Page 54 of Cruel Devotion

Instead, it looked like I’d need to talk to someone else.

A fist pounded on the front door, and I groaned. I didn’t want to see anyone. No visitors were expected today, and I wasn’t sure of a delivery coming.

I pushed to stand, not bothering to put something else on other than my robe and pajamas. Heading to the door slowly, I yawned and willed myself to put one foot in front of the other.

I opened the door and stared at the woman and man on my porch. It’d been a long time since I saw Mr. and Mrs. Young this close. I’d passed them in Marsten, but I’d never tried to talk to them, not before Eli became a bully or after.

“Hello?” I asked, unsure why these strict, judgy people would be bothering me now.

Mr. Young scowled at me, eyeing me up and down like I was filth. “You can’t even have the decency to put clothes on?”

I narrowed my eyes, too angry to remember my usual rules of staying quiet and avoiding trouble. “What do you want?”

“We want you to stay away from our son!” Mrs. Young demanded, planting her fists on her hips.

Mr. Young shook his finger at me. “You hear her? You stay away from Eli. We don’t approve of you and your kind.”

I crossed my arms, staring them down. “Mykind?”

“You know what I mean,” he snarled. “Everyone knows the Feldstones are nothing but liars and cheats.”

“And whores,” his wife added. “And that is why we can’t, nor ever will, approve of you with Eli.”

I had every right to order them out of here. I could’ve let my anger spill over and rage at them to get off my aunt’s property.

How dare they come here and slander me?

How dare they try to insinuate that I was less than, not good enough for Eli?

Clearly, I was good enough to be bet on with Preston, but nothing more.

I laughed. It started as a light chuckle but almost evolved into a full-blown, hysterical snort-laugh.

They wanted to come here and tell me off for being with Eli.

Well, the joke was on them. Iwasn’twith him. They must have tracked him enough. And maybe someone at that dance last night posted stuff about my being there with him as a date to that formal.

But that was it.

“Don’t mock me,” Mrs. Young scolded.

“I’m not mocking you. I’m laughing at how ridiculous your claim is.”

Mr. Young growled. “No. It’s not ridiculous.”

“I’ve read all kinds of posts last night and again this morning,” she protested. “And they all show that you went to that dance with Eli.”

I shrugged. “But I’ve never beenwithhim.” None of it was real. It was all just a damn joke. A dare. “So if you’ll excuse me,” I said and stepped back until I gripped the door. “Goodbye.”

Slamming the door shut felt so good. It made me feel triumphant for just a second.

When I turned to face the empty, quiet house again, my mood plummeted again.

It hurt so much.

He’d lied to me. He’d duped me when it all felt so real.

Needing something to force me out of dwelling on my emotions and letting them control me, I took another long, scalding-hot shower until I couldn’t take it anymore.

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