Page 96 of I Choose You
Without his backing? He hadn’t helped me financially with anything other than college. Fire flooded my veins, dryingmy eyes in the process. I pushed my shoulders back and stood tall and proud.
“I’m not sure where you got the idea that I would be looking for any ‘backing,’ but I can assure you I fully intend to take care of myself. I don’t care if you’re disappointed in me. I’m done seeking your approval. I am not living my life to appease someone else a moment longer.” I looked my father in the eyes when I spoke. So much of my life was spent in the shadows of this man, brought out to show to the media and put back into my little corner when it suited him. I was over it.
I turned my head to my mother. “Thank you for letting me stay here, but it is far past time I started living my own life.”
As I walked past my mother and up the stairs, the silence I left behind was deafening. I had no idea what the future held, but I would never forgive myself if I didn’t give this a real chance.
Behind me, the soft patter of footsteps followed me up the stairs. I whirled around to find my mother there.
“What are you doing?” I asked her.
“Helping you pack, dear.”
* * *
Less than an hour later, I was on the road again. Daylight crept into sunset as the miles passed by. The music was on blast, the lightness in my chest making me feel giddy. I couldn’t wait to see Reid again. To surprise him.
His house was dark and closed up when I pulled up to it. The door was locked, but I knocked anyway.
No answer.
I waited another thirty minutes, hoping he had just gone out to grab dinner.
Maybe I would just do a quick swing through town. See if he was at the Downtown Diner or Harpoon’s.
I didn’t see his truck at either place. As I left Harpoon’s, I decided to drop by Wyatt and Maeve’s house too.
Reid wasn’t there either, but they were both home, so I knocked on their door.
Maeve opened the door a second later.
“Agghhh!” she screamed directly in my face. Her arms wound around me, her belly pressing into mine as she pulled me in for a tight hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I was looking for Reid. I didn’t know if you guys knew where he was. He wasn’t home.”
Maeve stepped back and looked over her shoulder at Wyatt. He had come running from upstairs when Maeve yelled bloody murder.
“Claire’s here,” she exclaimed. Her eyes were as wide as her smile. “She’s looking for Reid.”
“Oh, fuck,” Wyatt said.
31
Reid
I couldn’t believe she was gone. She really just… left.
I told her I loved her. I asked her to stay. But she was really gone.
Laughter and music filtered through me, barely even registering in my brain. I stood back from everyone, keeping myself tucked into the back of Wyatt and Maeve’s yard while everyone else fluttered around for Jane’s birthday.
Balloons were tied to the picnic tables. The scent of grilled meat and fresh-cut grass filled the air. Family and friends were all gathered together to celebrate one of my favorite people on the planet. But here I was, fucking miserable.
I had tried to put on a positive face earlier. I had been trying all week. But every day that went by that I didn’t even hear from her was pulling me deeper and deeper into a pit of my own despair. The worst part is that I did it to myself. She warned me not to fall in love with her. She told me she was only here temporarily. None of that was news to me. But I went and fell head over heels for her anyway. I couldn’t stop myself even if I tried.
I clocked Luke making his way over to me at the same time Wyatt started coming my way from the other side of the yard. Did I look like I was in the mood for company? No.
Wyatt handed me a can of Coke. I eyed it, willing it to be a beer—or maybe a bottle of Jack.
