

/Two weeks later/

Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable...

I exited the Country Club aired, my heels clicking and making it difficult to make a quick and graceful exit but I didn't let it bother me. I slid on my purse and unlocked my phone to see if I gotten a reply from Damien yet.

The front door of the building opened behind me and another pair of heels sounded in the otherwise empty parking lot. "Novella Jensen stop there in this instant."

Of course, my mother would hate that I'd made a scene. But I hadn't. I stayed longer because she asked, but I was already late and this was something I couldn't delay. Not like I would if I actually could afford to.

I should have seen this coming. She was acting weird the whole event, she must have expected I wouldn't be okay with another one of her sneaky moves.

I heard my mother following not too long behind, down the street on my way to the nearest corner where I would wait for Damien to arrive. "You can't just barge out a meeting like that."

"This was supposed to be a family lunch. You and me. Just talking." I groaned because my rage was the only thing keeping me from doing something more dramatic like crying or so. "But you're still trying to get me engaged!"

"What? I am so not. Can you stop walking while we talk?" she huffed and I halted. Breathing in deeply before spinning around and find her a few feet away. "Now was that so hard? We taught you manners, I believe."

I completely ignored her condescending comment, too busy trying not to let my eyes water and give into this emotion. "I can't believe after everything and while I thought we were actually going somewhere you were only thinking of ways to get things your way." I groaned throwing my head back as those voiced words clicked in my mind. "You know what? I actually can believe it. What I can't believe is that I actually put up for this."

"Okay, that was not- "

"Daniel Russo, mother?" I scoffed, remembering how short noticed advise she'd given me before the dessert to tell me that someone will be joining us as well. And then he came and it was like being back at the beginning of the summer. But worst now, because for some reason my mother had been avoiding eye contact and acting weird until that moment. Guess I knew the reason now. My eyes squinted at her. "You know I have a boyfriend."

"A boyfriend that's leaving for Europe in a few hours?" she rolled her eyes and my heart shrank several sizes. "I don't think that's actually- Nova, wait." she stopped me by the arm when I went to keep going but I pull out her grip.

"I can't believe you!" I cried out, the emotion in my chest so powerful I felt my limbs shaking. "It's always the same with you. I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service for you."

"That's not true." she stepped forward, her brows pinching as if scandalized by my assumption but how could I not?

"But this wasn't supposed to be a meeting! We were supposed to have a moment for us. Us. Great bonding time, wasn't it? But you can't even look at me." I wanted to kick myself. What a joke. "Because the whole time you were trying to hook me up with that man!"

"That man in the son of the soon to be senator. It's in your best interest to be on his good side. Maybe I should have been more clear about you being unavailable, but he's still a contact."