Page 118 of The Lucky One

Jon’s mouth parted, and he gazed at me with interest. “I don’t even know what I should ask about first.”

I gave a tired smile. My father’s reaction had barely hurt me. It stuck with me, yes, but I had reached a point of acceptance that he wouldn’t be a big part of my life anymore. I guess I had always felt it, but now I knew for sure. Richard, on the other hand, was my mother’s boyfriend, and based on our conversation, probably soon to be more.

“Richard told me his perspective. He admitted that he isn’t doing the best job, but he’s had a hard time fitting into our family dynamic. My mother always tried to keep him out of any parenting, and it hurt him.”

I sighed. He wasn’t jealous of me and Lucas spending time with Mama; he was jealous that he didn’t get to spend time with us himself. There were still plenty of things we had to work on, but when I told him how I felt living with him, he actually listened. “He never had kids in his life and he didn’t know how to treat us right. He wants to do better, though, and I think I actually believe him.”

“Why?” Jon asked, a question I had asked myself.

“Despite everything, he never actually left. Even that one time when he did break up with Mama, he came back after two weeks,” I said. Jon nodded. “Plus, him and Lucas apparently talked a lot these last few months. They’re trying to work past their issues. He even offered Lucas to move back in.” I swallowed, and Jon grabbed my hand in reassurance. I let him, for now. “He didn’t, though. But I called Lucas and asked him if it was true, and he confirmed it.”

For the first time in my life, I was furious at my brother. He’d kept me in the dark. Apparently, he wanted me to focus on my exchange year and not worry about them. When I got back, that was going to change. I wasn’t a little girl who fell apart at every little thing anymore. I was stronger now. I could feel it within me.

I looked up at Jon. “Things have actually gotten better.” I smiled, and I realized I was actually a tiny bit excited about going back.

“That sounds great,” Jon said, giving me his little kid’s smile I so adored. His lashes framed his brown eyes, and the sunset gleamed in them, making me go weak. “Really, you deserve to feel safe at home.”

I cleared my throat and took my hand out of his. Yes, Germany was still my home, but that one sentence showed that nothing had changed in Jon’s mind.

“So, you wanted to talk?” I asked.

“Yeah.” Jon stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out two slips of paper. “I understand if you don’t want to go anymore, and I know I should do this way better than in a Walmart parking lot, but... I would love to take you to prom.”

I just stared as he held out the tickets. “You’re going to graduate?” was the first thing that slipped out of my mouth.

“Yeah...” He swallowed. “So, what do you say? I know it’s not the promposal you wished for, but I wasn’t sure if you would even talk to me, so I didn’t know what to do.”

“Jon...” I stood up, panic washing over me again. He was giving me what I wanted, but at what price? “I’d love nothing more than to go to prom with you, but we can’t just skip the tough conversations and do the fun parts.”

“I know, but I’ll explain everything... soon.”

“When? Before or after you fuck me at prom?”

I cringed at my own choice of words. Jon sighed, reaching for my hands. “I was hoping we could talk after Saturday night.”

I recoiled. “For god’s sake, Jon!”

“Hear me out!” he pleaded, grabbing my hands again. “Please...”

I bit my cheek until I tasted iron. “Fine. Talk.”

“You were absolutely right. Something happened to me, and I wasn’t ready to talk to you about it, but I’m ready now. All I want is one last perfect night. I beg you, Emily. Give me this one night.”

I shook my head, a wave of fear coursing through my veins. “Why can’t we have a perfect night after you tell me?”

The question hung heavy in the air as Jon’s gaze shifted to the asphalt below.

“I can’t tell you... not yet.”

My lower lip quivered. He was here, willing to give me what I wanted, but at the cost of withholding something from me.

Jon cupped my cheeks, his eyes momentarily fixing on my lips before meeting my gaze.

“I’ve written it all down. Every single day for the last few weeks. Hell, this entire year. You can read everything. And then I’ll tell it to you again in my own voice. Just please, go to prom with me first.”

I gazed into his imploring eyes, my own watering so much that I only got a blurry view of his beautiful face. “And what then? You’ll break my heart on schedule?”

“That sounds more like you than me.” He offered a weak smile but I didn’t feel like smiling. He tried again. “If I wanted to break your heart, I wouldn’t be standing here, Little German.”

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