AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t slow down. I pull Tommy straight through the crowd and into the women’s restroom before locking the door behind us.
I fling around with both hands raised. “I fucking told you to stay away from her! What were you thinking?”
Tommy recoils, his shoulders shrug with wide eyes. “You looked scared, Til! How am I supposed to just leave that alone?”
“Because I asked you to! This isn’t some little family drama. You can’t possibly understand how dangerous it is to let these people know who you are. Damn it, Tommy! And mentioning your mother? Are you really that dense?”
He lowers his brows. “My mother? Tia sounded—”
“Tia is a conniving siren! How do you not see that? Swear to God, Tommy, she was threatening your mom.”
Tommy’s face droops and pales. “Why?”
I throw my arms up. How is he not understanding? “Because this is not a family and this is certainly not a memorial! This is like the mob version of a corporate retreat. Seriously, blackmail and shakedowns are like trust falls for these assholes.”
He’s rubbing the hair on top of his head, looking at the ground in shame. “What are they going to do?”
I throw my hands up, exasperated, even though I know it’s probably not fair. I can read between the lines of my aunt’s words, but really, Tommy shouldn’t be able to. I take a calming breath. “They want to use the surf shop to launder money and now, she’s saying if I don’t do it, she’s going to set her sights on your mother’s company!” Admitting it aloud feels freeing and draining at the same time. Moisture is building in my eyes, and I try to shake them away. When it becomes apparent that that’s not going to happen, I spin around, covering my mouth with my hand. Don’t cry, Tilly. Don’t. Fucking. Cry. This family, this awful, dick licker of a relationship I have with my aunt shouldn’t be able to draw tears from me.
“Tilly…” His voice is soft, and I shake my head.
“Don’t, Tommy.”
But he doesn’t listen. He never fucking listens to me. His arms wrap around me from behind, and my eyes close. He rocks us both back and forth for a few minutes, a calm sway that helps my heart rate slow. It feels so right to have his powerful hands on me. Safe, almost.
He spins me around and lifts my chin with his hand; my hands wrap around his back, pressing our stomachs together.
His rugged features are carved with concern. "I'm sorry," he whispers. The apology paints his earnest face. He looks younger somehow, more vulnerable. He never should have come. I knew that just like I know that he needs to leave. Now. Tia didn't really get a chance to sink her teeth into him yet. If he stays, that might change. Who knows what Keaton is truly capable of? With Tia's goading, I can only guess.
Shoving away from him, I shake my head. "You should go, Tommy."
We stare at each other for a long moment, before he glances at the ground and mumbles a curse word. "I don't want to," he says. It sounds almost childish.
I close my eyes, wishing like hell it could be different. Without opening them, I say, "Please, just go."
He huffs out a long breath but I hear the door open behind me, then close with finality that I hate.
Chapter sixteen
Tommy
Leaving the ballroom, I find an exit straight out to the snow. The cold bites into me and I flip the collar on this ridiculous tux to find a semblance of extra warmth. But it's not the temperature that's chilling my soul. It's Tilly.
She asked me to leave but I could see it on her face. There was nothing she wanted more than for me to stay. To protect her, however small it might have been. But that's why she closed her eyes. She didn't want me to see how much it hurt. I told her—no, promised her— I would be there for her and then left.
I run a hand through the stupidly smooth hair on top of my head. "Fuck," I say aloud. This can't be right. It doesn't feel right at all. I know she asked me to go, that she meant it. She's genuinely worried about me as much as I am her.
This family is truly messed up. Her uncle with the ass grab? Her aunt with the veiled threats to my mom? Even the way those idiots toyed with her. It's seriously concerning. I look over my shoulder at the door back inside.
Fuck it. If she wants to be mad, let her. I'm not fucking leaving Tilly with these vultures. I grab the door handle and jerk it, but it's locked. Sighing, I turn back around. Walking to the front is going to take much longer than I want, but like hell am I giving up that easily.
Chapter seventeen
Tilly
Miranda pulls me to our table, and we take our seats. The air is filled with the aroma of lamb and roasted red potatoes, a scent that would usually have me salivating, but tonight, my appetite is gone. My mind is stuck on the image of Tommy walking out, leaving a knot in my stomach that no food can untangle. Half an hour ago, he was bragging about how he’d always be at my side. Fucking figures that didn’t last. I can count the number of people that have my back on one hand. Hell, one finger. Sam. One damn conversation with my sister and Tommy split like his ass was on fire.
I should be relieved he's gone, shouldn't I? He’ll be safe from all this nonsense, him and his mother. But instead, the room feels too vast, too empty without him. I mindlessly poke at the food on my plate. Stupid lamb, just laying there in a sauce. Useless food. Get a job, or something, damn it! Okay, I’ve officially lost my mind. But thankfully, Grayson takes a seat beside me before I can tell the potatoes their parents don’t love them. He’s looking far too chipper at the food that is set in front of him. Can’t he see I’m trying to insult my food over here at my misery buffet?
