Page 42 of Lost Summer
Her words were a lifeline, and I clung to them tightly, burying my head in the crook of her soft neck.
But still…the worry lingered. Elena was out there and wasn’t the kind to disappear without a fight.
And I had a feeling that fight would come soon.
But first, I had a different fight to have.
With my parents.
I’d managed to avoid them long enough. Hell, I had successfully convinced myself that their overbearing concern and opinions were part of a life I’d left behind. But I could feel the swell of inevitability at my back. It loomed, threatening to crash over me like a rising tide.
Adele and I arranged a dinner at the small Italian restaurant down the street, a place busy enough to drown out any uncomfortable silences with the clinking of plates and the murmurs of other diners. Still, I could almost hear the question hanging in the air before we even stepped inside.
“Are you ready for this?” Adele asked, her eyes searching mine as we walked.
I shrugged, trying to mask the growing knot in my stomach. “They’re my parents. It’ll be fine.” The words felt hollow even as I said them.
But the moment we sat down, all that bravado evaporated. My mother’s eyes widened as she took in Adele, her shocked expression nearly comical. “Edward…” she started, the disapproval so palpable that I half-expected it to materialize like a wall between us.
“Mum, it’s...it’s good to see you.” I tried to keep my voice steady, willing my heart to stop racing like a runaway train.
“Who’s this?” my father, with his heavy brow and steely gaze, cut in, the disbelief in his voice sharp enough to slice through the chatter.
“This is Adele. She’s…someone I care about.”
“Care about?” He leaned forward, brow furrowing. “You mean to tell me this is the woman you’ve chosen after everything with Elena?” His words were like a cold slap.
“Dad, please. Not now.” I felt Adele’s hand slip into mine beneath the table.
“You need to be careful,” my mother interjected, her placating tone an uneasy mix of empathy and reproach. “You have responsibilities now…with the baby.”
Like they gave a shit about the baby. All they cared about were appearances.
Adele squeezed my hand tighter, her warmth grounding me amidst the storm. I could feel her anxiety mingling with mine.I had to be the one to break through my parents’ judgment—shield her from this.
“I know what my responsibilities are, and I will take care of them,” I replied, forcing calm into my voice, but feeling the edge of frustration. “What I need is your support for once, not judgment.”
My father’s mouth tightened into a line, his expression firm. “This isn’t just about you. This is about us and your child. Our reputation is on the line here.” His irritation was evident, and instead of bowing my head like I always did, I shook it.
“Actually, this is about me.”
My parents stared at me with matching stunned expressions, but my mother spoke first, glancing at my father warily.
“Edward, you’re engaged to bemarried. We discussed this years ago. Everything is arranged.”
“Arranged?” Adele echoed, visibly paling.
I gritted my teeth and squeezed her hand. I should’ve told her about the arrangement. But I got swept away in everything...
“Yes, dear.” My mother smiled at Adele, but it has no depth to it, no real meaning. She was afraid, like she always had been, of my dad. “Elena is good for Edward.” Her gaze drifted over Adele like she was vermin, and I lost it.
“More like your reputation and bank balance,” I snapped back.
Adele’s eyes widened, a mixture of shock and admiration radiating from her as she glanced at me. I could sense her surprise—she hadn’t seen this side of me, the defiant son refusing to bend under the pressure of established expectations after years of abiding by it.
“Mum, stop. You don’t get to arrange my life, and neither does Dad.” I let the tension roll off my shoulders and looked straight into my father’s piercing gaze. “This isn’t about you, or the past, or some fabricated idea you’ve created in your heads.It’s about me and my choices now. About this incredible woman I care about. Not Elena. Not some obligation.”
The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. It almost felt like the restaurant had dimmed its lights, shifting into a strange twilight, all sound fading into a distant hum. I could almost hear my heart pounding in that pause, the thud echoing in my ears.
