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Allie
Hanson drives me home. I keep wanting to pester him about Dane, but if he’s anything like Nick, he makes it his practice to stay out of his clients’ personal lives. I cry the whole way, and more than once I catch Hanson giving me curious looks in the rearview mirror.
He’s probably used to this. I bet Dane beds and discards women all the time. God, it hurts so much that I can hardly breathe.
The worst thing is, I know I must have done something to turn him off. But what could have possibly happened overnight? Dane was so possessive and dominant last night. I really felt like he needed me.
Did I fart in my sleep or something? Deep down, I know that’s probably not it. But I have no idea what would happen to make Dane push me away. I’ve never seen him like this before. He was so cold and frosty, I wonder if maybe he finally came to his senses? Or maybe he woke up and saw the big girl in his bed and realized he’d made a colossal mistake.
Either way, it hurts more than anything I ever thought possible. I feel like Dane reached into my chest and ripped out my heart before stomping on the pieces and setting them on fire.
When I check my phone, I see that I have six missed calls. My heart leaps at the thought of Dane calling me and begging me to come back. But then I realize that they’re from Mara and the tears start flowing fresh again. I can’t bear the thought of talking to her right now, so I turn my phone off and tuck it away.
Hanson drops me off at my parents’ house and I sneak inside. I’m hoping to grab a snack from the kitchen and go upstairs to cry in solitude, but to my surprise my father is waiting for me in the kitchen. It’s a rare sight – I can’t remember the last time I saw him at home during daylight hours.
“Allie, come sit with me,” Dad says. He clears his throat. “How is school?”
I blink. I can’t remember the last time Dad had asked me that – it has been years. “It’s fine,” I said.
“Good.” Dad cocks his head to the side and hands me a little box. “This is for you.”
“Thanks,” I say nervously. Plucking the box from my father’s hand, I sit down at the table and open it. Inside is a small silver pendant on a chain. “What is this?”
“It was your grandmother’s,” Dad says. “I thought you might want it.”
“Thanks,” I repeat. It strikes me as really strange – I’ve only met Grandma Ida once, and she’d made it clear that she would have preferred it if I’d been a boy – but I do like that my dad is making an effort.
“Of course,” Dad says smoothly. “Listen, Allie, you know you can always talk to me, right?”
“Um, sure, I do,” I reply. “Thanks, Dad.”
Dad chuckles. “I thought it would be nice tonight if we could all go out and have dinner as a family. It’s been a long time, and your mother and I would love to hear all about what you’ve been doing at school. Maybe we can even talk about studying abroad.”
“Really? Wow, that would be great,” I say enthusiastically. A wide smile spreads across my face and I look down at the silver pendant still clutched in my hands.
Inside, my heart is torn and aching. Dane has broken it, and I don’t think it will ever be whole again. But maybe this is a sign – from God, or something. Maybe I’m not supposed to be happy and fall in love.
And maybe, just maybe, this time will finally give my family what we need to heal.
My father purses his lips and nods. “Yes,” he says. “You look a little disheveled. Maybe you should go upstairs and lie down for a while.”
I shift and the wet crotch of my panties drags against my pussy. Flushing hotly, I turn and bolt up the stairs so my father won’t see my red cheeks.
As soon as I’m in the safety of my room, I heave a huge sigh and collapse on the bed without even unzipping my dress. I know it’s probably ruined by now, but I don’t care.
Why would I want a lingering reminder of my failed relationship with Dane?
I roll over and bury my face in the pillows. My body is a raging storm of emotions. Heartbreak, anger, confusion...and a surprising addition of hope. My love life may be over, but now it’s finally time for me to bond with my parents, the way I should have done years ago.
Before I realize it’s happening, I fall into a deep sleep.
I wake up hours later. My room is dark and I can hear my parents talking downstairs. As quickly as I can, I take a quick shower and dress in a loose black cotton dress that hides the bulge of my waist. After swiping lip balm on my lips and twisting my unruly curls into a loose bun, I feel that I look okay.
Downstairs, Mom and Dad look surprised to see me. Another surprise: my father actually smiles at me.
“Are you ready to go?”
My stomach rumbles and I flush as I nod. I expect Mom to make a snide comment about how I’m always hungry, but she stays silent as Dad leads us outside. Nick is waiting by the Town Car. He nods at me as he opens the back door for me to climb inside.
