Page 8 of Fighting for the Forbidden
“You quit? Why?”
I’m silent for a few seconds as I consider how to answer that question. I want to say it’s because I don’t want to work with Ben, but she’d know that’s a lie.
“Look, it’s totally your decision, but don’t you think you owe it to everyone to stick it out, whether the business makes it or not? If not for Ben or your dad, for Jenny?”
“Us working together isn’t a good idea.”
“Because you still love him?”
“Yes, okay? Yes, I still love him,” I admit, a little louder and more forcefully than I was expecting. “But he left me. He walked out of my life and didn’t reappear until my dad died. And what? I’m meant to just carry on like it’s six years ago because it’s what my heart wants? What about what I deserve?”
“What about what Ben deserves?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“He hasn’t had it easy in all of this either, Lauren.”
“Hang on, whose side are you on here?”
“Yours, baby. Always yours. I’m just trying to look at things from both sides. He was forced from the only life he’d known because he fell in love. How easy do you think the last six years have been for him? While you’ve been here, trying to carry on, he had to totally rebuild his life. You told me before that he left with nothing.”
“Nothing but the dirty money Dad gave him.”
“That means nothing, and you know it. What’s he even been doing for the past six years?”
“I’ve no idea,” I admit quietly. Mum looks at me with disapproval in her eyes. “It hasn’t really come up in conversation,” I say, trying to defend myself.
“Have you evenhada conversation?”
My silence says it all. It’s true, I guess. When we’ve been together, we’ve either been arguing or fucking. I have no clue what his life’s been like other than he has what seem to be good friends.
“Do you think maybe you need to sit down with him, get everything out in the open?” I don’t respond, because my phone buzzes in my bag. Pulling it out, I smile when I see a picture message from Joe. I quickly swipe to see what he’s sent me. It’s usually something to show me how much fun he’s having, trying to convince me to come and join him. However when the photo loads, my smile drops and my hand trembles.
“Lauren? What’s wrong?” Mum’s voice sounds a million miles away as I stare down at an image of Ben with a practically naked stripper wrapped around him.
“Motherfucker,” I growl, throwing my phone down on the sofa and marching to the other side of the room.
The only thing I can hear is my blood rushing through my ears—that is, until Mum’s voice breaks through.
“What’s the problem? You’re with Joe as far as he’s concerned.”
