Page 48 of She Was Mine First

She locked eyes with me and introduced him, “Ethan, this is Beau.”

He instantly extended out his hand for me to shake. “Ethan, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Eyeing him up and down, I scoffed out, “That’s nice, considering I haven’t heard a damn thing about you.”

“Ethan,” Livvy reprimanded in a stern tone before her dad interrupted us.

“My baby girl,” Mr. Collins celebrated, pulling her into a tight hug.

Who the fuck is Beau?”

Her mother quickly followed, hugging her too. “Sweetheart, you cut your hair. I love it.” Glancing over at me, she added, “Did you see our surprise?”

Livvy cautiously replied, “I did.”

Mrs. Collins’s stare moved to Beau. “Who’s this?”

“Now I know where Livvy gets her beauty from.” He shook her hand. “I’m Beau. Livvy’s boyfriend.”

I jerked back like he’d punch me in the stomach.

“Oh!” Mrs. Collins smiled. “I didn’t know Livvy had a boyfriend.”

I chimed in, “That makes two of us.”

Livvy nervously chuckled. “I was going to introduce you to him tonight, Mom.”

“I guess you came home with your own surprise,” Mrs. Collins remarked. “Well, Beau. Welcome to our home. I’m Livvy’s mother, and this is her father.”

Her parents started talking to him, and I didn’t hear a word they said. I couldn’t stop staring at how close Beau was to Livvy. How he still had his hand on the swell of her back and rubbed up and down with every word they said. Livvy stayed involved in their conversation and I had to step away from them.

I had no right to be upset, but there it was.

Bright.

Red.

Anger.

The truth was, it wasn’t just the rage I felt, it was jealousy that ate me fucking alive. The night went on with its normal festivities, and pretty boy Beau didn’t leave Livvy’s side the entire time.

Everything stopped.

Everything.

I swear to God my heart stopped beating in my chest, only for a second, and then a surge of panic flooded my body, my mind, and my soul at precisely the moment my heart began beating again.

Loud and hard.

Once we were sitting at the table, eating dinner, Beau lifted his glass.

Livvy looked over at him, eyes wide and full of unease. She cleared her throat, telling him to stop with that look in her eyes, and he didn’t even see it. He couldn’t read her at all, not like I could.

At first, it was like a movie. When you knew something bad was about to happen. However, the anticipation of knowing what was coming was stronger than the ability to stop it.

I couldn’t stop it.

I couldn’t stop this.

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