Page 54 of Leave Before I Love You
Beau shrugs. “Yeah, Ronnie and Maverick and Ashley. Ron says they’re still doing evaluations, but so far, so good.”
“Good,” I manage to squeak out. “I’m glad someone is with him, at least.”Even if one of those someones is his dumb girlfriend.
June laughs. “Honestly, I’m surprised there weren’t more girlfriends waiting for him on the tarmac. You know Henry and women. As soon as news of your plane disappearing hit the papers, I figured they’d be crawling out of the woodwork like roaches.”
Beau chuckles. “Ah, but the news of his survival is fresh. There’s still time.”
“Henry is such a nice young man,” Mom says, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I hope one day he’ll decide to settle down.”
“Doubtful,” Beau snorts. “He’s always been a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to long-term relationships. He only turned semi-monogamous when he realized he was the only one left without a girlfriend.”
Their words sting more than I’d like to admit. Henry might be a lot of things—restless, unpredictable, a little reckless—but for the past two weeks, he’s been my everything. I don’t like feeling like an outsider in this conversation, and I don’t like feeling like someone knows him better than I do. At all.
I gave myself to him. Completely. Something I’ve never done with anyone else, and even with the uncertainty of all this, I don’t regret it. But I don’t know where we stand. I don’t even know if he wants to stand anywhere with me at all or if it’s a long-lost memory stuck on the island we aren’t on anymore.
“You know,” June says, breaking into my thoughts. “It’s kind of funny Henry and Avery were stranded together.”
“Why?” I ask, sitting up a little straighter. There’s an edge to my voice I don’t mean to add, but it sure sounds like the very thing I’m crying over internally is about to be the butt of a joke.
“Because he’s like the male version of you, you know?” June says. “I mean, I didn’t even know much about your boyfriend Justin. Hell, today was the first time I actually met him, even though I’m pretty sure you’ve been dating for, like, two months.”
“A boyfriend who apparently wanted to propose,” Beau chimes in.
“Ju…he wasn’t going to propose,” I argue, but even as I say it, I have to work to remember his name.Justin, Avery. Your boyfriend’s name is Justin, for fuck’s sake.
“I don’t have the best eyesight these days, but the boy got down on one knee, sweetheart,” Dad says, crossing his arms.
“He needed to tie his shoe,” I lie.
“He was wearing loafers,” Dad counters.
“Which is clearly a fashion offense punishable by jail and not the sort of thing a man I’d consider betrothal to wouldeverdo,” I say, pointedly rolling my eyes and glancing down at my father’s favorite Gucci leather loafers that he’s currently wearing. They’re from ten seasons ago, and the leather is so worn it looks like he attempted to hike Mount Everest in them.
“Nice deflection,” my dad muses, and I roll my eyes again. Though, I know he’s not wrong. None of them are. Justinwasabout to propose, and while stringing guys along while they jump to fulfill my every whim isn’t new, it also isn’t right. I need to cut him loose as soon as possible.
As if on cue, the door swings open, and Justin walks in with a massive bouquet of flowers. Red and white and pink roses bundled together in an arrangement so large, he has to bend at the hip to show his face. Several sets of wide, amused eyes turn in my direction, beaming against my embarrassment like a spotlight.
Not only was this fucker about to propose before, but I’m starting to grow concerned he’s going to do itagainif I don’t act quickly.
“Avery, baby,” Justin says, his voice soft and emotional as he sets the bouquet on the table beside me. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good,” I say awkwardly, glancing at the flowers. They’re beautiful, but all I feel at the sight of them is a sharp pang of discomfort. This feels wrong. Heiswrong—like a chapter I should’ve closed before it even got started. “But we need to talk.”
“Talk. Yes, of course. Let’s talk,” Justin says, sitting in the chair beside my bed. His eyes are full of genuine concern, which is truly appreciated, but if I could scratch his eyes out to make it stop without making a scene, I would. “You really scared me, Avery.”
I open my mouth to say something—anything to ease the tension—but before I can, Beau’s smothered laugh and my mom’s responding chide remind me I’m not alone. Not even close.
My mom, my dad, June, Beau, Addy—the whole fucking Brady Bunch is here, watching my every move. Thank God my grandparents left, or there’d be an even bigger audience to this shitshow.
“Hey, guys,” I say, gritting a smile to make the request feel less abrasive. “Could you…buzz off for a little bit? Justin and I need a moment.”
I just catch Justin’s misguided smile out of the corner of my eye before my dad nods, rustling the herd with a wide sweep of his arms. “Of course. Come on, come on, guys. Let’s give Avery a minute to decompress.”
“I don’t want to go,” June says then, fighting the gentle pull of Beau and my parents and bursting through to come to my bedside. I smile and cup my best friend’s panicked cheek, knowing if our roles were reversed, I’d be a basket case in the exact same way.
“Oh, Juni. I’m okay. Promise.”
“I just want to stay here with you tonight. Know for sure.”
