Page 39 of Wild Lies

“Have you seen him, dear?” She raises a brow as if her observation is obvious, and nausea settles in my stomach. “Will you be ending things with him soon?”

My head rears back, and a groove forms between my brows before I right my face. Setting my menu down, I ask, “Yes. I have seen him, but I’d love to know what you think specifically is wrong with the way he looks and why I would break up with him, Mom?”

As if she’s addressing a child and not her adult daughter, my mom leans forward, reaching across the table toward me. I move my hands to my lap and tilt my head, waiting to hear what bullshit she’s going to spew now.

“Chloe, we only have your best interests at heart, and he is not for you.”

Through gritted teeth, I question, “Why?”

“He’s—he’s,” my dad stutters, looking for the words. “He’s not worthy of you.”

Worthy of me? Is he kidding me? I’m a jobless, probably soon to be homeless, twenty-seven-year-old with absolutely no idea what I’m doing with my life. I’ve been following along with some version of the plan they set for me, even though it’s been making me miserable.

Well, not anymore.

Setting my napkin down on the table, I lean forward, keeping my voice low. I feel the tension twisting in my gut and the heat climbing up my throat. Adrenaline courses through me, making my hands shake.

I’m really about to do this.

“You don’t get a say in who I date. There’s a reason you haven’t seen me in seven years, and it has everything to do with this shitty attitude you both have to anyone you think is ‘below’ you.”

“Young lady,” my mom admonishes, looking around the room to make sure nobody can hear my outburst.

I hold up a hand as I stand, my chair scraping across the floor and drawing the attention of nearby diners. My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out the classical music playing softly in the background, but I don’t let it deter me.

“No. Don’t ‘young lady’ me. I’ve had enough of you both taking digs at me ever since I arrived in town. I was laid off from work weeks ago.” I pause, my breath catching in my chest. “And that man you think isn’t worthy of me is the best thing to have happened to me in a long time. He has a thriving business with his brothers, and I’ve barely got enough money in my account to get me through the end of the year. But, more importantly, he doesn’t judge me, and he likes me for me. Which is more than I can say about either of you.”

“Chloe, sit down. You’re making a scene,” my dad barks, his voice low and barely concealing his fury.

I roll my eyes for them to see. I’m done with trying to please them. Everything I’ve ever done has been because of the immense pressure I felt to make them proud and look how far that’s got me.

I dig through my purse, even as my fingers tremble, searching for a ten-dollar bill, before throwing it onto the pristine tablecloth. It probably won’t cover the drink I ordered and haven’t received, but the gesture is there. “I’m leaving. Enjoy your dinner and have a safe trip home.” I turn, ready to walk away before an idea sparks and I face them again. “When you’re ready to take the stick out of your asses, reach out, but until then, I don’t want to speak to either of you.”

This time, I walk away, weaving through the restaurant with my back ramrod straight and emotion clogging my throat. There was more I wanted to say, but in the moment, that felt like enough to get my message across. What Kade and I have might have started out as pretend and only temporary, but I’ll forever be grateful to him because I might never have done that had I not met him.

By the time I step through the door, the shock has settled in. I clench and release my trembling hands as the thunk of the door closing behind me hits with a sense of finality. Blowing out a shaky breath, I look up at the streetlights, the amber glow softening the night sky as I try to focus on anything but what just happened.

Did I really just do that?

My chest feels both hollow and too full at the same time. I need to figure out a way to get back to Coldwater, but I don’t feel like I have the capacity to do that this second. I refocus my attention to the street I’m on, looking up and down before I notice a familiar truck idling a little way down the curb.

The driver’s door opens and Kade steps out, a frown marring his brow. He walks toward me and I pinch my arm because surely I’m hallucinating. There’s no way he’s here. He’s supposed to be at dinner with his family.

“Chloe, are you okay?” he asks, coming to a stop in front of me.

I am now.

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I cling to him like my life depends on it, breathing in his fresh scent. He runs a hand over the back of my head before pressing his lips to my hair. I look up at him, and he dips to press a kiss against my mouth.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper.

The corner of Kade’s mouth kicks up as he smooths my hair back from my face. “Something told me to come.”

“I’m glad you did,” I breathe.

“Chloe?” My body tenses at the sound of my father’s voice.

Kade’s focus bounces around my face, a silent question in his eyes.