Page 90 of Raised On It

Miles squeezes my hand when he hears the sadness I clearly wasn’t able to hide from at least him.

Grant just smiles like he’s just won some unknown contest, but my farm boy isn’t done.

“Well, you can tell Mr. O’Brien, not in this lifetime. I wouldn’t let either of you pricks anywhere near my board or my company.”

“Mason, you’ve really picked a winner, haven’t you? I’m sure your dad is really going to love to hear how your new boyfriend called him a prick before they’ve even had a chance to meet.”

Before I can comment, Miles ends the conversation.

“If her parents chose you over her, then they don’t deserve my respect, and I’d happily tell them that face to face.”

“And how do you feel about that, Mason?” Grant addresses me again.

This time, I get to say my piece.

I’m not sure if it’s having the support of Miles and the girls behind me, or if it’s from spending time with everyone I’ve met in Eastlyn, but I simply don’t care anymore. I thought I was over losing what little relationship I had with my parents, but I realize until this moment that hadn’t been true.

“You know what, Grant? You can have them. My well-being means as much to my parents as it did to you. They don’t love me. They loved what having a daughter might have done for them, but it looks like you made all their dreams come true without me. And now that I think about it, the three of you were meant to be family. I know this because one of the most important things I’ve learned since I’ve been gone is that family is where you find it. You don’t need the same blood coursing through your veins. When you meet people who matter to you, you get to choose. I’m choosing my family, and it’s not you, and unfortunately, it’s not my parents.”

“Yes! You hear that, Grant? You don’t matter!” Jackie yells from behind me.

Turning away from my past, I find Miles, my future, beaming down at me. Is it with pride, because I fought back? Joy that I alluded to choosing him to be my family? I’m not sure what emotion it is, but it feels good to be on the receiving end.

“I love you so damn much,” Miles says through his gleaming smile.

“Still? Even after all of this?”

“Babe, like you just said, I choose you. You are my family, City Mouse.”

I don’t mean to start crying, but God, he always says the right thing, and right when I need him to say it.

I hear one of the girls sigh. “Oh, my God. They’re perfect together.”

Miles smiles. “Hell yes, we are.” He kisses me quickly before addressing my friends.

“Ladies, I’m Miles, and it’s nice to meet you. What do you say we head back in and get to know each other?”

I can’t help but look over my shoulder as Miles walks us all back into the restaurant for one last look at my past, and I’m so glad I do. Grant is standing on the edge of the sidewalk hailing a cab, and when the yellow car pulls up, it drives right through a disgusting sewer water puddle that drenches his expensive suit and leaves me with one last perfect memory of him.

“Let me get this straight.”Jackie leans over her third vodka cranberry, her eyes going back and forth between Miles and me, not believing what she’s hearing. “Your opening line was, I’m. Going. To. Marry. You. One. Day.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When she catches my ear-to-ear grin, her face that was screamingwhat the hellwhen she was looking at Miles metamorphosizes intoI’m so happy for you.

“And you had only seen her from across the room? Hadn’t spoken a word yet?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Whoa.” Billie sighs in awe.

Arianna continues to question him, and it doesn’t faze him in the least.

“Ballsy. You use that one often?” Arianna asks, impressed.

“Never. But when you know, you know.”

And because I’ve had a few cocktails myself, I share something I wonder if I should have the moment the words come out of my mouth.

---