Page 16 of A Forever Love
My eyes widen as I gesture toward Adrianna, who sits coolly, not blowing her top at her father’s colorful language like my sisters had.
“She knows Dad’s got a bad mouth. But she isn’t allowed to say those words. Isn’t that right, buttercup?”
I chuckle as she grins and nods. “You don’t mind me not working here like everyone expects?”
He smiles, pointing a finger at me. “You need to follow your heart and chase your dreams, kid. Otherwise, in the end, you’ll realize you’ve been living someone else’s life, not your own.”
“When did you get so wise?” I playfully hit his toe with mine like old times, earning a full-blown laugh from him, making me gasp. “Holy crap! I’ve never heard you laugh like that before.”
But that only makes him laugh even harder. “Come on! You’ve definitely heard me laugh plenty of times.”
I shake my head, trying to hide my smile. “Never.”
“Just remember when, or if, you decide to come back, the position is always yours.”
“Thank you for understanding, Uncle Gavin. I was so nervous coming here.”
“Why? You know I love you too much to ever be upset with you.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling everyone!”
4
MERIDA
“I can’t believe you had Dad spend the night in a hotel with Poppy and Sage, and above all, he prepared this spread before leaving.” I grab a cracker from the bowl and dip it into fresh hummus.
“Yeah, your dad can be really sweet. But this is perfect, a win-win for all. You and I finally have some private girl-talk time. The twins have been dying to have a slumber party with Spring and Adrianna, so that’s that. Plus, Lukas, Gavin, and Keith can hang out together and enjoy some bonding time, doing whatever manly things they do together, while watching over the girls.”
The familiar ache of loneliness returns, this time with a roaring intensity. “I can’t believe how much everything has changed. Uncle Lukas and Autumn have Spring now. Adrianna is already practicing piano. Poppy and Sage are doing makeup. I feel like I missed so much here.”
“Then why are you leaving again?” Clem peers at me over her martini glass.
There’s a shift in the air around us, from lighthearted to something serious, but I refuse to acknowledge it. I hate lying to her about this part of my being, which at times feels like it’ll consume me entirely. But I don’t know what to say and what to leave out. The truth is like an untamed beast, lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce if given the chance, and I’m afraid of what might emerge from the depths of my heart.
Instead, I look away in an attempt to deflect the intensity of her stare. “I really like this internship opportunity,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
They say that repeating the same lie multiple times makes it easier, so why doesn’t it feel that way for me? I’ve echoed these words to myself more times than necessary—and then to everyone around me in the last two days—yet the weight of it remains unchanged, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m only fooling myself in this tangled web of deception.
The constant gleam in Clem’s eyes fades and her lips flatten. “That’s the excuse you’re giving everyone, but I thought you’d be honest with me.”
A heaviness settles around me. The last person I’d ever want to hurt is Clementine. My words quiver, mirroring the tremors deep within me. “There’s nothing—”
As if she knows I’m not going to come clean, she interrupts, “Is this because of Carter?”
A cold shiver runs down my spine, and my muscles tense. It takes me a few seconds to find my words. “What do you mean?”
“What the hell happened at prom, Mere?”
I finally know why Clementine made sure there was no one in the house tonight, especially Dad.
She doesn’t wait for my reply. “I saw your pros and cons list, and St. Peppers college had the highest score. It was near home.” Clem raises one finger. “You didn’t want to miss any of the twins’ precious moments.” She adds another finger to the count. “You knew that everything you’ve ever dreamed of was right here.” With a shake of her three raised fingers, she continues. “So you can imagine my shock when, the morning after prom, you told us you wanted to attend the university farthest from here.”
When the martini glass feels too heavy in my hand, I place it on the table and wipe my clammy hands over my thighs. “And what does any of that have to do with Carter?”
Clem’s exasperated sigh could put hurricanes to shame, unleashing a tempest of frustration that echoes throughout the room. “You told me you liked someone who wasn’t your prom date.”
“Someone else from my school.” I attempt to give her my best your-hypothesis-is-nonsense shrug.