All or nothing (Love in chaos #1) - Missy Johnson Page 0,57
we’ve decided that you're going to go stay with your father for a while.”
My head snaps up. “In Australia?” I whisper. “No, I have friends here. I'm halfway through school. I can't just leave.”
“You're going to stay with your father,” she repeats. “Or I'm calling the police about Ben.”
I stare at her. “Mom, nothing happened—”
“I saw him in your room, Liv.” She sighs again and dabs at the tears in her eyes. “Please don't make this any harder than it already is. It's breaking my heart, but I don't know what else to do. I think a change of scenery could be good for you, even just for a little while.”
Anger and sorrow wage for dominance in my head, but I know I can’t win this. Not without outing David. I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to throw my plate at her face. Most of all, I want to tell the truth, but the truth is so much worse.
“Okay,” I whisper, defeated to the bone. I look down at my food again, my already small appetite disappearing completely. “But no cops. And nobody else can know about this. Promise?”
“You’re hardly in the position to bargain—”
“If you want me to leave quietly, those are my terms.” I somehow keep my voice calm. “Nothing happened, I'm not pregnant and didn't do anything that would risk me being pregnant. Nobody can know about this. Not even Jake.”
“What am I supposed to tell him?” Mom asks. “He’s your brother—”
“Tell him I wanted to get away from the rumors. Tell him it was my choice to go. Please?” I beg her.
“Okay.” My mother nods.
And just like that, my life has changed. A week ago, I was happy and in a loving relationship with a man I greatly admired. Now, I’m being shipped off to Australia because my mother thinks I'm too much trouble for her to deal with.
“May I be excused?” I ask, barely able to keep my voice steady.
“Yes,” my mother replies. “You need to pack, anyway.”
Chapter 18
BEN
“I’m sorry, sir, but are you sure she’s coming?”
I glance up at the waiter. It’s the third time he’s been over here, each time with a gentle suggestion that I need to consider the possibility that I’ve been stood up. I look over at the door where a line of people wait impatiently for someone like me to abandon their table.
“I’ll give her a few more minutes,” I finally decide.
The waiter nods and walks away. I glance at my watch, aware that time is running out. She said she would be here so I know she’ll come, but I’m getting anxious because I haven’t heard from her since I left the dock. I pick up my phone again and try calling Liv, but it goes straight to voicemail. No sooner than I end the call, a text pops through.
Liv: Sorry, I got held up. I’ll meet you at the courthouse.
My heart floods with relief. I’m so nervous about what I have planned to say to her, and how she’ll react. The only way she’s ever going to feel secure in our relationship is if I put her before everything else, which means telling her I can’t marry her.
Me: Sure. See you soon.
I pay the check and walk toward the exit. I feel like all eyes are on me, pitying the man who went all out to impress a girl and was stood up. I’m not even out of the restaurant and they’ve reallocated my table to another couple. They sit down, holding hands, and stare deep into each other’s eyes.
The courthouse is only a few blocks from the restaurant, so I walk, hoping the fresh air will calm some of my nerves. I tug at my blazer, straightening the lapels and picking off invisible threads, like I do when I’m anxious. Even now, I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. I felt it before when we left the boat, and I feel it even more now. I think back, trying to pinpoint a moment where we were together and I did or said something to upset her, but there’s nothing.
The only thing I can think of is that Jake has been in her ear. Maybe he planted enough of a seed of doubt to make her have second thoughts. No. Even if she had changed her mind, she wouldn’t leave me standing here, waiting for her. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that Liv is too good of a