I slam my hand on the counter. “I amnotmarrying her.”
My mother startles and has the audacity to look at me with a shocked expression. Once the shock clears from my outburst, she whispers fervently, “It’s been arranged.”
“Then unarrange it because I willnotbe waiting at the altar for her.”
“Reid,” she presses.
I shake my head. “I don’t love her, Mom. She’s not the one I love. I won’t marry someone I don’t love.”
My parents are silent for a moment until my dad breaks it. “But you do love someone?”
It’s a no-brainer for me, and I immediately nod. “She’s great. You’d like her.”
“What’s her name?” he asks.
“Avery Moore.”
My mom gasps and places her hand over her heart. “Dustin’s sister? Reid, now, see reason. They come from a poor family. This will end exactly like your last fling, and it won’t be pretty.”
I shake my head. “She’s not after the family money, Mom.”
“You can’t know that for certain.”
“I do, actually. She’s not like that.”
“Reid—” my mother begins, setting her fork down to give me a lecture.
I beat her to it, standing up from the table and preparing myself to leave. This isn’t worth it. “I know the family, Mom. They’re not like that, and neither is she. They couldn’t care less about money and inheritances. All they want is what’s best for each other.”
“Don’t leave, son,” my father asks of me.
“I’m not going to sit here and listen to this.” I look directly at my mother. “I won’t marry Dorothy. I don’t give you permission to rule my life anymore. I’m a grown man, and I get to decide what I do with my life, and if that means marrying someone with less money and making your image look bad, then so be it.”
I turn and walk away, but the smallness of my mother’s voice has me pausing. “Do we at least get to meet her?”
Looking over my shoulder, I see the plea in my mother’s eyes. My heart softens a little bit. “When the time is right, I’ll bring her over.”
And then I leave, stomach still empty and my mood soured. I wave goodbye to Sarah and thank her again for the cookies, and then I head back to campus to be with the one and only person I want to see right now: my girl.
CHAPTER 25
AVERY MOORE
“This punch is spiked,isn’t it…” I ask Ivy as she dips the ladle into the bowl of red liquid and scoops a generous amount into our cups.
“Yes.” She glances up at me with a grin so wide I almost consider taking her drink. She’s had double the amount that I’ve had, and she’s definitely feeling it. “You’re going to drink it, and you’re going tolike it.”
I chuckle as she eagerly passes me the drink, and I take a sip. It really is too delicious to even be legal at this point. I can’t even taste the alcohol, though I’m sure there’s a generous amount in it.
There are a few people behind us waiting for the punch bowl so we step aside, leave the kitchen, and head into Jacob’s living room. Jacob lives in an apartment complex on the other side of campus. We had to drive here, but thankfully, Reid said he wouldn’t be drinking tonight so he can drive us home.
His place is the typical bachelor pad - leather couches, dark colors - and he’s lucky enough to have a roommate that parties as well. His roommate is on the football team, and they’re celebrating a win. I don’t watch football, but I’m happy our school is good at sports. However, that means this place ispacked, and squeezing between the people without spilling my drink is proving difficult.
Ivy steers us to Dustin and Jacob, who hover by the stereo. I frown. When we left them to refill our drinks, Reid was with them. It’s just the two of them now, and I scan the crowd for him, but with so many heads and a little alcohol in my system, I don’t spot him right away.
“Where’s Reid?” I whisper-yell in Ivy’s ear.
She glances around, and when she doesn’t spot him, she shrugs. “Want me to ask?”
