AllFreeNovel
Share Us
So, perfect,I wanted to say, relieved.
She really was exactly what Darius needed.
“Anyway,” Lavena went on, “I’m positive you missed something in the conversation.”
“I didn’t,” then with less certainty, “I don’t think I did.”
“Kami, Abilene Beaumont is ninety-two years old. There is no way Father wants Darius to marry her.”
“Or maybe he does?” Kas argued. “The Beaumont fortune is nearly unmatchable.”
“Abilene has six granddaughters. Why wouldn’t Father ask for one of them?”
“It would be smarter to go for Abilene. Once she dies —”
“Oh my god, Kas!” Sasha exclaimed.
“What? She’s not going to live forever. Her days are literally numbered. Maybe she wants a young stud before she croaks.”
“Jesus…” Sasha sighed, staring at the other woman with horror.
Kas met my gaze and seemed to realize what she was saying. She winced. “Sorry.”
Sasha rocked her head slowly from side to side, disgust still evident on her pretty face before she turned to Lavena. “Maybe it’s not Abilene he’s interested in. Maybe he’s trying to get Darius with one of the granddaughters and he needs to go through Abilene first.”
“That would definitely make more sense,” Kas agreed, nodding vehemently.
“No,” I murmured. “He definitely said Abilene.”
“Okay, we need to figure this shit out.” Lavena clapped her hands together once as if to focus. “I don’t care if Abilene Beaumont has all the money in the world and the fountain of youth, she’s not marrying my brother. So, we need to get her out of the picture and—”
“And what?” I cut in, needing to make them stop and accept as I had. I couldn’t have them breaking this deal Alexander had made. I couldn’t let them ruin this chance for Darius. “Look, I really appreciate you guys trying to help, but this is the right move. I’m okay with it. Seriously,” I raised my voice when Lavena opened her mouth, “please. Don’t do anything. Don’t talk to your dad or Darius about this. Don’t go after Abilene. This is honestly what I want, and I am begging you guys to please leave it alone.”
The silence could have been cut with a knife. My friends stared at me in the deafening calm of my words with confusion and suspicion, but thankfully no one pressed.
“If this is what you want…” Sasha whispered at long last.
I nodded. “It is.”
Another moment of quiet as Lavena leaned back, features neutral.
“Fine,” she voiced finally. “We’ll drop it. Now,” she shoved my shoulder, “go take a shower because you stink. Put on a clean top and let’s go get food. I’m starving.”
I argued because it was expected, but ultimately allowed myself to be shoved off the sofa, letting the comforter pool to the ground. I padded into my bathroom to drown myself in the hottest shower known to man, giving myself time to collect my emotions and energy the best I could. I told myself on repeat that I was doing the right thing. What I’d told Darius that night stood true and I needed to accept it.
This was no longer just about me or him and what we wanted. Our selfishness would only lead to someone getting hurt. It could be him, or Lavena, or my parents. If he didn’t marry Abilene, he would spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder and the longer he did so, the more he would push me away anyway out of sheer paranoia. No matter what, our time had come to an end. At least with Abilene by his side, he would be safe.
My skin blazed red and felt raw and sore when I pulled on jeans and a light, fluffy sweater several minutes later. I wove my hair into a thick plait down my back and brushed on a light coat of makeup before making my way back to the living room.
No one had moved from their spots when I returned. My mess was cleared away, the comforter was folded in one of the armchairs, and the cushions were plumped. My friends lounged across the furniture as they always had, chatting as if none of the Abilene stuff had ever happened.
“I honestly expected the floor to collapse,” Kas was saying when I rounded the corner.
“Who were half those people?” Sasha added.
Lavena shrugged. “Fuck if I know. I don’t think even Mom knew. They just showed up.”
“That is crazy,” Kas cried. “Who just randomly shows up to someone’s party? That was one time,” she corrected when Sasha and Lavena raised an eyebrow in her direction. “It was different.”
