Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
I had to make sure that didn’t happen.
When I parked in the driveway, I threw my door open and stormed inside, not even bothering to call out a greeting like I usually did when I swung by for a quick visit. And my visits were always short because I couldn’t stand to be around them for more than fifteen minutes at a time because they picked at my mistakes and insecurities like vultures.
“Hugo?” my mother called out from the living room.
I headed there to find my parents on the couch with a tray of tea and cookies on the coffee table in front of them. I didn’t even bother to sit down in the loveseat, choosing to stand across the coffee table from them.
“What? What is it now?” I asked, barking out a tone that I hadn’t ever used with them before. I was just so fed up with their judgment!
“Hugo!” my mother gasped as she placed her hand over her chest.
“You will not use that tone of voice in front of your mother!” my father snapped.
I clenched my jaw and didn’t say anything, waiting for them to complain about whatever was on their mind.
“Marc Daniels reached out to me. He said that you turned Ashley down without even giving her a chance! Is that because of that Leah girl I told you to leave behind?” my father asked as he rose to his feet.
I held his stony gaze.
“I don’t like Ashley. I’ve never liked Ashley! You can’t force me to like someone,” I told him. “I didn’t expect to get close to Leah, but I did! She’s an amazing person who is a damn good player and someone I want in my life!”
“I don’t care that you think she’s some hot piece of tail! She doesn’t reflect the values we have in this family, so I forbid you from speaking to her!” my father shouted.
I could’ve laughed. Did he really think that he could keep me from being with Leah? The one woman who made me feel something deeper than lust? She took over my mind every single day, tormenting my thoughts and making me want to be with her all the time. She pushed me in a manner that was productive, not destructive like my parents.
“You can’t stop me from seeing her. I will see her,” I replied.
“Hugo…” my mother sighed as she shook her head. “She’s not right for you, honey.”
“How would you know? You don’t know anything about me,” I gritted out as my eyes darted between the two of them. “All you care about is that I make you guys look good. You don’t care about me.”
“Yes, we do,” my mother insisted.
I shook my head and took a step back.
“If you cared, you would support who I cared about,” I replied.
“Not her!” my father snapped as he moved toward me.
“I love her!” I bit out with firmness. What I felt for her was beyond just thinking she was fun to be around or that she was beautiful. It was so much more than that.
My parents remained silent, staring at me with shock written all over their faces. Maybe they were hoping that I took back my words or apologized, but they wouldn’t hear either of those things from me. I said my piece.
When my father realized that I wasn’t going to bow to him like I usually did, he tightened his fingers into fists.
“If you continue seeing her, you’re not my son anymore. You’re not a Reid any longer,” he threatened me.
I expected such a threat from him, and my father was the type to keep his promises, so I knew that this was serious. If I chose Leah, I lost everything my family offered me. And that was only money and judgment.
Fuck that.
“Thank God,” I muttered before storming out of the house, ignoring my parents shouted as they demanded me to come back.
There was no way in hell I was backpedaling now. I made my decision. I chose Leah, but I wasn’t naive. I knew I wasn’t the only one who would choose Leah a thousand times over unfair parents, unsatisfying one night stands, and an empty, loveless life. The guys were hooked on her too. I saw it written all over their faces when they were around her.
It wasn’t like we were the most romantic group of guys around. Hell, most of us sucked at romance! But everything was different when it came to Leah. She made me want to show up at her door with a bunch of roses with a speech about my feelings prepared. She turned me into that guy, and I liked that because that was the happiest version of me.
I just didn’t realize it until now.
So, if I wanted to be happy, I had to tell her how I felt. But the guys were like my brothers. I needed to talk to them first because we had a lot to discuss.