Page 39 of Forever & Always You
Frustration etches itself into every crevice of Austin’s face, and he rubs his hand over his jaw as he heaves a sigh. “I didn’t. She came to me.”
Caroline scoffs and sets her fierce eyes on me. They’re ocean blue, just like Austin’s. “Oh, I see. He’s good enough to be in your life now, is he? Has enough money to be worthy?”
“Mom,” Austin warns, and he actually takes a defensive step in front of me, which is really fucking appreciated because I think I might cry. “Gabby, ignore them.”
“Ignore us!” Mike repeats with an indignant laugh. “Isn’t it convenient she comes crawling backnow? C’mon, Austin. Don’t be a goddamn idiot.”
“Listen to your dad,” Caroline says, reaching out to touch Austin’s arm again, but he immediately shakes her off. “I’m not comfortable having her in this house, Austin. Please, I’d like youto leave, Gabrielle.”
“Okay,” Austin says angrily. “I’ll come see you guys another time then.”
“No, not you,” Mike says.
“Yes, me too. If you’re both going to talk like thisright in front of her, then we’re both leaving,” he explains, and Caroline’s mouth parts in shock. “You have opinions? Then you share them with me later. In private. You don’t act like this.”
Caroline seems to pale as she places her hand over her heart, in a gesture of rejection. “We’re only looking out for you.”
“I can look out for myself,” Austin snaps, and I flinch as the guilt pumps through my veins. I don’t want to be the reason he argues with his parents. “She found me to apologize, and it’s up to me whether or not I accept it.”
“Austin, it’s okay,” I say, finding my pathetic little voice. “I’ll leave.”
“Thank you,” Mike says sharply, gesturing to the back gate.
As I take a step forward, Austin catches my elbow. “No, Gabby.”
“Austin,” Caroline pleads, but since she can’t seem to get through to him, she turns her focus on me instead. “Gabrielle, you must understand, surely?”
“I do,” I say, nodding meekly, “but I regret everything I ever did. If I could change the past, I would. We were just kids, Caroline, and I know what I did was awful, but we’re adults now. We can move on, can’t we?”
Caroline and Mike look at one another with an incredulous air of astonishment, and something strange settles in the pit of my stomach. Am I just being ignorant? I know I was the worst person in the world to Austin, and of course his parents are going to fiercely have his back no matter what, but we wereteenagers. I don’t expect them tolikeme, but I definitely wasn’t prepared for such outright hatred. We’re twenty-four now. Highschool was forever ago, yet it may as well be yesterday with the way they’re treating me. Their grudge may even be stronger than Austin’s.
“Just kids .?.?.” Mike mutters, his intense eyes piercing straight through me. “You think that makes it okay, do you? Your father certainly didn’t think so, otherwise he wouldn’t have—”
“Dad,” Austin hisses, abruptly cutting Mike off.
Caroline widens her eyes at Mike, conveying the very clear and concise order not to say another word, and the stifling atmosphere around the four us plunges into something even worse—stone cold silence.
I turn to Austin, but he’s squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Mike’s hardened exterior suddenly seems flushed with guilt, and Caroline is the only one who makes eye contact with me. My entire body feels as though it’s turned to ice, and I stand there stiff and vulnerable, my thoughts racing to makeanykind of sense of Mike’s words.
I swallow hard and stare at Mike. My voice so quiet I’m surprised anyone even hears me, I ask, “What do you mean?” But Mike can’t look back at me. He scratches his neck and keeps his mouth sealed shut. “Austin,” I whisper, twisting to face him instead. I move a step closer and clutch his wrist, staring pleadingly up at him. “What does he mean?”
“Nothing, Gabby,” Austin murmurs, but his words are the least convincing thing in the world. His expression is contrite, downcast, as his eyes lock on my hand around his wrist.
“My father wouldn’t havewhat?” I prompt, harder now as the blood rushes to my ears. There’s a sickening sense of panic and fear, like they all know something I don’t, and I can’t bear to be the only one left in the dark. “If you don’t look at me right now, Austin, and start talking—”
Austin lifts his gaze. “I can’t.”
“Wow.” I recoil from him, because how dare they speak of my father and then not tell me what the fuck they’re talking about? They didn’t evenknowmy dad, and the confusion makes me feel faint. “Caroline?” I try, one last time.
But Caroline only shakes her head slowly, and evenshelooks guilty. “We can’t, Gabrielle.”
There is no way I can stay here a second longer, not with their refusal to offer me an explanation. Caroline and Mike? Whatever. They hate me and owe me nothing. Austin, however? It hurts that he won’t tell me.
I clench my jaw and flash him a seething look of betrayal, right before I turn and walk away. Furiously, I kick open the gate and storm out onto the street.
“Gabby!” Austin yells. He barges through the gate after me, racing down the drive.
“We’re supposed to be building trust,” I spit at him, pausing only for a second to let him catch up. “You guys are talking about my dad. How can you not be honest with me about that?”
