Page 50 of Leave Before I Love You
“Never scare us like that again,” June threatens as I step into my own space, a jack-in-the-box on repeat, and I smile at her.
“No more island adventures. I promise.” It’s a truth and a reminder at once, urging me to find my source of comfort in the crowd now that I can breathe again.
It doesn’t take long to find Henry where I saw him last; I’m tooattuned to him at this point to struggle. The woman I can only assume is his girlfriend, Ashley, clings to him even tighter.
She’s pretty—blond, petite, and well-dressed—and very clearly emotional over him. She cares. Maybe even loves him. And I can’t even fucking blame her.
Henry Callahan is the real deal.
He leans in, speaking softly to her, and the visual feels like someone has buried a knife straight into my chest. Which is stupid…right?
She’shis girlfriend. I’m just the woman he survived with, the woman who coerced him into taking her virginity even when he fought it because he’s agoodfucking guy.The woman who wishes she were right there, in his pretty girlfriend’s place.
Before I can dwell on it further, another voice cuts through the chaos, a raging bellow of an irritable man who I find quickly fighting with Coast Guard security to get through. “Avery!”
Oh God. Justin.My…boyfriend. Even if I did blame Henry for clinging to me while we were there and then running back to Ashley upon arrival—which I don’t—it’d be the literal definition of calling the kettle black.
I didn’t just forget about Justin while we were there—I willfully ignored him.You’re a total bitch, Avery Banks. A total fucking bitch.
In a full-blown cry, his face red and blotchy, Justin pulls me into a hug that sends my small, frail body reeling. “Thank God you’re okay! I was so worried about you, Avery!”
“Uh, hey, Justin,” I say, my voice awkward as I pat his back. “I’m fine. Really.”
He pulls back, his hands on my shoulders, and looks me over like he’s inspecting me for injuries.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been so worried, Avery. I feel like it’s been a year since I last saw you, baby.”
My mind struggles to remember the last time I even saw Justin.I mean, in my defense, we’ve only been dating for a short time. A month. Two months, tops.I think…
The point is, clubbing with Justin and making out on the dance floor feels like an entirely different lifetime ago.
“I’m good, Justin.” I know my tone is a little too light for the situation, but hell’s bells, I don’t know how to react to someone I completely forgot existed. I’ve always been the type of girl who wears her emotions on her sleeve, so hiding the fact that I can hardly remember why I was even dating this guy in the first place is really damn hard.
He leans forward to press a kiss to my lips, and it’s a shock to my system. I’ve kissed hundreds of guys in my lifetime—in clubs, at random, and without second thought—but for the first time ever, the very act feels wrong.
Even as Justin talks, my eyes search for someone else.The only someone else.
“God, Avery, I’ve missed you. And going through the past two weeks thinking I’d lost you for good has put everything into perspective for me,” Justin says, taking my hand into his.
Behind me, I hear my dad whisper to my mom, “Who is this guy?”
To which she answers, “That’s Avery’s boyfriend, Jamie.”
“It’s Justin,” June corrects quietly.
Beau laughs.
I’m distracted easily, but Justin doesn’t hear them at all, rubbing at the backs of my hands with his thumbs and staring into my scattered eyes. “When I saw you were being rescued, I knew what I needed to do. What Iwantedto do. Life shifted, you know? Got put into perspective.”
Releasing my hand, he sinks his own into his pocket and bends notably at the waist, his knees flexing forward. My eyes narrow as he gets shorter and shorter, his body looking increasingly, frighteningly, like he’s about to get down on one knee.
Oh my Gawd. Yep. The knee just made contact.
My eyes go wide. “No. No, no, no, nooooo,” I rush to say,putting my hands to his biceps and lifting with all my strength. But I’m arguably weaker than normal, he isn’t budging, and his stupid fucking knee might as well be glued to the tarmac.
My mom gasps, and June shrieks. My grandpa Phil clears his throat like he’s choking.
Panicked, I lean forward and get close, my words urgent. “Not right now, Justin,” I whisper toward him, shaking my head maniacally.Not ever, for the love of everything.
