If something happened, and Diane did end up pregnant, they would be able to figure something out. Although there was a part of Gregory that wanted Diane to be pregnant, and then he wouldn’t have to hide it. He wanted everyone to know that Diane was his.
A movement had Gregory looking up, and he saw Diane walking towards her. She looked tense, like their furious sex hadn’t changed anything. Whatever it was that was bothering her, it was big.
He held out a hand, but Diane didn’t take it. She sat across from him. She wouldn’t even look at him as she put her panties on, her skirt dropping back into place….
“Father is determined that I marry Brent Maisley,” she said quietly.
Gregory frowned.
“Brent Maisley? As in the guy who works in my office?”
“Yes. It’s been in the works for a while now. Father and Brent have been talking about it for some time,” Diane sounded so bitter about it, “before that, it was my dad and Brent’s mom. It feels like nobody is paying attention to me.”
Gregory was aware that James Gilbert was trying to marry his daughter to a member of their church, but Diane had glossed over it and barely spoke about what was going on. He never thought it could be Brent.
“But…seriously? Brent Maisley? He’s a good worker, yes, but he’s probably the dullest person I’ve ever met. You’re not compatible at all.”
“Do you think that matters? We’re of the same faith, so it’s going to happen.”
“Not without your consent.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want. They’re moving forward with it. Apparently, just spending time with me is just a formality.” Diane brushed her hair away from her face, and her face creased into an unhappy frown.
“When Dad was raising me, he said he was going to make sure that I never had to marry someone I didn’t choose myself. Now he’s completely ignoring me. I can’t believe he’s discarding what he said over the years.”
“Then why don’t you tell him, no?” Gregory asked.
“You think I haven’t done anything about it?” Diane snorted. “I have said no many times, and I told Brent to his face. But they’re just talking like robots. Like I don’t have a mind of my own.” She got up suddenly and began to pace. “I can’t believe what’s going on. I don’t know what happened to Dad, but I really don’t like it. It makes me sick.”
Gregory didn’t know what to say to that. He felt awful for Diane; she really didn’t want this. He liked her fire, but not in this manner.
“I thought people didn’t behave like this in the twenty-first century.”
“Neither did I. Apparently, I missed that lesson!” Diane ran her hands over her face. “God, this is a mess. I’ve just had to hold myself back from slapping Brent and I’ve screamed at my father for forcing me into this. I’m going to have to go back to that, but I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m trapped.”
Gregory stood up and approached her. He put his arms around her as she paced past him, and Diane stiffened for a moment before leaning into him, resting her forehead against his chest. He rubbed her back.
“It’s going to be okay. We’re going to figure it out.”
“How?”
“You go and tell your father that you’re not going to marry Brent.”
Diane scoffed.
“You think I haven’t tried that, Gregory? He’s not going to listen.”
“You can say you’re already engaged.”
Gregory felt Diane stiffen. She eased back and gave him a wary look.
“What did you say? Who would I be engaged to?”
“Who would I be talking about? Me.”
Gregory hadn’t planned on saying it like this, but it had just come out. And while it could have gone better, Gregory wasn’t about to take it back. It felt right.
Although from the look on Diane’s face, she thought otherwise.
“Are you insane?” Diane pushed away from him. “Why would you even say that? I can’t marry you!”
“Why not? What’s wrong with me?” Gregory frowned, confused. “I’m rich, I have a stable job, and I like to think I’ve got some looks as well. Plus, you and I are compatible both in and out of the bedroom. What part of that is wrong?”
“You know why it’s wrong, Gregory!”
Gregory sighed.
“Seriously? You’re going to bring that up?”
“You’re not Baptist, and that makes you undesirable as a husband in my father’s eyes.”
“Are you kidding me, Diane? Even after what he’s doing to you, you still want his approval?”
Diane looked torn. She swallowed and threw her hands up in the air. “It’s not as simple as you make it, Gregory. Even if we got married, Father would never accept you.”
“Even with my ability to look after you as a husband would a wife?”
“You’re not of the same faith! Father said that was not happening.”
Gregory snorted.
“And you’re going to still be a good little girl and follow his desires, even though you don’t agree with them? You’ve been fucking me for two months now. Don’t you think that ship has sailed?”
“Temptation is very strong, and I gave into it.”
“What does that mean?”
“I…I don’t know.” Diane ran her fingers through her hair, looking very stressed. “I really don’t know what to do. Everything is just in a fucking mess.”
She looked close to having hysterics. Gregory didn’t want to see her like this. He reached for her, but Diane slapped his hands away.
“Don’t! Don’t touch me.”
“You were begging for me just a while ago.”
“That was then! This is now.” Diane shook her head and moved past him. “I need to go. I can’t be here.”
“What?”
Before Gregory realized what was going on, Diane was at the front door. Gregory ran after her, catching up as she got into her car.
“Diane, slow down! Let’s go back inside…”
“No, I shouldn’t have come here. I was an idiot to think this would make me feel better and I would know what to do.” Diane shook her head as she fumbled with her keys. “I can’t be here anymore. I just can’t.”
“Diane…”
Gregory had to jump back as Diane slammed the door, almost catching his fingers as he tried to keep it open. She revved the engine, and Gregory backed away when she put the car in reverse, shooting back and almost crashing into his car. Then she was gone, kicking up stones as she left the property.
Gregory stared after her, feeling like a whirlwind had just come into his house and then gone as quickly as it came. It was like as soon as he mentioned marriage to him, Diane was running away.
And that crushed him more than he anticipated.