Page 105 of Even if It Hurts

“Who?”

“Hudson,” he said as if using first names was an irritation. “He closed out the hotel room too.”

I nodded even as I wondered what the chances were of a mafia family tracking my phone here oranywhere. But I knew that line of thought was why Asher was so set on pushing me away, so I forced it back.

“Go eat,” he said softer than before, the words nearly a plea. “I’ve got Kaia for now.”

I started toward the counters filled with food only to rock back to Asher. Pressing close to him, I dropped my voice low enough that it wouldn’t carry to anyone else. “I’m sorry for the conversation you have to have.”

He brushed back some of my hair with his free hand to cup my cheek, his head dipping in the slightest nod. “It’ll be okay,” he muttered, echoing Cameron’s words.

“You’ll tell me about it later?”

“Every word,” he vowed before tipping my head up to steal another kiss, this one slower and longer than the other, leaving me wholly breathless and slightly lightheaded by the time I finally turned to get a plate.

But that giddy feeling vanished into nothing when I got to the table and realized the only seats left were on either side of Beau.

Beau, who was just as Asher had described last night: Excited about everything, naturally happy, and passionate about helping people. He also firmly believed that all law enforcement were inherently good.

Since he came from a long family of them, I understood why. And like Asher, I believed a good majority of them were.

But the man who’d dropped off the check from Wells yesterday evening hadn’t been just any officer. It’d been Corporal Evans—Beau’s dad. And he’d arrived in Wells’ personal vehicle.

Chloe had excitedly screamed, “Right now,” when I’d asked when she might want me to move in. But I still needed to buy necessities—like a bed—and get the rest of my things from my parents’, so she was giving me the week to slowly move in.

Once all the details were settled, I’d had to physically drag Wren from her shameless flirting session at Aunt Ada’s house. But she’d been all too happy to help me put a dent in my credit limit to furnish my new room, and had even offered to help me pack up my old room...

Only to disappear with Kaia as soon as my mom came in, demanding to know what I was doing.

Mom watched Wren go before narrowing her attention on me. “Again, what are you doing?” Before I even had the chance to draw in a breath to respond, she added, “We haven’t seen you. We haven’t heard from you. Even when you came for the opening days, you made yourself scarce.”

“I talked to Dad,” I weakly defended as she went on.

“And now you come home withboxes?” She gestured to where I’d already started filling the second. “Just what do you think you’re doing, Lainey?”

I pressed my hands to my twisting stomach and hated that there was still the instinct to do whatever it took to get this look off my mom’s face. To make her happy. I hated that I felt nauseous over the fact that her anger was directed at me when I wasn’t sure she had the right to be angry.

“I’m moving in with?—”

“No,” she nearly shouted over me, holding up a hand. “No. Don’t you even think about it. Your daddy told me about his conversation with that man you’re working for.” Disappointment poured from her as her head slanted in awho are youkind of way. “I dunno what’s gotten into you, but you will not enter into a relationship with yourboss, and you will not move in with him.”

A sharp, belittling sound left her. “You even have poor Jackson trying to figure out his life and our businesses—your business—without you because of your rejections and refusal to do what’s necessary.”

“Necessary.” The word left me on a frustrated breath. “Mom, I—Jackson’s been in a secret relationship with Heather for years. I promise you, he’s fine without me. And, yes, I am now in a relationship with Asher, who just so happens to be my boss.”

I mean, technically . . .

Everything with Asher and me had been so unconventional that we hadn’t exactly defined anything other than what we felt for each other. But those claims and vows made it unnecessary to determine the relationship. We justwere.

“But I’m not moving in with him,” I hurried to add when my mom started voicing her disapproval. “I’m moving in with Chloe Whitlock.”

As if Chloe was no better than moving in with the boss I was dating, my mom pointed at her feet and said, “You are staying here. You will apologize to your daddy for the stress you havecaused and for making his condition worse. And you will take over for him starting tomorrow.”

Sorrow and guilt fought for dominance in my chest even as resolve settled inside me. “I’m not staying here, Mom,” I said sadly, numbly. “And I’m not working at the farm.” I pressed a hand to my aching chest as tears gathered in my eyes. “For so long, I did everything you demanded, no matter how much it killed me. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized you and Dad only saw me as a piece in your game.”

“You’re being dramatic and ungrateful,” she spat.

“If you’d ever seen me as anything else, you would’ve encouraged my passions. You would be happy that I’m trying to live my life now. You wouldn’t be trying to force me into a marriage that neither Jackson nor I want. And you wouldn’t be blaming Dad’s health on me.” My voice broke at the end as a line of tears slipped down my cheek. “Do you know how heavy and disgusting it feels every time you do that?”

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