AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I assure her they are the best, not wanting to test if she’s jealous or not tonight and extend my palm to her. “Shall we get going?”
She takes it and we head back to the hotel for the party, only to be stopped by her parents.
“You’re coming too?” Carol asks and examines her parents from head to toe. Her mother is wearing a simple black linen dress and her father is in shorts and a t-shirt, both dressed down for the occasion.
“Of course not, Dear, we were just checking with the DJ but your sister,” Kristen takes a deep breath before continuing, “said she has everything under control for tonight.”
George looks at his wife as she moves closer to us. “It’s just…” she begins but her husband’s penetrating glance makes her change her mind. Instead, she grabs Carol’s hand. “I’ll just steal her for a minute,” she says and tugs her daughter toward the reception, and further away, leaving George and me staring at each other awkwardly.
Yesterday, we worked together to move some of the flower arrangements and the whole time I could sense he wanted to talk to me. He wouldn’t want to let Carol suspect that, though. And now, with his arms crossed over his chest, he seems ready to say whatever it is that he’s been holding back.
A tightness spreads in my stomach—it’s like I’m back at school and have to explain myself to the principal.
“Look, Brian, I’ll keep this short because it’s neither the time nor the place to have this conversation, but…there are a few things I want to tell you because it’s clear that Carol hasn’t.” His face is calm, and so is his voice, but I can feel that this is something that pains him.
“I don’t know how or why you two got back together—don’t get me wrong, you look like a decent guy, but when you broke up back then, Carol became a shadow of her previous self. It took her a long time to heal and…” His voice trails off and he takes a deep breath. “She decided that she wanted to start over elsewhere.”
George’s eyes drop to the floor. He hurts for Carol’s but also for having to live so far from his daughter. And he blames me for that, even though he doesn’t want to admit it.
“When I left—” I begin but he lifts his hand to cut me off.
“I figured that out. You had another responsibility. You still do,” he points out. “And I’m not here to call you names, blame you, or ask you to stay away from her. I just want to caution you. You broke her once. If you do it again, we’ll be having a very different kind of conversation.” Despite the implication, George’s face maintains the kindness that embodies him, and I can’t help but admire him. I know that if I were in his place I wouldn’t be so understanding.
But most of all, I now know that I’ve hurt Carol more than I ever imagined.
George motions his head toward his wife and daughter who seem to be having an intense conversation too, only more expressive, and asks me to keep this between ourselves. There’s no reason to further upset her, and I know she’s tired of her family intervening in her life.
“I’d better rescue my wife,” he says and heads off to release Carol.
She returns to my side almost running and reaches for my hand for support but refuses to tell me what her mother wanted. “The usual, she’s worried about the party and my sister.”
This doesn’t seem to warrant that abrupt flight, but I don’t ask her again. Maybe it’s just that. Maybe it’s about me and they were having a conversation similar to the one George and I were having. Or maybe it’s because of a certain someone who is also attending the party and her mother was trying to give her a heads-up. Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter. I’m here for her and that’s not changing.
We make our way to the party and, true to his word, Jeremy has enforced the age limit. No one under twenty-one and no one older than forty is allowed to enter. Carol lets go of my hand but I’m not willing to spend the night moping around. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer.
“Hey, this is why you brought me here, remember?” I tell her as she turns around about to protest.
“You are right,” she says suddenly and leans in for a quick kiss.
I sense the change is not due to my irresistible charm, but I don’t turn to look behind me. We walk through the main hall, toward the windows. Most of the guests stop us, complimenting Carol on her looks, and my arm that’s not so subtly wrapped around her. But I don’t mind them noticing and neither does she.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” I snap once we are out of earshot. She turns in my arms so that we are face-to-face and links hers around my neck with a sheepish smile. My anger only grows stronger at her lack of response.
I don’t need to ask her though. I already know what he looks like. The lights are dimmed but it’s not difficult to spot that mop of blond hair. He’s standing next to a petite brunette who I’m sure is his new girlfriend and whom he completely ignores. His eyes are fixed on us—on Carol.
“What did you even see in that asshole?” It’s more of an accusation than a question.
She shrugs. “I guess I have a type.”
Had she thrown a bucket of icy water over me, I would have felt less pain. I open my mouth to try and explain myself, but there’s not much to say, especially after the conversation with her father. I don’t even know why they broke up.
“Are we going to stay like this?” she pouts. My cock stirs almost immediately and unconsciously, but I’m not having any of it. She’s using me to make him jealous, to hurt him. The only moments she’s actually loving and handsy are—
“Brian, you promised,” she reminds me.
My gaze meets hers, her eyes dark as the night, demanding and curious. My pride tells me to just walk out, but I ignore it. I do owe Carol this, regardless of the deal. I know I can take him or anyone else off her mind once and for all if she’ll just give me a chance.
I move one hand up her waist, tracing two fingers along her spine, and lower the other further down.
