I stood up quickly, placing my coffee mug on the table beside me.
“Why can’t I snap out of it? Do you really want to know the answer to that question, Mother?”
She stuttered. “I’m about to be late for tennis, Fallon. Why don’t we put this conversation on hold until brunch? I’m sure you’re going to be dramatic.”
I crossed my arms over my silky robe. “No. I don’t want to put this conversation on hold until some stupid fucking brunch.”
My mother gasped, and her rosy cheeks turned bright red. So red they would have matched Santa’s suit.
“Fallon! What has gotten into you?!”
I looked her dead in the eyes. I could see right through her tough exterior. She was worried and confused. “Did you know?”
She fidgeted with her tennis skirt. “Did I know what?”
“Did you know that Dad threatened to kick me out of the family if I didn’t marry Derek?”
My mom’s eye twitched just as she moved her head slightly to the right. I wasn’t sure if that meant she was about to lie or if she was trying to keep her face even to hide the disbelief. “What do you mean?”
I took a deep breath. “Don’t you remember when Samuel had told Dad he didn’t want to work in the family business, and Dad flipped out and took everything away from him? He kicked him out of the house and took his college tuition away.”
She swallowed and roamed her eyes all around the sparkling pool. “Yes, I remember that.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Well, he said he’d do the same to me. He said I’d be homeless if I didn’t marry Derek. He’d rip everything away from me if I didn’t live up to the Addington name. Basically, I either marry someone you two approve of or I won’t be considered an Addington to him.”
My mother didn’t say anything, so I continued on.
“Then, he hired a PI to follow me around to see who I was with.” That had my mother’s attention flinging to mine. “He told me if I didn’t break it off with… Emmett, then he’d ruin him. He’d dig up enough to take his livelihood away. He’d destroy his business. Everything.”
My mother’s mouth opened but then closed, as if she didn’t know what to say.
I could feel tears burning behind my eyes, because I was so sick of feeling the way I did. I felt trapped and suffocated.
Words were flying out of my mouth at a rapid pace to the point that I could barely understand myself.
“I’m done, Mom. I’m not marrying Derek. I’m going to go pack my bags right now, and I’ll leave so you don’t have to watch Dad kick me out of the guesthouse. My car is paid for and was a gift, so I’ll take that and get insurance in my name as soon as I find somewhere to stay.” I took a deep breath, feeling like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “I’m not sure if you’re in on this—I sure hope you’re not.” One lone tear fell over my cheek. “But if you ever loved me at all in your life, keep Dad away from Emmett. He doesn’t deserve this. He didn’t do anything wrong, and if Dad thinks destroying Emmett’s life is going to get me back under his thumb, he’s wrong. I’ll be on my own. I’ll figure it out by myself. This isn’t me running off to be with him. He can check for all he wants. I’m doing this for me.”
My mother was at a loss for words. Her mouth was parted, her eyes blinking rapidly. She was shocked. Speechless. I wasn’t sure if I was waiting for her to protest, or if I was waiting for her to say that she didn’t know about my father’s plan, but nothing ever came out of her mouth, so I turned around on my heel and walked over to the gate, leaving her to stand all alone.
I could see Lupe standing near the side door, smiling at me through the small window. She mouthed, “I’m proud of you.”
I nodded, keeping my tears at bay, and walked the rest of the way to the guesthouse.
I may have lost Emmett, but I wasn’t going to lose me, too.
Emmett was right. I should have been choosing me all along.
And leaving here was exactly what I needed. I needed to be on my own. I needed to make my own decisions. If my parents couldn’t get behind that, if they couldn’t be proud of the person I was, then that was on them.
Their loss.
Not mine.
???
I had finally gotten all that I could get into my suitcase when I heard the guest door open and shut. I paused, still sitting on top of my suitcase, trying to get it to zip, when the footsteps got closer.
My entire body broke out in goosebumps at the thought of my father storming in here to reprimand me or threaten me with something else. I let out a held breath when I saw that it was my mother, still dress