Chasing My Forever (Beaumont: Next Generation 3) - Page 85

“And you’d probably be in the same boat with Roy. Leopards don’t change their spots, Eleanora. He would’ve chea

ted on you, disgraced your family, and been a horrible husband. Of this, I have no doubt.”

I grimace. “You’re probably right. I’m going to end up an old maid at this rate.” I lie back down and sigh. Susannah does the same and links her hand with mine.

“If I hadn’t lost the baby, Tanner and I would be married already.”

“True.”

“And he’d be working at the mill, with his daddy, hating his job, hating me. I loved my baby, but sometimes I’m thankful that God had other plans because I can’t imagine my world without Tanner in it. And I know he’s going off to basic training, but in eight weeks, we’ll be back together, being husband and wife.”

“Making babies.”

“Or practicing,” she says, laughing. We both turn at the same time and smile.

“You’re going to find your happily ever after, even if it means going back to California and making that man see the error of his ways.”

“I hope you’re right, but until then, I think we need to get some sleep because you have a wedding to get to later.”

“Hell, yeah we do! I’m about to get me a husband,” she starts screaming and kicking her feet again.

37

Quinn

It’s been a long time since I’ve shown my face in the Bean Song. I honestly expected Zeke to boot me out as soon as I sat down. He just smiled, patted my back and welcomed me with open arms. I honestly don’t know why I came in here this morning, but something settled in my mind, telling me that I needed to be here.

The single Ajay and I wrote, “You’re the One,” debuted on the charts at number twenty about a week ago and is steadily climbing its way up. It’s getting a lot of airplay and Elle tells us all every day how many digital copies have been sold. Still, I feel empty, like something’s missing, which is why I think I ended up here.

The first time I heard it on the radio, I had to pull over. It was raining, and I stopped in front of her complex. So much emotion came pouring out of me, not only when I wrote the song, but listening to it as well. Dana slayed it during vocals, giving listeners her sexy, raspy voice. Everyone loves her, and they should.

I thought about driving through Nola’s parking lot but didn’t know what good that would do me. The wounds are still fresh and even more so with the letter sitting in my hand. I turn the envelope over, looking at the return address, staring at Sofia’s name in what I’m guessing is her handwriting.

It’s been about two months since she destroyed my life. I could’ve easily lived with Nola’s fake name issue but the rest, there’s no way. Even thinking about how they planned this and ganged up on me, it tears me to pieces. I’ve since taken up boxing at my uncle Xander’s gym to relieve some of the pent-up aggression I have. It was Noah’s suggestion. It was either that, or he was going to dress me in pads and let his offensive line tackle me.

“What can I get you?”

My eyes do a double-take as the waitress stands at my table. She looks like Nola, but her hair is shorter and she’s not as pretty or sweet. “Coffee and the breakfast sampler, please.” She nods and walks away. Yep, definitely nothing like Nola.

When the letter arrived, I called my sisters. I needed their advice about what to do, open it or burn it. I was shocked when both, without hesitation, told me to open. Elle even went as far as to say that Sofia is a product of her mother and that shouldn’t be held against her. Peyton added it doesn’t hurt to read what she has to say and reminded me that I don’t have to respond.

It’s taken me weeks, but I finally slide my finger under the flap and pull out the folded sheet of paper. Slowly, I unfold and look over her words.

Dear Quinn,

To begin, I want to tell you how sorry I am for my actions when we came to meet you. It’s taken me far too long to write this letter to you. I realized that night, and after hearing you and your father speak to my mom (I’ll refrain from calling her our mom) that the stories she’s told me have been lies. For years, she’s painted your dad as a man who stole her son away. I never understood why every lawyer she would visit, would tell her she didn’t have a case, and now I know why, because she gave you up. Until you said those words to her, I had no clue. I have always been under the impression that your father kidnapped you and it wasn’t until you turned eighteen, did she reveal your name. Now, it all makes sense.

After your birthday, she started keeping a detailed diary, printing off everything she could find out about you from the internet. You became her obsession. Every inch of her wall space is dedicated to you. It’s disturbing, but I didn’t understand until now. I thought she was a mom, yearning for her lost child. Everything changed when Eleanora came to visit. You see, someone snapped a picture of you singing and she was in the background and once my mother saw her, she put two and two together and her mind went into overdrive. Because Eleanora and I were friends, my mother knew where she worked and how to find you. Eleanora walked into a trap she didn’t even know was set, and that’s because I made up stories about you in college.

Eleanora. This is going to be hard to explain. I wasn’t very popular in college and when I met Eleanora at the end of my sophomore year, we hit it off and became roommates for the next two years. Off and on, I would show her pictures of my brother, Q. Bragging about how talented he was, how he was going to make it big. When I’d go home, he’d always visit, all lies of course. Over the years, Eleanora would comment on how you were, and when it came time to leave after graduation, she didn’t want to go home so she went to California with another roommate of ours.

I’m going out on a limb here and say that her getting a job where you were playing was happenstance. When she told me a “Quinn James” was playing open mic, I asked her not to approach you. When she was certain you were the Q from all my pictures, I posted a picture of a lookalike and told her you were in Phoenix so there was no way you were in Los Angeles. So, while she knew, she didn’t, which probably explains her confusion.

I can’t apologize enough for my actions and those of my mother. I know she’s sick and has been for a long time, but I had no idea of the obsession she had with you and your father. I’m sorry for the pain she’s caused, and hope that one day, you’ll be willing to give me a chance as your sister. If not, I completely understand. On the outside looking in, it’s not pretty, so I get it.

All my best,

Sofia

Tags: Heidi McLaughlin Beaumont: Next Generation Romance
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