Page 11 of Between Now and Always

“What’s going on. People are getting antsy,” my grandmother’s terse question is barbed in anxiety.

They all have so much riding on today. I’ve never been so happy to disappoint anyone in my whole life.

I’ll look back on this moment and marvel at how calm I was on the edge of my life.

Right now, all I feel is the loosening of the hand that’s been wrapped around my throat under the guise of breaking my fall.

I’m going to trust my wings and take my chance on the unknown abyss. The certainty that this is right quells my fear.

I turn away from Duke’s thunderous, dumbstruck face and look at my father.

“I’m leaving, and I won’t be back. There’s nothing for me here.” I almost laugh at the shock on her face.

“What? You can’t. Lizzy, you promised. What about Cameron? Drew…what happened?” Fiona sputters and then looks between the three of us, her mouth is hanging open and her eyes are nearly round with shock.

“Cameron isyourdaughter.Youtake care of her.” The words, ones I couldn’t have imaged saying just a few months ago, roll off my tongue before I can think to hold them back. But I feel no remorse as she covers her open mouth with her hands and starts to sob.

My father looks like his head is about to explode and his eyes, wide and stunned, aren’t on me.

They’re on Duke.

“Come on, Beth. Let’s get out of here.” Phil walks toward me, with his hand outstretched. Duke wakes up from his stupor and lunges for me. But Phil is faster and blocks me from Duke’s reach and view with his body.

“Liz, you have to hear me out.” Duke pleads from behind us, his hands locking onto my shoulder in a vice grip.

Phil pulls them off like he’s lifting a feather. In the blink of an eye, he has Duke slammed up against the wall.

His hand is wrapped around his throat.

“If you ever touch my sister again, I swear, I will fuckingkillyou and go to jail, happily, knowing the world is rid of you.”

“Fuck you, Wolfe. I know you did this.” Duke seethes, struggling in vain to loosen Phil’s grip.

Phil’s shoulders shake with the force of his dark chuckle.

“Oh, I haven’t done anything yet, you sick son of a bitch. But I will. I’m not going to stop until you’re rotting in a jail cell,” his voice is menace laced with vengeance and his words hang in the air between then.

Duke’s face turns red, the veins in his neck and face raised as his panicked eyes dart around the room looking for help.

“Phil, put him down. Please. Let’s just leave,” I say and glance meaningfully at the armed guards who’ve joined the fracas, waiting for the word from my father to intervene.

He lets him go with a shove that sends Duke flying.

He’s smiling when he takes my hand in his and turns us toward the door

“Elisabeth, get back here,”my father bellows.

I turn and face him, my eyes full of all of my enmity for him. He’ stops so fast that he almost tips forward when inertia keeps his body in motion when his feet stop moving.

My heart is pounds with excitement. I’m reaching for freedom with both hands and I’m not afraid. Not even a little.

“If you try to stop me, I’ll walk in there and lay all ofyoursins bare, too. Then, all your fancy friends will know who you really are. You won’t be able to show your face anywhere but this town you’ve bought with your money.”

His face pales and he looks at me like he wants to ask “what the hell happened to you?” But he doesn’t say a word.

He glances at my grandmother who is standing next to a still weeping Fiona.

Her expression is grim as she surveys the scene. There’s disgust in her eyes when she glances at my father, before she turns and walks back into the church.

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