Page 38 of Forever My Soldier

“We should get out of here,” he said and I could tell he was serious. He should only know just how much I agreed with him.

He narrowed his eyes and I looked at him curiously. “I know, Jenna.” He gritted his teeth.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat that I feared would close my airway soon. “Know what?” I was almost too afraid to ask, but judging by the look on his face, I already knew what he was talking about.

He didn’t answer, just snarled. “Not here,” he finally said.

I nodded and followed him out to the car. When we were out of earshot of my family and the other guests, he stopped to face me head on and through gritted teeth asked, “What were you thinking, Jenna? Lying to me this whole time!”

I went to talk, to say anything to defend myself, but I was silenced when his hand sliced through the air, as if stopping me before I could get a word out.

“Don’t! Don’t lie to me.” He angrily raked his hands through his hair and grunted. “How could you keep something this big from me? A baby, Jenna? You were pregnant!”

I looked around to make sure we were still alone. We were.

“What’s the matter, Jenna? Don’t want to make a scene? Because it would ruin this new image you made for yourself?”

The way he said my name with such disdain and contempt made my stomach turn. I thought I was going to be physically ill. “Deacon, please!” I begged. “Hear me out.” I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to cover myself from his cold stare and icy wrath. “I never wanted to keep this from you. It just happened.”

“It didn’t just happen.” He pointed an accusatory finger in my face. “You made it happen.”

I tried to hold back my tears, but knew I wouldn’t be successful for much longer. “Can we just get out of here and talk this through? Please,” I urged.

When he didn’t respond, only stared at me with a blank expression, I added, “You said you were going to fight for me, but you don’t have to anymore. I love you, Deacon. I want to be with you. We were finally giving this another go. Please don’t do this.”

“Don’t do this?” His jaw ticked with anger. “I didn’t do this. You did this to us. And what was all that crap with that guy—Michael, was it? That was the married man, right? I mean, shit, Jenna, you looked pretty shaken to me when you saw him. Do you still have feelings for him?”

I sniffled and tried to speak, but my voice betrayed me. No words came out.

He pulled at his shirt, unbuttoning more of the buttons. “I need some space.” He looked around and I knew what he was thinking—that he was going to walk away.

But I didn’t want him to. I shook my head profusely. “No, we need to talk about this.”

He wouldn’t hear me, though. “I’m going to find my own ride.”

I just stood there, arms wrapped tightly around my waist now, as though shielding myself from any more pain, but it wasn’t working. I dropped my hands and rubbed them together as I watched Deacon walk away from me, from everything he vowed he’d fight for since the minute he got back.

I cupped my hands over my mouth and sobbed, letting the emotion fully wash over me and the tears pour down.

Next thing I knew, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked down to see it was a woman’s, specifically my mother’s, as I turned around and came face to face with the wicked witch herself. She whispered, “I told you, dear, a long time ago—Deacon isn’t the man for you. Maybe it’s better this happened now before things got any more serious between the two of you.”

I couldn’t believe this. I couldn’t believe any of this. My mother and sister had set me up. I was just a pawn in their stupid game.

“This didn’t just happen, you set me up,” I shouted.

“I just brought Michael over to see you, actually. Your sister did the rest,” she pointed out as if that mattered any.

Damn Francesca for being Mother’s little minion again!

“You knew!” I yelled. “I did everything you asked of me. All those years ago, I got my life together as you so kindly put it. I joined the DAR. I acted the part of dutiful, obedient daughter. Then, recently, when you asked me to help you plan this farce, I did. I did everything you wanted of me, so why? Why would you hurt me in this way? Betray me?”

She narrowed her eyes. “You were getting in too deep again and I didn’t want you losing yourself again.”

“I can’t lose something I never had, Mother. I am only everything you made me, not who I really am. Not around you, anyway,” I argued back.

“This discussion is over, Jenna. I did this for you. To protect you. You may be angry right now, but in time you will see reason. You’ll see I only did this out of love.”

“Love?” I spat out. “You wouldn’t know what love was if it bit you on the ass!”

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