Page 59 of One Lovely Lie

Daniel closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath at his mother’s voice. He turns around slowly, smiling at his mother as I let go of him. Both sets of parents approach us, his mom automatically wrapping him in a hug while mine just stands there nursing her drink. Daniel’s father beams at him while mine just nods in my direction.

“Mother. Father,” Daniel says, pulling away wearily.

“Magnus, so good to see you,” Daniel’s mother says, rubbing her hand up and down my arm.

“A pleasure as always, Mrs. Levingson,” I say sincerely. I turn to Daniel’s dad and shake his hand. “Mr. Levingson.”

“Son,” my father says, extending his hand for a shake that I reciprocate tersely.

“Dad.”

“Well, isn’t this lovely,” Daniel’s mother says, easing the obvious tension between my dad and me. She brings the beautiful woman to me and gestures at her. “Magnus, you haven’t been introduced to Florence yet.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Florence,” I say with a smile as I shake her hand. “How do you know the Levingsons?”

She cocks her head to the side, eyeing me subtly as she holds her chin high in the air and answers sweetly. “I am Daniel’s fiancée.”

What. The. Fuck.

I freeze. I whip my head in Daniel’s direction and am a bit relieved to see that he’s also surprised—but not as surprised as he should be. It feels like a hurricane is whipping chaotically through my chest. There’s an almost anxious panic that fills me, my body warming and flushing, my nerves set alight. I feel nauseous. I feel confused.

The worst part is that Daniel doesn’t do anything to correct her.

“Your what?”

“It’s brand new,” his mother says holding Florence’s hand. “Oh, we are just so excited for the two of them.”

“Congratulations,” my father says, squeezing Daniel’s motionless shoulder. “There’s good news all around then. Magnus got into Mannheim University. He’ll be starting there in the fall.”

“I’mwhat?”

This time, it’s Daniel’s turn to look at me as his jaw drops.

My father’s stare turns icy as he squeezes my shoulder a bit too hard. “Remember, son. This is what’s best for your future. For yourentirefuture.”

The not-so-subtle implication that my trust fund relies on this isn’t lost on me. He’s actually doing this. I’m actually going to fucking Germany.

This is too much for me to handle. Daniel’s fuckingengaged. The love of my life isengaged. I’m going to Germany. To a school I didn’t even apply to?

“Can you excuse us for a second?” Daniel asks, his jaw set tightly as he motions for his parents to follow him.

I narrow my eyes at my father. “Same here, please.”

Florence looks between the six of us, completely lost but something behind us catches her interest.

Praise the lord who gave us Ozymandias Clark.

“Ozymandias!” Daniel basically shouts, dragging our confused friend over as he turns to Florence. “Florence, I don’t think you’ve met Ozymandias. Florence Duboit this is Ozymandias Clark.”

Florence’s shoulders straighten with pleasure. “A Clark?”

Ozymandias’s brows are furrowed in confusion but when both Daniel and I shoot him a pleading look, something in his mind clicks. “Duboit? I recognize that name. Your family is just flourishing in France.” He holds his arm out for her. “Why don’t I introduce you to my parents? They’re over there by the Everetts.”

“The Everetts?” Florence repeats, her eyes wide. “Oh my, yes, what an honor.”

I don’t even bother looking at Daniel as I drag my mother and father away to the corner of the room. My fists are clenched by my sides, and I swear my face must be red with rage. “What the fuck was that?” I hiss.

“Don’t cause a scene, Magnus,” my father snaps at me, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone has overheard us.

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