Until Now by Jensen Parker

Author:Jensen Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ashley Hickey-Sy
Published: 2023-06-02T20:02:50+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Five

Daddy sits across the table at The Vintage House. I ordered only a kale salad and declined when he suggested adding a sandwich. I’m not hungry. I haven’t been hungry in the last few days since Nick’s sudden departure. “Davina?” When I look up, I’m met with a sympathetic smile. “Stai bene?”

I know I have to tell him. I have to be honest. He isn’t going to be happy, but he needs to know the truth.

“Nina, I’m worried about you. You come home covered with bruises and a huge gash in your leg, Nick leaves in the middle of the night, and you’ve barely eaten or spoken since. What’s going on? Did you guys break up?”

I can’t hold back the laugh.

“This isn’t funny, Nina.”

“Daddy, ti ho detto, he had to go take care of something for work.”

“Davina Bay, non mentirmi. I heard you fighting, I think everyone in the house did.”

“Non era niente.”

“Didn’t sound like nothing.”

“We…We just—”

“Tua madre ed io siamo preoccupati per te.”

“Mother, worried about me? That’s funny.”

“She cares about you, Nina.”

“That’s why she spent years telling me I was a mistake? She never wanted me, right? She only wanted Kai. Her planned child. Look, Daddy, you want me to be honest? Nick wasn’t my boyfriend. I hired him.”

He laughs. Why is that everyone’s reaction? But, his laugh fades when I don’t join him.

“I offered him money to pretend to be my boyfriend to keep Mother off my back.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“She told me I needed to get over Lee, I needed to move on. She was going to fix me up with the neighbor kid so I wouldn’t be alone while Lee and Teagan were here.” I watch his face slowly set to stone. “I brought someone you wouldn’t know. Someone who could be whoever I needed them to be. Nick wasn’t fond of the idea, but I guess a free vacation and money can persuade anyone.” The table next to us has started to listen. I roll my eyes when the woman quickly averts her gaze. “We ended up getting pretty close. We— I started to feel something more… I thought he did too, but he told me that it was a mistake. Something about Mother and my reputation. It was all too much for him.” I wish he would say something, anything, but he just stares. “Something happened out in Denver and I don’t know what it was, but something changed his mind about me. And for days, I’ve been trying to figure it out, but I can’t. The only thing I know, Nick doesn’t want to be with me. Whether it’s something Mother said or did, or maybe he can’t get past my reputation, I don’t know. But, I’m tired of lying. I can’t do it anymore. I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t want to lie to you, but at the time, I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”

Daddy stands from the table without a word and leaves.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.