Page 69 of If You Loved Me

Chapter 29

Sarah

I’d chosen a basic chain restaurant for the date with Jones tonight because the last thing I wanted was to make a scene in a nice establishment where fellow patrons with prying eyes would likely gossip about what they heard or saw between us. News had a way of spreading like wildfire in a small town and it spread even faster when the news involved Mary Lynne Williams’s daughter.

I swore it was like my mother had eyes and ears all over the damn town.

Jones had offered to pick me up at my place. I’d told him I preferred to just meet at the restaurant. I wasn’t too keen on showing the guy exactly where I lived right before I was going to break things off with him.

Right before we’d sat down at the table, I’d sent Ranger a text message letting him know which restaurant we’d be at and that I’d text him toward the end of our meal. He’d replied instantly and said he was already on his way and hedidn’t mind waiting in the parking lot for however long it took.

There was no doubt in my mind that I was making the right decision. That didn’t stop me from sweating up a storm and nearly picking my nails to death under the tablecloth. I’d never ended things with a man before and everything was made worse by the fact that I wasn’t only ending things with Jones. I was also ending the agreement I’d made with my mother.

She was going to come for me…I knew it. As much as I’d tried to prepare myself for the fallout, telling myself that I had every right to live my own life, I still feared my mother’s wrath. Mostly because it made me sick to my stomach that my own mother disliked who I’d turned out to be so much that she was desperate enough to strike a bargain with me.

Attempting to calm my nerves and steer my thoughts away from my mother, I slid my sweaty palms along the top of my jeans and urged myself to justbreathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.

“I’m really glad you agreed to come out with me again tonight, Sarah. I’ve been enjoying our time together. I think we connect pretty well,” Jones said over the top of his laminated menu. The smile he gave me should have crinkled the side of his eyes, but the skin around them remained perfect. I wondered if he was a Botox user. I wouldn’t put it past the guy.

Heat crept up my neck at his compliment. Thoughts scattered in my mind like a ping pong ball. On one side I thought it would be better to end things right after we ordered ourfood, so I could get it over with. The more rational and less chaotic side suggested I wait until our food was already out since the guy deserved to at least eat his meal before I let him down.

Now, I was questioning why I decided to tell him in person. This wasn’t exactly the best time for my Southern manners to shine through. Not when I was fairly certain my neck was breaking out in a stress rash.

“Mmhmm,” was all I managed to get out through the thickness in my throat.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes honing in on me. “You wouldn’t agree?”

Okay. I guess we’re doing this now.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about this. About how I’ve been feeling about us moving forward.”

His lips pursed slightly as I squared my shoulders. “I know that our mothers thought we could be a good match for one another and I think you’re a wonderful man, but I’m not feeling the spark to take things any further than being friends.”

Refraining from letting out an obscene sigh, I held my breath. Waiting for him to respond.

A smirk tugged at his lips as he snorted a breath. “You honestly think you can do better than me?”

My mouth popped open in shock. I immediately closed it.Who the hell does this guy think he is?

“Listen, Jones?—”

“No, Sarah,” he interrupted, leaning forward. “You listen to me. Your mother made it very clear that the future of yourcareer is in a precarious place should you disappoint me. I think we both know what that means. I don’t like being disappointed, especially by a stubborn brat like you. So, do us both a favor and plaster another fake smile on your face and go back to doing what your mother told you to do.”

Thoughts emptied from my mind, and then a million came flooding in at once. My mother told him about the deal I made with her? He knew this entire time that we were dating to give my mother what she wanted? None of it was real? Not that I wanted any of it to be real, but at the very least I thought that maybe his desire to go on a date with me was genuine.

But no. His interest in me was feigned. He was only satisfying his own mother’s twisted game of merging our two powerful families. For some reason that hurt even though I had no interest in Jones from the start.

The sound of scraping on plates and patron chatter was growing louder by the second as I took in the scowl on Jones’s face. I needed to get out of here.Fast.

Water splashed over the rim of our glasses as I rose from the table, my thighs bumping into the edge.

Out. I needed to get out.

I’d been to this restaurant hundreds of times, but I was disoriented from the feeling of being trapped. It took me a moment to remember where the front door was. I dashed towards it, throwing it open with so much force it nearly swung back and hit me. Starting toward the parking lot next to the small restaurant, I rounded the side of the brick building.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I heard behind me before a hand clamped over my wrist, dragging me backward.

Jones whipped me around until I was flush against him. He held onto my wrist and his other arm snaked around my waist. He felt…wrong. I hated being this close to him.

---