AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t want to spoil the mood, but I need to tell Michael about going into town today . . . alone.
Taking a swig of orange juice, I dive in headfirst. “Charlie, can I catch a ride with you when you go to college later? I need to go to my dorm.”
“Umm . . .” Charlie stalls, looking at Michael.
Michael’s fork pauses halfway to his mouth. “What do you need to go home for?”
I prepared for this. “I need to go into town to run some errands,” I say, trying to stay casual and calm.
“We’re going into town later to meet Molly at the clerk’s office,” he reminds me.
Shit.I was hoping he’d forget about that.
“No, it’s okay. I need to go home first.”
The cutlery clanks on his plate as he lays it down, elbows propped on the table, and his fingers intertwined under his chin. I have his full attention.
“Why?”
“To change,” I say like it’s obvious, gesturing atanother set of Charlie’s borrowed clothes I have on. The hoodie is nice and thin, but the leggings barely fit.
I take another drink of orange juice.
“Try that again,” he suggests, not buying it.
The conversation around us continues to flow, leaving us in a bubble of our own. Who knew you could feel so alone at a table full of people? A sigh stutters out of me.
“Open that mouth and lie, see what happens,” he dares.
Fuck.
I twirl my glass, the liquid sloshing dangerously close to the top. Michael’s hand grips the glass, stilling my movements.
“I need to go for a run.”
His head goes back, confusion washing over his face.
“Okay. You could have just said that.” He pauses, seeming to think for a second. “How’s your ankle?”
“Good.” I nod.
“We’ll go for a run, meet Molly, and then we can run your errands before we meet my family at the county clerk’s office.”
“No,” I rush out.
Michael lifts a brow. “We’re getting married, Lara.”
“I need to do the errands alone.”
Subtle, real subtle.
His brows shoot up when he realizes it’s not the marriage I’m protesting.
My heart flutters at the thought of marrying this man. I know I should be kicking and screaming, and if we were somewhere else, I might. But here and now, with this loving and loyal family, I just can’t get myself to say the words.
I barely know Michael, but I’ve never felt this way before. Besides, something tells me fighting this would get me nowhere.
My mind reminds me of the last two times that Michael has punished me—in my dorm when I said someone else’s name and in the truck when I wouldn’t repeat what he wanted. Both times had been . . . painful and erotic.
