Page 84 of Accidentally Falling
“Maybe we need to wait to meet her before we decide.”
“You didn’t find any either?” Arden teases and I narrow my eyes.
“No.”
“You could try scowling less,” she offers and I wrinkle my nose.
“It’s part of my charm,” I murmur. “Know what else is part of my charm?”
Grabbing her wrist, I pull her toward me, helping her across the cushions until she’s straddling my lap.
“So many things come to mind.” The words are a purr as she rakes her hands though my hair at the same time my hand dives into her leggings to find her pussy bare.
“Tennessee.”
“Guess you alreadycharmedmy panties right off me…”
47
ARDEN
JUDE: I need you to come pick up something from the bar
ARDEN: I’ll be there in ten
Checking my phone as I get out of my car, I smile to find no new messages, just the one from Jude asking me to meet him here. Seriously, I’ve been pregnant formonthsand the man still doesn’t trust me to eat.
The door to the bar swings open, a guy in a red shirt and navy shorts smiling as he holds the door for me. I thank him and push my sunglasses onto my head as I step inside, my eyes taking a second to adjust before locking not on Jude but the two people sitting in the back.
My parents.
There’s no way—nofreaking way.
Rounding the bar, Jude takes my elbow and pulls me out of earshot as I ask, “What the hell is this?”
“You have the upper hand here. They won’t make a scene and it’ll give you a chance to talk.”
“I’mgoing to make a scene,” I hiss, my heart taking off like a racehorse in my chest. “I don’t like this, Jude. I don’t want to do this.”
“Talk to them. I’m right here and if things get to be too much then it’s full stop.”
“Fine,” I snap, turning on my heel and marching over toward their table, my feelings hurt as anger simmers inside me.
I didn’t want this.
And I definitely didn’t want this under false pretenses.
Like lunch.
“Arden, hi. Thank you so much for coming,” my father says, standing and hugging me awkwardly.
“I was lured here,” I tell them, sitting down across the table and noting that my mother did not even attempt to get up.
“I thought a lot about what you said,” my mother states, her eyes tired. “And I started talking to someone, a therapist, trying to work through what I’ve been feeling.”
“That’s great,” I tell her honestly, a bit surprised as a glimmer of hope starts to shine.
“It is. Evan has come a few times with me.” He smiles at her, and I have the strangest feeling that he’s holding her hand under the table. “Breaking up wasn’t the answer, but there was no way to navigate our relationship without help.”
