Page 74 of Last Chance Seduction
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”I repeated the lie.
“You know exactly what we’re talking about,” my dad added.“You keep thinking you need to do more than we ever did.That you don’t want to stand in our shadow.But you couldn’t be further from the truth.”
I stood there, wondering how the hell I was so surprised that my family understood me.We were close for a reason.But I didn’t want to hear these words.
“Baby,” my mom continued, “we need you to be healthy.That’s it.And I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” I lied.
She gave me a look that spoke volumes.“You have already done so much for us.With everything that you do.But you put so much pressure on yourself for things that aren’t as important.”
“I…I’m fine.I’ve got this handled,” I said softly.
My mom let out a breath.“I know you wanted this contract.I know that Mercy worked with you on it, but there’s so much more out there.She’sout there.”
“Mom.”
“No, listen to me.Do not break the one thing that could be amazing for you, that could be everything, because you’re scared.And you hurt that girl, Lexington Montgomery.You hurt that girl, and you need to fix it.”
My mother, the one who would stand in front of a bear, a gun, or an angry mob for me, narrowed her gaze at me, and I stood there, confused as hell.And knowing I’d fucked up even more than I’d imagined.
My dad moved forward.“I hurt your mother once because I was scared too.I’m not going to ever do that again.But I don’t want you to do it either.Don’t follow in my footsteps there.”
I blinked at him.“What?I don’t know this story.”
My mom rolled her eyes.“Beckett, that was a long time ago.And I love you.”She turned to me.“Frankly, your dad might have bruised my heart just a little bit, but we both healed each other in so many ways.And we put up walls around ourselves because we put so much pressure on each other.Before your dad, I married a man who, in the end, I couldn’t trust.Who broke his word and broke me.But that was not your father.And you are so much like your dad that sometimes it surprises me that you don’t have our genes.But baby, you are loved.You don’t need to lean on the image of what you think you need to be.You need to realize who you are.You are brilliant, you are caring, and you were worth everything.Now go stand up for what you could have with Mercy.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”I asked.
“Grovel,” Silas said as he stared at his phone.“Say you’re sorry, do something about it so she knows you’re sorry, and fix it.You gave her time, you gave her space, according to Brooklyn.So now fix it.”
I stared at my younger brother, wondering how the hell he could think that would work, but my parents just tangled their fingers together as they leaned into one another.
Mom leaned forward and took my hands.“I don’t know why you thought pretending to be in a relationship would work, but from what I’ve seen, it was real.The timing at first might’ve been off, but it was real.Make sure she knows that,” my mom ordered.
“And go fix the best thing that could ever happen to you,” my dad added.
And just like that, I knew what I had to do.And I would hate myself later for it being my little brother’s idea.
ChapterSixteen
Mercy
As I finished my final epilogue for the project that had taken me through every emotion I could possibly think of, I let out a deep breath.Because there wasn’t a sound from next door.
Even though the holidays were over, Lex could have begun his construction again at any point.The addition was almost done, in fact every time I had been at his home, there hadn’t been any construction going on at all.The calendar from before had said there would be construction going on today.But he had kept everything silent, calm, stagnant since I had kicked him out of my house.
I pinched the bridge of my nose before forcing myself to put everything away and get out of my booth.Because I should have let him speak.Or maybe I should have said something other than to get out.I had been so ashamed in my part of him losing that job, that I had let every lash of his words slice into me—however his words had been a mistake he hadn’t meant to speak.
And I hadn’t called him back.I was going to today though.It was time for me to finally fight for myself.
I didn’t fight for myself when it came to Justin, but in the end that was a good thing.Not only had he cheated on me, embarrassed me, and ruined what we had, he had sent a bookie after me.
I had been so wrong in my judgment before, that I couldn’t help but worry that I had done it again.
But placing my worries about what Justin had done on Lex was wrong.
So I would tell Lex that.
