Page 16 of Burning for the Truth

She walks out the door leaving me standing there alone and speechless. She seems nice enough, harmless even, so why did it feel like some sort of challenge? I step out into the crisp nighttime air and find my parents.

Daddy slides over to me first and wraps me in a bear hug. Sterling will always be my hero but my daddy—he showed me everything I’ll ever need to know about love and how a man should treat the woman he loves. He’s always been my rock.

“Hey, pumpkin. How are you doing?” He releases me to place a kiss to my forehead. I give him my best, practiced smile. In the presence of this man, it’s hard to not feel safe.

“I’m doing okay. How are y’all?” I ask as I hug Mama. She puts her hands on my face as if assessing me for injury.

“We’re good. But we’re so worried about you,” Mama says with a sympathetic smile.

“I’ll be fine, Mama,” I tell her as confidently as I can.

“I know you will be, but the point is, right now you’re not. You can’t lie to us, baby.” She’s taking no prisoners tonight.

“Mama—” I start but I’m cut off when Mallory Warren walks over, followed by her husband, Beck.

“Briella.” She hugs me so quickly there’s no way out of it. Beck smiles behind her. This is the first time I’ve really looked at them since Drew’s funeral. They both have smiles on their faces, but they look like they’ve aged about ten years. Beck’s hair is filled with more silver than I remember, and Mallory’s eyes are lined with dark circles. They almost lost Dean years ago when he was a senior in high school. Dean has escaped death twice now. My skin prickles with chill bumps at the thought.

“Mr. and Mrs. Warren.” I smile tightly, unsure what to say to them.

Mallory scoffs. “Please, honey, call us Mallory and Beck. I already feel like an old lady. That makes me feel older.” She laughs.

Beck grins and leans over to kiss my cheek. As he does, I notice Dean staring at me. I also see this Chelsea girl wasted no time making her move once she confirmed we weren’t…a thing.I feel something—an emotion I’m not sure how to define—swirl through me.

She places her hand on his arm as she laughs about something. He smiles absently without taking his eyes off me. She notices and her gaze collides with mine. She lifts a brow and steps in front of Dean, blocking me. Okay, then.

I make small talk with his parents and mine while still looking in his direction. I feel another stare on me and turn to find Ivie as the source. I excuse myself from them and make my way over to Ivie.

She’s holding Aria, the one bright spot in my life. Aria gurgles and smiles as she sees me. I take her from Ivie. “Hey, short stuff. What’s my favorite niece doing?” I pepper her baby face in kisses as she laughs.

I glance up at Ivie to find her still staring at me. Her face is an expressionless mask. “What?” I blurt out. I love her and she’s the sister I never had, but I’m not feeling all the stares tonight.

She pinches her lips together. “I love you, Briella. But please, don’t be reckless.”

I guffaw, not quite sure I know what she means. “Reckless? I’m never reckless.” I smile at her, and she returns my smile, but it’s not quite the normal bubbly one she usually gives me.

“I care about you and him too.” She tips her head in Dean’s direction and I’m reminded of the fact that, although my brother is the love of her life, Dean was her first love and she cares for him deeply, just not in a romantic way.

When I was younger, before I really knew her, I might’ve taken it differently, but Ivie is one of the most genuine and caring people I know. Hell, she’s one of my favorite people, and I know she’s coming from a place of love and concern for us both. I’m her family, but so is Dean in another way.

“I know you do, Ivie. I’m trying to make things right with him and the way I acted, I promise. But it’s not easy. He didn’t do anything wrong…it’s me. I’m having a hard time being around him because it reminds me of Drew.” I glance down at Aria as I bounce her on my hip before setting my sight on Dean again. He’s not staring at me this time, his attention is on Chelsea.

“That’s not all I mean,” she says quietly, casting a glance in his direction too.

I spin around to face her again. “What do you mean, then?”

Sterling interrupts before we can finish talking. “Give me my baby girl so I can put her to bed.” He takes her laughing as Ivie puts her hand on my shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze and sends me a smile which doesn’t quite reach her eyes. With that, she’s following behind her husband. I stare after her for a minute before turning to find Dean still talking to Chelsea.

I pull in a full breath of air before walking his way. I’m doing this and I’m doing it now. Am I ready to talk? I don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out.

And it’s by facing him, ready or not.

Dean sees me coming and his normally tan complexion pales. Chelsea must notice too and turns to see what’s changed his mood.Me.I changed his mood. With each step toward him, my mind is screaming at me to turn and run.

When I finally make it to him, everyone is watching. Silence has covered the entire party as if the life was sucked out of it. He appears ready to accept whatever I may be about to throw his way. I feel the nervous energy coming from all around us.Am I really that selfish?Does everyone here see it in their mind as me hating Dean? What do they think I’m about to do or say?

I don’t know why, but this deafening silence and the look on Dean’s face is slicing through me and breaking what’s left of my heart. Chelsea is shooting me daggers, waiting for me to speak.

I clear my throat. “Dean, can we talk?” Chelsea stares at him as if willing him to decline.

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