Page 84 of The First Time

Stella claps her hands together. “Oh, how sweet would that be. We’d love to see Layla settle down and with someone like William, who is so eager to take care of her.”

I see Layla’s shoulders deflate while Asher, Eric, and Liam are all cringing. They all know that must be a low blow for me.

I can’t sit through anymore of this matchmaking. Standing, I straighten my shoulders, turn on my heel, and stride away. I don’t know where the hell I’m going, but I find myself at the edge of the lawn looking out at the water.

I try to take deep breaths, reminding myself that I’m older now and that what others say or think about me doesn’t matter. But even I can smell my own bullshit. I realize I’ve been gone for some time. I’m sure Layla will be looking for me, so I peek over at the tent to see if I can find her.

But instead of a worried girlfriend, she is still sitting at the table laughing at something William’s mother is saying.

I’m stunned.

Is there a part of her that wants to be with William? Why is she sitting there with them and not coming to find me?

I feel like a needy piece of shit right now. All I want to do is storm over there and make a scene to let everyone at that table know that she is taken. But the more I stand and watch everyone laughing, the more I end up feeling like an outsider to their world.

Everything I felt comes flooding back. Then it happens: William finds me from across the yard and winks. It’s like I’ve traveledback ten years to that very night when he made me feel the same way I’m feeling right now.

Nothing has changed.

My breathing is erratic, my body is trembling with anger, and I am in no condition to go back to that table. I can’t be here for another second.

Instead of doing the honorable thing and saying goodbye, I prove to everyone that I’m the low-class man that they think I am, and I leave.

I storm around the house, hop into my truck, say a little prayer of thanks that no one is parked behind me, and leave.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Layla

“Do you know where Josh went?” I ask Asher as I scan the backyard.

He shrugs his shoulders. “Not after he stormed off during your little matchmaking sesh.”

Ugh, that was the absolute worst. I can’t believe my parents had the audacity to sit there and continually put me in that position. It’s so awkward and completely unnecessary.

“Yeah, that was brutal. Did you see his face? He looked wrecked,” Liam joins in.

“I don’t know why he stormed off. If he stayed, we could have put an end to it right there and just told everybody about us.”

Why did he storm off? I know it’s annoying, but I thought he wanted to tell my parents. William is an asshole. He always will be. I thought we were passed that.

I walk around the yard three more times, then go back into the house. Then I go outside to the driveway, and my breath catches in my throat. He’s gone.

I can’t believe he left. He left without telling me. What the hell?

Tears begin to burn my eyes as panic begins to take over. Did I screw up? What did I do wrong?

I didn’t realize he was even taking the entire thing seriously. I think about his confession to me about not being good enough in the eyes of my parents. How he dressed completely unlike himself tonight to impress them, and how nervous he was.

All this just to have his worst fears thrown in his face before we can even tell my parents.

Shit. I fucked up. I should’ve stopped that conversation immediately and told everyone at that table proudly that Josh and I were together.

I’m just so shitty in those awkward situations. Surely, he will forgive me for not knowing what to do. Right?

I pull my phone from my pocket and call him again. With each ring, tears start to run further down my face. No answer.

Charlotte and Asher are walking out when they spot me.

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