Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
I would not cry or yell or any of that nonsense. No. I’d carry out the messy public breakup of my relationship with the utmost dignity—even if the break was going to be so much worse than any that came before. I knew it without a doubt. Because the man standing in front of me...he was my heart. No idea when it had happened. But there could be no denying it. His beloved face and strong hands and the way that, even now, he listened. He gave me his full attention. A small but important thing.
I swallowed hard. “I...um.”
“Hey,” he said, slipping his hand around the back of my neck. Giving me a comforting squeeze before letting go again. “Take a breath and tell me, Susie. What are you sorry for?”
“For wrecking your parents’ party.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’m so sorry.”
“You said he grabbed you and tried to kiss you,” said Lars, voice loud enough to be clear to all. “Is that right?”
“Yes.”
Aaron spluttered while his mom made indignant noises.
“Excuse me,” said Deborah, raising her voice. “You had your chance. It’s Susie’s turn to talk now.”
Henning gave them a stern nod of warning.
“I wanted him off me and he wouldn’t let go so I kneed him in the balls,” I said.
Lars nodded. “That’s everything?”
“Yes. Basically. He spouted all sorts of bullshit about me leading you on to make him jealous, but those were the main points,” I said. “If I’d known I was going to disrupt the party and embarrass you this way...well, I don’t actually know that I would have done anything differently. Given the situation and all. But I am sorry it happened, Lars.”
His serious gaze took me. He had the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. “I know you are,” he said. “But it’s not your fault. You didn’t start any of this, did you?”
“No,” I agreed.
“No,” repeated Lars. “Of course you didn’t. No more than you’d lead me on or any of that other shit.”
And oh my God the relief. He believed me. He was on my side. My smile was shaky as all hell, but he returned it without hesitation. It was me and him against the world. Without reservation, this was something I could trust.
Then Aaron aggressively grabbed at my arm, yelling, “You lying little bi—”
Boom. That’s as far as he got. Lars’s fist shot out and connected with Aaron’s face. Aaron rebounded with a whimper as blood gushed from his nose. His mother went into apoplexy. That’s the order it happened in. And the party pretty much ended there.
* * *
While Aaron held ice wrapped in a kitchen towel to his face, Vivian ranted on. And on. And on some more. If only people had mute buttons. That would be so useful. When she turned my way, I just rolled my eyes. It only encouraged her to condemn me all the more, but I couldn’t help it. Deborah had asked them to wait until she’d seen off her guests. Promised that they’d straighten things out then. Whatever.
Santa better bring me some more fucks this Christmas. Because I was officially out of them. This had to have been the longest year in creation. At least with Lars at my side, it would eventually end on a high. Because I now believed we had a strong chance of making this work. We had to. Any other thought was...just, no.
Deborah and Henning had been hugging people and shaking hands and generally clearing the room of all their guests while the wait staff cleared the tables and the band packed away their instruments. It had been quite the night.
“He should press charges,” hollered the evil witch. Though that was being too mean to witches. Even the ones that were evil. Like I’m sure they had their reasons.
“And explain to the police how he assaulted Susie not once, but twice?” asked Cleo. “I’d very much like to hear that.”
She seemed to swell with rage, though her gaze turned wary. “My boy didn’t assault anyone.”
“We all saw him grab her. Try again.”
“Well, if he did it was only to make her apologize for all of those terrible lies!”
“Mom,” hissed Aaron. “That’s enough. You’re making it worse.”
The expression of affront Vivian displayed was quite good. I’d have given it a solid eight out of ten. But it was the stunned and beleaguered look of victimhood which followed that really won the day. The woman could overact. It sucked that the anniversary party had been ruined. I’d be sending Deborah flowers for sure.
We sat to the side of the room, Lars’s hand in my lap. I don’t think he really needed the bag of ice that I held to his knuckles. He’d repeatedly told me it was fine. But it gave me something to do. Nervous energy was running rife through me, though the worst of it was over. Too much adrenaline or something.