AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rory grabbed my hand and turned to me. “Where are we going?”
I had planned on taking her camping. Wes was in town for a few days, and had set everything up for me.
“Um, I was going to take you camping, but if you want me to bring you home…”
A look of horror washed over her face. “No! I want to be with you. I need to be with you, I don’t care where. Should I change?”
Reaching my hand to her face, I gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “If you want to stop by your place first and change…All I really know is I want to slowly take that dress off you.”
Her eyes lit up and she gave me a real smile that caused my damn stomach to drop. “I want that too, but I want it where you were planning on surprising me.”
The valet pulled up and jumped out of the car. I quickly opened the passenger door and helped Rory in. I shut the door, pulled a hundred out of my wallet, and handed it to the kid.
“Dang, dude, thanks a million, but this is too much.”
A quick slap on his back, one more “Thank you,” and I jogged around the front of my car. When I got in, I turne
d to see Rory full-on crying.
Putting the car in drive, I headed to my parents’ place. I hadn’t wanted to risk the chance of being at a campground and a storm blowing in. It was the end of October; a cold front would have made camping miserable. Besides, what better place to camp out than the woods I grew up in? I reached for Rory’s hand and kissed the back of it.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Éan.”
She turned to me and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know,” she whispered.
My chest ached knowing I couldn’t take the pain away. I’d have done anything to keep her from crying.
When I pulled out onto the highway, a strange feeling washed over me.
Nothing was okay.
Chapter 36
Rory
Difficult choices
AN HOUR EARLIER
I followed my parents out of the ballroom and into another room. Holding my breath, I heard the door shut and my father inhale deeply, then somberly speak.
“You knew?”
Spinning around, I saw he was glaring at my mother. I instantly regretted asking her to keep my secret from my father. She lifted her chin and replied, “I did.”
My stomach dropped when I saw my father’s face turn red. Swallowing hard, I took a step toward him. “I told her and asked her to not say anything. I promised her I would tell you, and I was going to tell you earlier, but I didn’t get the chance to.”
His hands rubbed at his face as he let out a frustrated laugh. “That’s great. You know how I feel about this, Chelsea, and you kept it from me.”
“Rick, you are being stupid about this.”
“Stupid!” my father shouted, causing us both to jump. I don’t think I’d ever heard him raise his voice to either of us. “My daughter is not only dating a firefighter—which, I might add, I specifically told her she was not allowed to date—but she’s dating him!”
Anger rushed through my veins, igniting my rage. I balled my fists and walked up to my father. “I’m not sixteen years old! You cannot tell me who I can and can’t date, Dad. It’s my choice.”
His face softened for one brief moment before going cold again. “But Finn Ward? I knew it. I knew this was going to happen, that it was a matter of time. He’s not good enough for you.”
My heart was racing so fast the room felt like it was spinning. What was my father rambling on about? “You don’t even know him! How can you say that, and how did you know this was going to happen?”
