Page 55 of Hot Summer Nights

Wasn’t my mother planting doubts about how Weston feels about me just today? Now here he is declaring his feelings for me. I grin as I spin around in his arms and tackle him to the ground.

“I love you too.” I say before my mouth comes down on his.

I’m aware of the families around us so I pull back right away and we grin at each other as the streetlights come back on.

“Come with me to New York. Move-in with me. There’s isn’t anything here for you and we can be together. I’ll take care of you. We can travel and see the world together. What do you say?”

Leave Pigeon Forge? Leave my mother? I have to admit that after today that sounds amazing. What will happen to the company, to my mother, if I leave though? Then it hits me. Why should I care? I don’t like working, cleaning up after other people day after day. If I stay here working for my mother then I’m just going to become miserable, just like she is. I’ll be miserable and alone. Or I can trust Weston and follow my heart. Fly back to New York with him and start a new life there. He was right before when he said I could find work anywhere and that there isn’t anything here for me.

“Ember?” He asks tentatively.

“Yes.” I breathe as I kiss him once more.

“Yes?”

“Yes! Yes, I’ll go with you. I’ll move to New York. If it means that we can be together, then yes. Yes, to anything, Weston.”

“God, I love you.” He says.

“Let’s go. Take me back to your cabin.”

“Anything you want, Ember.”

Now, I just need to find the strength to tell my mother I’m leaving this town and her behind.

TWELVE

Weston

I holdEmber’s hand as we walk up the path to her childhood home. She wants to grab a suitcase and some of her things before she confronts her mother and I just want to make sure that she makes it through that conversation without her mother saying anything shitty to her. She unlocks the front door and pushes it open, leading me down a narrow hallway to her bedroom. It’s tiny with only a twin bed and dresser. She moves over to the closet and drags out a black duffel bag, quickly filling it with clothes and her camera and laptop. She zips it up and turns to me as her mother yells from down the hallway.

“Ember? What the hell are you doing here? Who’s watching the office?”

I watch as Ember swallows hard and her face pales. I’m by her side immediately, taking the bag from her with one hand and twining our fingers together with the other. Her mother comes around the corner and her eyes narrow when she sees us together. I step in front of Ember slightly, wanting to fight this battle for her, but my girl is strong and she steps out from behind me, squeezing my hand as she lifts her chin and squares her shoulders.

“You lazy slut. What are you doing here?” she demands.

“I’m leaving.”

Her mother freezes and for the first time, she seems to notice the duffle bag in my hand.

“No. You can’t leave with some man that you don’t even know.”

“I know him. I love him and he loves me.”

“I said no. Now, get to the office.” Her mother says, turning to walk away.

“I’m nineteen, mother. You can’t force me to stay. I’m leaving.”

Her mother spins on her heel and stalks back to us. My body tenses, readying for a fight.

“You stupid whore, you-”

“STOP! You did this. You pushed me away. I have tried and tried and tried. I work every day. I do everything you ask and you do nothing but bully me and treat me like crap. I didn’t hit on your boyfriend. He attacked me and you blamed me for him leaving, even though I was the victim. Weston loves me. He treats me like I’m precious, like I’m important. I love him and I’m leaving with him and I am never coming back here. I never want to see or speak to you again.”

Ember turns and looks at me as her mother’s face gets redder and redder.

“Ready?” She asks me.

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