Chapter 10

Marianne sat upright on the couch, her back straight as ever-that calm, composed look on her face had hardly changed. Even when she was giving what sounded like more of an order than a suggestion, her tone stayed warm and controlled. Only whenever Bellamy was mentioned did her emotions give the slightest twitch. Fraser let out a soft "yeah", eyes glued to the floor, while his mind was still stuck on how Bellamy looked last night in his arms-soft, sweet, impossible to forget. She was that tempting. How could he possibly settle for anything less than giving her everything? Marianne's expression stiffened for a beat, a flicker of sadness crossing her face. She knew Fraser hadn't been paying attention. That half-hearted "yeah" said it all. The boy she'd poured her whole heart into raising, brought up with endless love and patience, wasn't that same kid anymore-the one who used to cling to her, call her "Mom." Since he turned twenty, since Bellamy showed up in his life, that changed. Now he just called her Marianne or Mrs. Blake. Half her life had passed, and there wasn't even someone who still called her "Mom." Was that not tragic? But... as long as Fraser didn't fall too deep for Bellamy, there was still hope. Maybe there was still a chance to turn things around. Fraser wasn't the emotional sort-distant, self-contained. Over the years, Bellamy had clung to him like glue, never letting go. But she was headstrong, controlling. Thanks to that, Fraser hadn't really connected with other women. Once he met a girl who was the complete opposite of Bellamy, he'd see it. He'd realize just how messy Bellamy was-and how wonderful other women could be. Marianne quickly pulled herself together and smiled again. She gently placed Fraser's hand into her own, voice soft and full of affection. "The Grants invited our whole family over for dinner tonight. Alexander was out of town yesterday, so this is his way of making it up to you. Oh, and your brother's flying back, too-his assignment's wrapping up." "It's just a homecoming. No need to roll out the red carpet," Fraser said with a faint smile. But his eyes grew colder. She said "our whole family" so naturally-it somehow stung. If they were all one family... what about Bellamy? Where did she fit in? Right, the Hawkins family never acknowledged her. Who would claim her? So, Mrs. Blake-how could I possibly walk away from a girl the world refuses to care for? ***** They called it a welcome dinner for Fraser. In reality, it was more of a setup-a low-key matchmaking dinner with Lydia. Lydia had ditched her usual classy, conservative vibe for something totally different-a made-to-order fresh, girly dress. She looked like a college freshman-basically a carbon copy of Bellamy back when she was eighteen or nineteen. Lydia wasn't dumb. She knew Bellamy was the direct type-bold and blunt, no interest in playing games or faking niceness. That's why Lydia believed every word Bellamy said to her last night. At most, Bellamy was just Fraser's fling. So why bother going after her? Getting Fraser's attention directly was the smarter move. Still, Bellamy had managed to stay by Fraser's side for six years, which had to mean something. Curious, Lydia dug up old photos of Fraser and Bellamy together. Every time, Bellamy showed up in some playful, casual outfit-nothing stiff or fancy. So Fraser must go for the cute-and-carefree type, she figured. Lydia kept her nerves in check, forcing herself to smile with grace as Fraser walked toward her.