Page 95 of My Favorite Sin

“You have no car,” Mom adds. “Not to mention all the press outside.”

“I don’t care about the press. And I don’t care if I have to walk to Dan. I am leaving this house.”

“Ally, enough,” her voice cuts through the air, trying to discipline me.

“No. I’m an adult and you don’t get to treat me like this. You don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t love. You don’t get to tell me I look like a whore.”

Silence rings between all four of us, broken only by Daxton in disbelief. “A… whore?”

My mother sighs, holding her temples. “I was speaking in reference to the photographs of Ally taken last night and the bad image they would cast upon her and Forever Families. I said they would make her look like a whore, not that she is one.”

I scoff, finally understanding Dan’s issue with the organization. “That’s all you seem to care about, saving Forever Families, instead of talking to your children and mending relationships.”

“Ally, that’s not true,” Josh says, trying to cease fire and hush me with his hands. “Your mother and I care about you very much.”

“How? Because I can’t see it. You won’t talk to me. You send a message to Dan, impersonating me, trying to destroy my relationship with him. God knows how terrible he’s feeling right now. I thought you wanted to fix things between you and Dan. You’ve just made everything a million times worse for yourself. He’s a good person and deserves so much better than this treatment.”

Daxton digs into his suit jacket, retrieving keys. “I think it’s best for everyone if you all have space to calm down. I’ll take Ally back to the city to be with Dan.”

“Absolutely not,” Mom snaps. “That will only encourage?—”

“Amabella, you are driving your daughter away from you right now. Trust me in this decision before you lose her for good.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

DAN

Midnight and I’m lying in bed, empty inside as I stare at the ceiling with the room drowned in a dull neon blue glow. I’m startled out of my blackhole of thoughts when someone knocks on my door again. For fuck’s sake.

“Dan, are you home?”

I sit up instantly, recognizing Ally’s voice, and rush to the door. Before I get there, keys rattle in the lock and Ally steps inside with Daxton right behind her. She’s in her pajamas and her eyes are red from crying. The moment Ally sees me, she runs into my arms, and I’ve never been so relieved.

I hold Ally tight, lifting her from the ground and burying my face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. She clings to me just as urgently, murmuring over and over again that she’s sorry. What she’s apologizing for, I don’t know. I don’t care. All that matters is she’s here with me, in my arms where she belongs.

“It’s okay, baby,” I whisper, stroking her hair. “Everything is going to be all right.”

“I love you. I wanted to talk to you but didn’t have myphone. Our parents…” Her voice breaks and she starts sobbing into my chest. “Dan, it’s been horrible.”

“I can only imagine. We’re together now. Nothing else matters.”

I’m so wrapped up in Ally that I forget we’re not alone until Daxton places a suitcase inside the doorway and clears his throat. “Things got messy between Ally and your parents. I brought her here because I could see everything turning far worse if she stayed.”

“Thank you.” I nod at Daxton.

“I should be on my way. Ally, I know your mom and Josh didn’t behave right, but they’re good people. You know they love you both very much.”

Didn’t behave right? That’s a big statement, coming from Daxton. “What the fuck happened?”

“It’s late. I’ll give you two some privacy and let Ally fill you in on the details. Ally, just remember they’re processing the news of you and Dan in their own way, but they’ll come around to accepting you two. Take the space from them you need, whether it’s a week or a month or however long it takes until you can all have a civilized conversation.”

Ally turns in my arms to face Daxton. “Thank you. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“Anything for you, kid. If you two need anything, I’m only a phone call away.”

She sinks back into my chest the moment Daxton is gone. “I left my phone at the benefit. I didn’t know how to contact you for an entire day, and then I found that not only did our parents have my phone and were hiding it from me, but they’d sent you a message, pretending to be me, asking you to stay away.”

I lean back from Ally to look her in the eyes, astoundedby her words. Deep down, I knew that message couldn’t have been genuine.

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