Page 17 of New Growth
It felt so far removed from everything I knew, and the idea of being in a place so different was tempting. I imagined the streets of Phuket, the temples, the food, and the culture. It would be a fresh start, a way to leave all the pain and betrayal behind. But as I stared at the screen, the excitement began to fade, replaced by something heavier.
I would be running away.
The thought whispered in the back of my mind, soft but insistent.
Was that what I was really doing? Leaving the country to escape my problems, to avoid facing Johnathan, Ryan, and my mother?
I leaned back against the headboard, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. The idea of starting over somewhere far away sounded appealing, but the more I thought about it, the more it felt like surrender. If I left, it would mean they’d won. They’d all get to move on without me in their way, free to rewrite the narrative however they wanted. And what would I be? The girl who couldn’t handle her problems and ran off to the other side of the world to lick her wounds in silence.
A sharp knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Elliot?” My mother’s voice rang out from the other side.
What the hell?
I closed my laptop and stood, already bracing myself as I pulled open the door. She stood there, purse on her shoulder, eyes scanning me like she was already preparing a critique.
“Ma?” I frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Haven’t you been getting my messages?”
So she was the one making my phone vibrate. “No, I haven’t looked at my phone.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “Of course not. Well, I’m taking you to lunch, so hurry up and put on something presentable.” Her gaze flicked over my oversized t-shirt and sleep shorts. “And clean.”
I exhaled slowly. So much for a quiet afternoon.
?
“The Mitchells are quite upset you decided to cancel the wedding,” my mother said as she arranged her napkin in her lap. I stared at her from across the table, my hands tightening around the menu. I hadn’t even had a chance to order yet, and already, I regretted agreeing to this.
“Well, their son cheated on me, so I’d say we’re both disappointed,” I replied flatly. Her lips thinned into a hard line, the same look she used to give me as a teenager when I forgot to clean my room.
“You don’t have to be so difficult about it. We all know this is a complicated situation.”
“Complicated?” I repeated.
What a simple way to boil all of my issues down into an adjective.
“Is that what we’re calling this? I think my sister and ex messing around is a little bit more than just complicated.”
She gasped dramatically, glancing around the venue as if someone nearby might overhear us. Her voice dropped to a sharp whisper. “Christ, Elliot. Keep your voice down, will you? These people don’t need to know your business.”
My gaze drifted around the room, and as I predicted, not a soul paid us any mind. They were all wrapped up in their own conversations or waiting patiently for their meals. Waiters floated between tables while balancing trays of plated meals and extravagant drinks. The air smelled of rosemary and seared meat, but the heavy scent only turned my stomach.
Or maybe it was the conversation she was about to force on me.
Either way, I hated this already.
“You brought it up,” I muttered, focusing on the menu rather than her withering stare.
She huffed, smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her blouse. “Yes, because I thought we could have a sensible discussion about this. There’s no need to bitch and moan, or air out the family’s dirty laundry.”
The sharp edge in her voice struck a nerve. I fought the urge to slam the menu on the table, instead setting it down with deliberate care.
“Ma, I’m not here to dive into the train wreck that has been my life for the past month. Frankly, I’m tired of thinking about it. I just want to enjoy this meal without the constant reminder of the two people I trusted most betraying me.”
Her lips thinned into a grim line. “Then let’s not rehash the same thing over and over. Jonathan made a mistake. And Ryan—well, she’s young and impulsive. You’ve always been the sensible one, Elliot. I thought you’d understand that.”
