Read Online Escape (Part Three) by Zelda Reed - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Zelda Reed
Ads: Link
him tonight?”
I nodded. “I thought I should tell him the truth.”
“You did the right thing. But the right thing always comes with consequences. I’m sure you know that. Or maybe you don’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jonah held up his hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve called a car. You have ten minutes to gather your things and meet me outside. You’re going home.”
Jonah headed for the door and I stood up, my fists clenched. I tried to storm past him but he grabbed my arm.
“Get off of me,” I said.
“Where are you going?”
“If Chace is going to fire me, he can do it himself.”
Jonah threw me in my room and stepped in front of the door, his wide shoulders blocking it. “Get your things,” he said.
“I want to hear it from him.”
“I’m not going to let that happen. You’ve put my family through too much.”
“Excuse me?”
“This whole nonsense with Jennifer wouldn’t have happened if you would’ve told my brother the truth, after he hit his head. Have you talked to my mother recently?” I shook my head. “She’s so stressed out she barely wants to get out of bed. Having a television crew in her home, investigating her son and the mother of her grandchild isn’t making matters better.”
“This isn’t my fault,” I said. “I wasn’t the one who called Cheryl or the paparazzi --”
“A large part of growing up is admitting when you’re truly at fault, which you are. Now pack your things and get downstairs. If you try to talk to my brother, I’ll have you thrown out of the house.”
With a tight jaw Jonah flung the bedroom door open and shut it behind him. This was final.
A wave of tears built in my throat but I swallowed them and turned away. I reached for my suitcase, pulling the rest of it from underneath my bed. I picked up a pile of shirts before I collapsed into myself, arms thrown around my knees, forehead resting against them.
This is what I deserved.
***
Evie waited with me on the front steps of the house, her arms tight across her chest. “My brothers are such assholes.”
“They’re not,” I said. “Jonah’s just doing his job and Chace has every right to be upset.”
She looked at me. “You don’t really believe that.”
I ducked my head.
The truth was, even then, I believed it. While everything wasn’t my fault I set the whole situation in motion, the one who stood at the edge of a cliff with the boulder and knocked it over.
Cheryl and her crew left but Jennifer was still in the house. I could smell her as I came down the stairs, her perfume floating through the house like a sickness, her laughter pitchy in the living room where Jonah locked her until I left. Evie told me she was staying so she and Chace could work things out, Bonnie’s orders.
“I would rather have you then her,” she said.
I smiled. “This doesn’t mean we still can’t be friends.
“Of course. I’ll come visit all the time.”
Headlights traveled down the long driveway, a black car looping around the fountain in the middle of the cobblestone entrance.
The driver hopped out of the front seat. “Miss Posner?” he said, looking between Evie and me.
“That’s me,” I said.
He grabbed my bags and placed them in the trunk. I was steps away from climbing inside when Evie’s arms wrapped around me. I turned around and hugged her, our hands flat against each other’s backs, foreheads resting against shoulders, breath moving against hair.
“I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“Yeah,” I swallowed my tears. “Me too.”
I pulled back. There was a light in her eyes. She was crying but wiped her tears with the back of her hand. I gave her a small wave before stepping into the car.
The engine rumbled beneath me. I looked out the passenger-side window where Evie stood, waving. I thought, that should be Chace. The pinch in my stomach told me it was time to stop thinking about him.
The car pulled away and my mind told me not to
I nodded. “I thought I should tell him the truth.”
“You did the right thing. But the right thing always comes with consequences. I’m sure you know that. Or maybe you don’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jonah held up his hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve called a car. You have ten minutes to gather your things and meet me outside. You’re going home.”
Jonah headed for the door and I stood up, my fists clenched. I tried to storm past him but he grabbed my arm.
“Get off of me,” I said.
“Where are you going?”
“If Chace is going to fire me, he can do it himself.”
Jonah threw me in my room and stepped in front of the door, his wide shoulders blocking it. “Get your things,” he said.
“I want to hear it from him.”
“I’m not going to let that happen. You’ve put my family through too much.”
“Excuse me?”
“This whole nonsense with Jennifer wouldn’t have happened if you would’ve told my brother the truth, after he hit his head. Have you talked to my mother recently?” I shook my head. “She’s so stressed out she barely wants to get out of bed. Having a television crew in her home, investigating her son and the mother of her grandchild isn’t making matters better.”
“This isn’t my fault,” I said. “I wasn’t the one who called Cheryl or the paparazzi --”
“A large part of growing up is admitting when you’re truly at fault, which you are. Now pack your things and get downstairs. If you try to talk to my brother, I’ll have you thrown out of the house.”
With a tight jaw Jonah flung the bedroom door open and shut it behind him. This was final.
A wave of tears built in my throat but I swallowed them and turned away. I reached for my suitcase, pulling the rest of it from underneath my bed. I picked up a pile of shirts before I collapsed into myself, arms thrown around my knees, forehead resting against them.
This is what I deserved.
***
Evie waited with me on the front steps of the house, her arms tight across her chest. “My brothers are such assholes.”
“They’re not,” I said. “Jonah’s just doing his job and Chace has every right to be upset.”
She looked at me. “You don’t really believe that.”
I ducked my head.
The truth was, even then, I believed it. While everything wasn’t my fault I set the whole situation in motion, the one who stood at the edge of a cliff with the boulder and knocked it over.
Cheryl and her crew left but Jennifer was still in the house. I could smell her as I came down the stairs, her perfume floating through the house like a sickness, her laughter pitchy in the living room where Jonah locked her until I left. Evie told me she was staying so she and Chace could work things out, Bonnie’s orders.
“I would rather have you then her,” she said.
I smiled. “This doesn’t mean we still can’t be friends.
“Of course. I’ll come visit all the time.”
Headlights traveled down the long driveway, a black car looping around the fountain in the middle of the cobblestone entrance.
The driver hopped out of the front seat. “Miss Posner?” he said, looking between Evie and me.
“That’s me,” I said.
He grabbed my bags and placed them in the trunk. I was steps away from climbing inside when Evie’s arms wrapped around me. I turned around and hugged her, our hands flat against each other’s backs, foreheads resting against shoulders, breath moving against hair.
“I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“Yeah,” I swallowed my tears. “Me too.”
I pulled back. There was a light in her eyes. She was crying but wiped her tears with the back of her hand. I gave her a small wave before stepping into the car.
The engine rumbled beneath me. I looked out the passenger-side window where Evie stood, waving. I thought, that should be Chace. The pinch in my stomach told me it was time to stop thinking about him.
The car pulled away and my mind told me not to
Similar Books
