Page 70 of Lush

“It is now,” she said firmly. “Let him go.”

She was the only one who saw me—not just the disappointment I’d become, but something else.

Harold’s hand still gripped my collar, his face still twisted in that mask of pure fury. But then, he shoved me back, hard enough that I stumbled, barely catching myself. Laurene was immediately by my side.

“You’re nothing,” he spat, his voice shaking with barely controlled rage. “You’ll always be nothing.”

I stood there, breathless, and for the first time in ages, I wasn’t angry.

“Get out of my sight,” he muttered. “Before I do something we both regret.”

With a final, disgusted look, Harold turned on his heel, shoving his way through the crowd. As if he couldn’t get awayfrom me fast enough. The people around us parted, murmurs filling the air as his back became smaller and smaller.

“We need to salvage this,” Mom said, her voice urgent as she motioned between Laurene and me. “Dance. Start dancing.”

Nina snapped her fingers at the band. Music played, and without another word, Mom hurried after Harold, Nina rushing behind her.

Laurene stopped me as I was leaving. “Reese, wait.”

“Please—”

“Dance.”Laurene didn’t look away, her gaze locked on mine. I felt like an animal at a circus. “Dance with me.”

“Why?” I shot back, my anger flaring again. “What’s the point?”

“Just…be with me for a minute.”

The sincerity in her gaze chipped away at me. I hesitated, my anger warring with the pull I felt toward her.

“Just focus on me.”

CHAPTER 15

Laurene

We were dancing close,but even though he seemed relaxed, I could feel the tension in Reese, like he was about to snap.

“You see?” I murmured. “Not so bad, right?”

He didn’t look at me. His eyes stayed glued to the spot where his father was a second ago.

You were a mistake.

Mama could be harsh, even manipulative, but Harold…

I was unprepared for what I saw tonight. The way he looked at Reese, like he was nothing—nobody deserves that.

But Reese did. His entire life.

I studied his expression. He held me steadily, eyes stormy but jaw firm. It wasn’t the grip of a broken man; it was the grip of someone who refused to be broken, no matter how much the world weighed him down.

That’s what I had loved about him.

“Reese,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “Talk to me.”

His eyes met mine, and for a flash, the act dropped. There was a glimpse of something real and fragile in his eyes.

“What’s there to say?” His voice was low and bitter. “It’s nothing new.”

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