Page 21
Chapter Five
Carly
My mind is a mess today. Between Dottie and Ivy’s fight, Chance trying to get me to go out with him, and the date I’ve been avoiding all day, I’m about to fall apart. Blowing out a breath as I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and stare out at the road in front of me, I focus on the fight between Dottie and Ivy. It’s the most manageable problem of the three.
Dottie has always been the one person in this world who is there for us no matter what and we’ve never argued with her—not seriously, anyway—so it feels weird to know Ivy and Dottie aren’t speaking. I hate the tension. I may not be the one fighting with Dottie, but I’m still stuck in the middle, trying to repair the rift in our family. It’s especially hard when I think they both have valid points. Dottie shouldn’t have reacted so strongly without at least meeting Julian first, but Ivy has to see where she’s coming from. Our mother’s greed and desire for status destroyed our father until he felt like he had nothing left anymore and Dottie lost her brother so suddenly. It’s hard to heal from that.
With the bluetooth connected in my car, I dial Ivy’s number and wait for her to answer, as it seems to ring endlessly.
“If you’re calling me about Dottie, you can hang up right now,” she snaps without so much as a hello and I smirk, shaking my head as I pull into the parking lot at my apartment complex.
“I’m not.”
“Liar,” she shoots back, her irritation dying down with each word.
“Actually, I’m just calling to see how you are.”
She sighs. “I’m fine.”
“Well, now who’s the liar?” I ask, pulling into my designated spot and putting the car in park.
“I don’t want to talk about Dottie,” she replies but her voice betrays her, telling me how badly she wants to vent about their argument last night. “It’s just… I didn’t expect her to be so hateful.”
“Vi, she wasn’t being hateful. She’s just worried about you.”
“I know what I’m doing, Carly. Julian isn’t like the rest of them,” she fires back and I nod despite the fact that I’m alone in my car.
“And I believe you, but you have to take a minute to look at it from her perspective. Look at what Mother’s need for money did to Dad and look at what happened to me. She just wants to protect us.”
“So, what? I’m just supposed to throw away this man I love and be miserable for the rest of my life for her?”
I scoff, annoyed by her dramatics. “Of course not, Vi, but you could start by bringing him to Sunday dinner and letting Dottie get to know him a bit. She’ll seehe really is different if you give her the chance.”
“You really think she would give him a chance?”
“I’ll talk to her, okay? Just bring Julian to dinner on Sunday and I’ll make sure Dottie keeps an open mind.”
“You would do that for me?” she asks, her voice hopeful.
“Vi, you’re my sister. I’d do anything for you. Just give her a chance, okay? She wants the best for you.”
She’s quiet for a long moment and I wonder if she got cut off when she sighs. “I know. Thanks, Car. I’ll talk to you later.”
“You know I’m always here if you want to talk. I love you.”
“I know and I love you, too. I’ll see you on Sunday, okay?”
I agree before hanging up, grabbing my things, and climbing out of the car. As I open the door to my apartment complex, I try to prep myself for my phone call to Dottie. She’s stubborn as hell and it will be like trying to push a rock up a hill to get her to agree to give Julian a chance but I’m hoping she’ll do it for Ivy. If he’s as great as Ivy says he is and she can just see them together and get to know him a little, I truly believe she’ll come around.
Stepping off the elevator, I sigh, happy to be home and more than ready to relax for a bit. Once inside my apartment, I toss my bag on the counter and look down at my phone, still a little nervous to call Dottie. The last thing I want to do is argue with her, too. Instead, I sift through the mail in my hand and pause when I get to an envelope with my name handwritten on the front. There is no return address and I flip it over, looking for any clue before I rip it open. Inside is a card with a bouqueton the front and when I open it, something falls on to the counter. Glancing down, I freeze at the sight of the check laying on my granite countertop and my hand shakes as I pick it up, reading the name three times before the check falls out of my hand.
No.
He didn’t.
Tears threaten to fall and my entire body trembles as I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to breathe, willing my mind to not go there. I’ve made it through most of this day without reliving the worst night of my life and I will not lose it now.
Fuck Austin.
