AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I did it for my family.” Shouldn’t they understand that? Ethan wanted me to have the Laurences to begin with.
“Our father has threatened all sorts of shit on my brother over the years and yet Ethan would’ve never let you go over some shit Conrad wanted. But what did you do? You called it off. And now he’s facing a disgusting lawsuit. It’s going to ruin his reputation. So I’m sorry if I’m being a dick about this, and we can still be friends, but you don’t have a right to talk with me about Ethan anymore.”
“I deserve that.” My bottom lip trembles and tears blur my vision, but I’m not going to cry here, not in front of Cooper. I messed up but I want to fix it. “Don’t you think this rivalry between the Laurences and the Kings needs to end?”
Cooper’s entire body tightens. “No. I don’t see how it can.”
“But—”
“But what? Can you get me back my leg?” There’s nothing I can say to that. “And I’ve seen the court documents, Arden. They’re not okay. Amelia, Hayes, and Sybil all testified that Ethan was the one to run into your boat and not the other way around.”
I lose my breath. This is news to me. “But—but that’s ridiculous. There’s so much proof that says otherwise.”
“I know and we’ll get Ethan off, no judge in their right mind would convict, but the damage to King Media and Ethan’s reputation has already been done. People think he’s a monster.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“You’ve already made your choice, Arden. Now you’ve got to live with it.”
His words echo the exact same sentiment I’d told myself when I’d walked out on Ethan. “Can’t I change my mind? Go back?”
“Go back?” He sighs, gazing down at the space where his leg is supposed to be. “Sorry, but no, you can’t go back. Not this time.”
“Maybe, but I still believe in forgiveness.”
He shrugs and I’m overcome with sadness. Has anyone in these families learned to forgive? Have I? Maybe it’s why I pushed Ethan away instead of trying to find a way to make our relationship work. I hadn’t truly forgiven him for the hurt he’d caused me. I’d spent years grieving him and the loss of my innocence. Taking him back didn’t mean I was over what happened between us. Me being the one to walk out was a form of punishment, but I was punishing myself too.
“I don’t think forgiveness is always possible.” He shuts down after that, face going hard and eyes distant. There’s nothing more I can say, so I stand and give him a side hug, wishing him well before I leave.
I go back to the loft to find Sybil laying in her bed. It’s Friday night, normally she’d be going out, but things are different now. I don’t want to push her with everything she’s going through, but I need to talk to her about Ethan’s charges. I stand in her doorway and wait for her to acknowledge me, but she doesn’t act like I’m even there.
“I talked to Cooper today.”
That makes her drop her phone and look up. “Is he okay?”
“He’s starting rehabilitation tomorrow to learn how to walk with a prosthetic leg, so what do you think?”
Her eyes drop to her bedspread, and she picks at an invisible piece of lint. “It’s sad. I’m glad he’s alive though.”
“Are you? Even though your dad died trying to save him?”
Her head pops back up. “My dad died because of his own stupid mistakes.”
“And yet you’re willing to pin it on Ethan.”
She rolls her eyes. “Ethan is a billionaire. Are we supposed to feel bad for him? He won’t even be convicted. My guess is this gets dropped within a week.”
“But not before the media has a field day with it, right?”
“What is this about, Arden?” She snaps.
“It’s about telling the truth. Cooper read the court documents. He says the affidavits are bullshit. And all for what? For revenge?”
“It’s what Mom wants.” But she sounds just as upset about it as I am. “What was I supposed to do? She never asks anything of us.”
I have to bite my tongue from truly saying everything I want. “I love you, Sybil. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have broken my heart for you. But this is wrong and I’m so disappointed.”
I turn and go to my bedroom, locking myself inside. If I had the money, I would move out but I don’t have much of anything. Maybe I’ll get something from my uncle’s will after his presumption of death hearing coming up, but I don’t want to count on that. In fact, I’m not sure I’ll take a dime even if I’m offered it. I need to come up with an exit strategy that’s mine and mine alone.
