Page 183 of Craving Consequences

“Agreed. I will not fuck your friends.Only one.”

Like watching a chess tournament, my gaze automatically shifts to Lauren.

“And him?” Her chin jerks in Lachlan’s direction without breaking eye contact with Van. “Is he part of this?”

“Yes,” Van answers without hesitation.

“Are you two fucking, too?”

There’s only the faintest tension in Van’s brow, but his voice remains level. “That is none of your business.”

Lauren doesn’t press, surprising me.

“Are you coming back to Jefferson?”

“We haven’t decided ... Lachlan and I haven’t decided,” he pauses and corrects. “Everly would like to live here, and we want to be with her so we will most likely join her.”

Lauren’s expression tightens. “So, you’re leaving me.”

“We’re three hours away.”

“I never wanted to come here but I did because you asked me to and you’re just packing up and leaving,” she bites out, eyes gleaming.

“I told you, nothing has been finalized.”

“But if Everly is staying here and you’re staying with her what more is there to finalize?” she shoots back.

Van gives a slow nod. “You’re right. Yes, that is most likely what is going to happen. But, Lauren,” his voice gentles, “you don’t have to stay either. If you’re not happy.”

The hurt in her eyes guts me. The betrayal. She stares at her father with her eyes brimming and her chin quivering, and I feel her pain like it’s mine.

“Fine,” she bites out. “I don’t fucking need any of you anyway.” With a shove, she pushes away from the table and stands. “Let’s go, Teddy.”

“Lauren.”

She ignores Van as she stalks from the kitchen.

Teddy hurries to his feet. He pauses to peer at us with a deep furrow between his green eyes. He seems on the verge of speaking, but I’m not listening as I scramble out of Lachlan’s arms and hurry after my friend.

“Lauren, wait.”

She’s on the front porch when I finally catch up to her. I capture her elbow and wait until she’s facing me.

The lights from the hall catch on the tears streaking down her cheeks, the anger in her eyes as they meet mine.

“This is why I didn’t want my friends dating my dad,” she hisses through gritted teeth. “I no longer fucking matter.”

“That is not true,” I protest. “Just because we can’t stay in Jefferson has nothing to do with you.”

“I live in Jefferson,” she shrieks. “I live three hours away from every person that used to mean something to me. I ... I’m left there while you play house out here in the wilderness.” She yanks her arm free of my hold. “I have nothing over there.”

“Lauren, please.” I retract my hand when I reach for her and she flinches back. “Please. Don’t go. Just stay the night and we can talk about everything in the morning.” I gesture behind me. “We don’t even have a plan. We have no idea what we’re doing. If you stay, we can figure something out for all of us.”

She sniffles and folds her arms across her middle. “This last week has been hell without you. What am I supposed to do if you’re gone?”

I dare a tentative step closer. “I’m not leaving, Laur. I still have work. Lachlan has his business. Van his job. We still need groceries. The only difference is where I’m sleeping.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” She mashes the back of her hand under her nose and rubs. “Six hours of driving every day is going to get old quick. It’s a ridiculous notion. You’ll eventually stop.”

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