Page 126 of Sold to Her Enemy

But Adrian called me.

Even though he was mad at me for rejecting him again, for saying no to him again, he still reached out a week after he flipped my life upside down.

And he kept trying to reach out.

I’m the one who was too frozen with grief and pain to reach out to him.

And then I gave that journalist the interview without a second thought. No wonder he was angry with me.

He went all these years thinking I hated him, and that I thought I was too good for him.

And then I told him to go away because he couldn’t get over what my father did.

I can’t get over what my parents did.

“Please go! I don’t want you to be here!”

“We understand, Mckenna,” Dad tries to give me a hug, and I move out of the way. I bite the inside of my cheek hard enough to bleed.

All these months, I wanted to hug him, touch him, and know that he was safe and well, but now I can’t stand to look at him.

“Mckenna, we’ll work this out.” Mom’s hand hovers near my shoulder, but she doesn’t touch me.

I stand on the porch until I see them walk down the laneway and enter an SUV. They drive away, and my heart breaks. I wonder if I’m ever going to see them again, and I’m not sure that I care if I do.

And that thought–the thought that I don’t care if I ever see my parents again- sends me racing inside, flopping on the bed and clutching a pillow to my chest.

I finally let out the sobs.

I don’t know if I should call Adrian. How would he ever understand this? What would he think of my parents?

This is all too much. I grab my phone, but I can’t bring myself to call him down and hug my pillow. Tears roll down my cheeks until I finally sleep.

It’s the subtle change of air, his footsteps disturbing the space, along with a scent of his cologne.

The scent of familiarity that has me stirring from sleep.

“Mckenna,” his voice breaks on the word.

“No…” I am so overwhelmed I can’t think. I don’t want him here. Seeing him here, taking up my private cocoon, is too much.

I clutch the sheet to my chest, curl myself up into a ball. “Go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Adrian’s footsteps are light on the wooden floor. This is so unfair. First, my parents show up and now him.

He said he wanted me.

But then he couldn’t accept my father.

The story that has been told for years is that Adrian’s family made my family wealthy. But if it wasn’t for my father’s work, my father’s time and energy and effort…a scream bubbles up in my throat. I toss the sheet away from me and get off the bed. I want out of here.

“Mckenna, I’m sorry.”

“It’s so unfair. All of it.” My voice is tight and I don’t know how to talk to him. But he’s taking up this room.

He takes my hands in his. I try to get out of his grip. “Yes, it’s unfair. I’m going to make it up to you. I am sorry. I should have run into Club Lust and taken you back home with me. We should have got on a plane together and found your father. I am sorry. I thought I had to do what was expected of me.”

“It hurt so much. All of it.”

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