Page 124 of When We Were Young

“Because we belong together.” His face reddens.

I roll my eyes and move to turn toward my sister.

Landon stops me with a gross, meaty hand wrapped around my upper arm. His grip is tight, but I refuse to let my expression show him he’s hurting me.

“I was good to you.” He practically spits the words at me.

I’d be shocked by them if they came from anyone else, but this self-indulgent man-child has never lived in reality.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You coerced me into staying with you by threatening the people I care about.”

His nostrils flare, and he shakes his head.

“You started in our senior year of college, and then, when you didn’t have him to hold over my head anymore, you used my mom. My mom, Landon.”

He opens his mouth to speak, but I’m on a roll and can’t stop now.

“You knew getting a job was an important step in managing my mom’s depression. So, you made sure I didn’t forget that she worked at your dad’s company, and you used your veiled threats to make me think her job was in jeopardy if I left you.”

His grip on my arm tightens a little more, and I grimace before I can flatten my expression. It’s obvious in his eyes that he doesn’t care that he’s hurting me.

A car horn honks, followed by Lindsay’s voice.

“Let’s go, Lizzie!”

In a moment of bravado—or maybe insanity—I bend my head just enough to reach Landon’s thumb, and I chomp down as hard as I can. He yelps in pain and jerks his hand back. I take the opportunity and run around to the passenger side of our car and yank the door open.

“You bit me, you crazy bitch!” Landon screams. The rage in his voice might be the worst I’ve ever heard it.

I waste no time jumping into the car and locking the door. Then I stick half of my upper body out of the open window.

“That’s for lying to me about Holden’s scholarship! For keeping me from the only man I’ve ever loved!” I yell at him.

He races toward the car as fast as he can. My adrenaline rises even higher than it already was.

“Drive!” I holler as I pull myself back inside and buckle my seat belt.

Lindsay speeds away as fast as she safely can.

I twist around and watch through the rearview mirror. When we’re far enough away, and there’s no sign of him, I turn forward and slump into my seat with relief.

I peer over at my sister. “You okay?” I ask.

She glances at me for a split second before returning her attention to the road. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just surprised. I haven’t seen that Lizzie since Tommy Lindfort snapped your bra and called you flat at vacation Bible school way back when.”

We both laugh at the memory.

“That’s the only time I’ve ever kneed a guy in the balls.”

“Was it worth getting kicked out of VBS?” she asks with a hint of teasing in her voice.

I grin, more to myself than at her. “Yeah. Yeah, it was.”

After that, we ride in silence for a few minutes.

“Hey, Lizzie?”

I pivot my head so I’m looking at Lindsay. “Yeah?”