Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“I can’t believe they would actually be serious about that,” Derek said.
“They were. Extremely so. But I couldn’t do that. Lincoln is a good guy. He’s always been a good friend. I enjoy being around him, and we have always had fun when we spent time together, but there was no way I could marry him,” I said. “We’re friends, and we could never be more. There are arranged marriages that work, of course. Plenty of them. People learn to love each other over time. But that wasn’t going to happen with Lincoln and me. Lincoln is gay.”
“Oh.” Derek nodded. “Well, that would put a damper on things for the two of you. Do his parents know?”
I shook my head. “No. And obviously that’s just part of it. The fact that we would never fall in love and have a happy, functional marriage is deterrent enough. But the sheer audacity of our parents is what really upset me. That they would use me as a pawn like that, treating me like I was a piece of property or an asset they could just offer up, was horrible.
“I couldn’t stand the idea of giving up my own future, the possibility of having a life I wanted, to fall in love, any of it, just so that my parents could have a stronger standing for their business. That wasn’t the kind of life I wanted, and I wasn’t going to accept it. But when I went to my parents to tell them that, they didn’t care. They wouldn’t even listen to me.
“No matter how much I talked, my parents wouldn’t listen. They just started planning the wedding. They were going to have a big announcement of our engagement, complete with splashy photoshoots to spread all over the society pages. It didn’t matter how much we pushed back, they were hearing none of it.
“But I kept arguing, and I kept trying to stop everything. I tried one more time to talk to my parents about the whole thing, and they just shut me down and told me I would do as they expected me to. So, I ran. I’ve been running since then. I just went off the radar, started using a different name when I needed to. I couldn’t use my family’s money, of course, so I started getting whatever jobs I could and working under the table. I would stay in a place for a while, saving money and just drifting along, then move to the next town and the next job.”
“And they’re still looking for you?” Derek asked.
I nodded. “Actively. My parents are furious I would go against them and humiliate the family this way. They are angry I won’t just do what they want me to do and that everything they’ve already put into the engagement and wedding have been wasted. My brother is even angrier. Without my cooperation, his future isn’t as certain as he’d like it to be.
“Of course, they don’t let people know the truth when they are making posts about me online or going on the news to ask for information about me. Then it is all sob stories and crying. They talk about their missing daughter, the child they love so much, and they just know is in danger. They plead for information about where to find me or for me to come back.
“I will not go back and do their bidding. I just won’t. And I’m done fighting and talking and not being heard. So, I keep moving. I really thought this town was going to be the safest place for me. Since coming here, I hadn’t had any problems. But then I saw Jack’s car in town.”
“In town?” Derek asked, sounding shocked. “He drove all the way across the country to find you?”
“He must have,” I said. “But the point is, he’s here. I saw him, and I know he found out where I was living. That was why I packed up everything as quickly as I could and how I ended up here. I knew I couldn’t stay where I was any longer. I didn’t know what I was going to do or where I was going to go next, I just knew I needed to go. And you were there to help. So, thank you.”
Feeling lighter, I stood.
“Jodi,” he said.
I turned to look at him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone on so much of a tirade.”
I took a step toward the door, and Derek’s hand shot out to grab hold of my wrist.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s okay. You shouldn’t be embarrassed or feel uncomfortable. Not with me. And as for this whole situation, we can help you. It’s that simple. If you stay, we will figure it out.”
I stared at him, trying to figure out what to think and how I was going to interpret the situation. Finally, I slipped out of his hold and went back to bed.