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He loves me?
Her mother reached out and grabbed Matt’s wrist. He looked down at her hand with contempt.
“If you leave now, everyone will notice.”
“And I give one shit why?”
He loves me? Me?
“It will hurt her father,” her mother pleaded.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s complicit in the way you’ve treated Lainey. He’s allowed this all along. We’re packing up our shit and getting out of here.”
He loves me!
“Lainey, please, I’m begging you, don’t make a scene.”
Lainey looked at her and realized her mother was close to tears. She wished it was because Matt had finally opened her eyes and she felt bad about the way she’d treated her all these years, but Lainey knew it wasn’t. It was because she didn’t want Charleston society to know their family was having a ruckus.
“Hey, folks,” Lee said as he came up beside her mother. “How is everything going?” He gave Matt a pointed look.
“Not so good. We’re just leaving.”
Lee nodded. “I should have done that a few times earlier in my marriage. Instead, I left Elizabeth open to a lot of hurt. I’ll be sorry to see you leave. I’ve enjoyed meeting you.” Lee held out his hand to Matt.
“Lainey, can’t you do something?” her mother begged.
She shook her head, trying to clear it, when all she really wanted to do was hug Matt and tell him she loved him too. But not here. Not in this toxic city.
“Lainey, don’t let him take you away. It’ll be noticed.”
“The ball is in your court, Mother. I just don’t think you have it in you to play nice.” Lainey shook her head. It was all she could think to say. She was in a daze.
“Matt,” her mom started. “Will you allow me to explain?”
“Lady, there is nothing to explain about your wretched behavior. You either own it and apologize for it, or you own it and admit that’s who you are and you’re always going to be a bitch.”
Lee laughed. “Well said.”
Her mother looked from Matt to Lee to Lainey and then back to Matt again. “But I didn’t mean—”
“My advice, Mom? Own it and apologize. Elizabeth only got a little taste of your acid tongue. Lainey’s been getting it in spades, since the first guys started asking her out at fifteen.”
She turned to Lainey. She looked confused, then she straightened up. “If I apologize about what I had to say about your gown and your weight, will you talk your beau into staying?”
“Jesus, you’re a piece of work,” Matt growled.
“What?” she hissed at him. “I’m apologizing just like you told me to.”
“This is as good as it’s going to get, man,” Lee said with a chuckle.
“Lainey?” Matt said as he pulled her in close.
Lainey didn’t care about one darn thing. Her mother could go to the head of the table, clink glasses and ask everyone to quiet down while she told everyone how much Lainey weighed, and how bad her acne had been, and how long she’d had to wear braces. She wouldn’t give a hoot. Matt had said he’d loved her.
Matt said he loved me.
Matt said he loved me.
