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“Good. You’re all up,” Mom said and smiled to her right. The only people sitting on that side of the room were Bru and Fawn, and Mom gave a nod in that direction. I didn’t know what to make of that and couldn’t when my dad came up behind Mom.
“We have an announcement,” he said, claiming my focus. He put an arm around Mom, but despite making the declaration, all eyes headed toward me. They weren’t watching my dad for the announcement, which one hundred percent set off red flags.
Especially when Fawn’s attention hit the wall.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Fawn
I knew Mr. Mallick’s announcement. This whole room knew. The only one who didn’t was Wolf, and that was because he wasn’t there this morning when everyone else had been up and moving. Even his friends had been here. They’d got in before Wolf had made his way downstairs, and now, they were all staring at him. They were waiting for his reaction.
And he was surely about to give it.
I rejoined the conversation about the same time Mr. Mallick stated all the buses coming into Queenstown Village were canceled due to inclement weather. Pembroke University, my university, was located there, and the snowstorm that was apparently going on over there was legendary. Nothing was getting in or out of the city on wheels, which meant I was stuck here in Maywood Heights.
I was stuck here.
I studied that play over Wolf’s face, that reality. Shifting, his dark eyes bounced over to me, but I glanced at the bar. He didn’t know, but he wouldn’t have to worry about the next thing his dad said. I had no intention of accepting Mr. and Mrs. Mallick’s offer no matter how generous.
“We’ve once again extended our invitation for Fawn to come to South Carolina with us,” his dad said, and though I knew it was coming, my stomach did clench. Escaping this fucking cold sounded heavenly, but not if I had to share any type of space with Wolf. It wasn’t happening.
Ever.
I hated him, my feelings for him or not. I still had them and wasn’t in denial about that. The dull ache of it only infused my hate. A part of me did want him to suffer by knowing I’d be around, but the feelings came back and stamped it down. I wanted to be fucking petty when it came to this guy, but I knew I couldn’t.
Last night had taught me that.
I’d obviously tried to save him again and still didn’t know why he’d told everyone the truth. It really had to have been a guilty conscience. His whole family was in front of him, and he just couldn’t lie to them anymore.
“But we want to make sure she’s comfortable,” Wolf’s dad continued. His eyes were narrowed hard at his son, and I wanted to dropkick myself that I felt any kind of way about that. His whole family was so mad at him, and I shouldn’t feel bad but I did. I was a part of that lie. “So, if you decide you have a problem with this decision, you will be staying home. This won’t be a reward, though, and your grandparents, Grandma Evie and Grandpa Jim, will be monitoring your house arrest. They won’t be able to make the trip due to work obligations but understand you won’t be leaving this house under their watch. You won’t do anything, and though your mom and I don’t love that things will be that way, if you disagree with the decision—”
“I don’t.”
I actually had to sit down…
Because I’d been standing.
Well, I’d been about to stand. My feet braced to the floor, I was midway there because I’d been about to formally put my position out there. I appreciated Wolf’s parents being nice to me, but I wasn’t going on this trip. I didn’t know what I’d do as an alternative. Probably an Airbnb or something…
But then Wolf said that, his expression completely stoic. He shrugged, bracing his big arms. “I don’t mind. Why would I?”
Why would he.
The fact that it was possible… freaking possible for this guy to do that.
To cut me again.
I was so fucking tired of feeling the hurt from this guy. I was over it, spent, and he was right. Why would he care? He’d told me he felt nothing for me when I’d been pouring my heart out to him months ago.
“That okay with you, Fawn?” Bru sat next to me, redirecting everyone’s focus. He’d been there the whole time, and despite all this mess, he thought about me in it.
That was another thing Wolf ruined. I hadn’t even gotten to catch up with Bru before I’d made the connection between them. It was like Wolf had charged a runaway train through Bru’s invitation to spend time with his family.
To spend time with him.
He’d always been so kind to me, and when I’d seen him at the airport, I couldn’t help taking his invitation. It had come at such a needed time when I’d been avoiding my own family. I’d missed my flight back to New York on purpose. I’d been weak because being around my mom and stepdad just reminded me of how truly fucked up I still was. I never really recovered after my dad’s accident and being around family hurt. I didn’t want to hurt. I wanted to be free. I wanted…
Bru eased in front of me, cutting off my sight from his family. He cut off my sight from Wolf, who hadn’t even been looking at me, from behind him. He didn’t care, the fucker staring at the bar after what he said. It was like I didn’t even warrant his attention enough for a response.
