Page 99 of Imogen

“I’ll speak to you later,” I promise before turning to Laura. “And I’ll email you later.”

“I fucking knew something was up,” Ben growls. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it doesn’t matter,” I argue.

“Yeah, it fucking does,” he snaps back.

“I’m going. I’ll catch you later,” Mark declares.

“Wait, no. You can’t do anything, Mark. I mean it. And you can’t say anything to the others,” I yell after him, before glaring at Hayden. “Seriously?”

“It slipped out,” she states, holding her hands up.

“Have you gone to the police?” Ben questions.

“No. Because I just want this to be over,” I breathe out.

“Are you serious? You are enabling toxic behaviour, Imogen. He needs to be stopped.”

“He’s fucking lashing out because he’s hurt,” I yell. “He’ll be over it soon.”

“If you say so,” Hayden grumbles.

“I never pegged you as that girl,” Ben utters.

“Ohh, we don’t want to be going there,” Hayden sings. “Say what you must, but if you disrespect my girl, I will have your balls.”

“I’m not scared of you, Hayden. Your threats mean shit to me. And out of everyone, you should have her back,” he rages.

She gets out of her chair so fast, I don’t get the chance to tell her to leave it. “You really want to do this?”

I get up from my chair, stepping between them. “Stop it! Both of you. I want to deal with this in my own way,” I growl before turning to Ben. “If I needed your opinion, I would have asked for it.”

He turns from Hayden to me. “You can say whatever you want about this not being my business. But you’re wrong.Youare my business. And I’m not going to sit on the sidelines and watch you get hurt over and over.”

“Maybe it’s my punishment,” I state, glancing away.

He runs the back of his hand down my cheek. “I think you are punishing yourself enough.”

He leaves, and my shoulders drop as I collapse back into the chair. Hayden follows, resuming her lunch. “You two are totally gonna fuck again.”

“Shut up!” I order under my breath.

How did my life become this messy? I hate drama—love watching it, but hate being a part of it.

And now I’m at the centre of it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Ben

Even on her night off, mymammastill can’t leave well enough alone. She has the next best cook in the country working for her yet she still keeps leaving the table to check on everything.

It’s Isabella’s birthday and we are all sat around the large table at the far end of mymamma’srestaurant. Our grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins are here. All of them are digging into the startersMammahelped bring out with the waitresses.

Carina leans into me. “Are you okay,mio fratello? You’ve been distant all evening.”

I force a smile. “I’m fine.”

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