Chapter 33
COLTON
“Understand what?” Hayes asks again, louder this time.
Lucy looks around the room before staring at me with a panicked expression. I turn to see my best friend standing in the doorway, the hurt and fury evident on his face.
None of us speak for a few moments before Hayes asks, “Does anyone want to explain to me what the fuck is going on here? Because right now it looks like my best friend, whom I asked to take care of my family, is wrapped up around my little sister. But I’m sure that isn’t true, especially after he explicitly promised to stay away from her. ”
Lucy opens her mouth to say something, but I hold up my hand to stop her. “I’ve got it, Darlin’.”
Turning to face my best friend, I take a deep breath before admitting, “Hayes, I’m sorry. I really value your friendship, and I’m so grateful for everything your family has done for me these last few months,” I start, taking a deep breath.
“But at the same time, your sister has become the most important person in the world to me. We’re together, and we plan to stay together whether you’re okay with it or not. But we would really love your blessing.”
“My blessing?” Hayes asks, looking down at where Colton’s arm is still wrapped around me.
“Let me get this straight. I leave my best friend— one of the people I trust most in this world—alone with my little sister. I explicitly tell him to stay away from her. He spends the last three months promising me that everything here is going well and that my sister is in good hands with him. Only to come home and find out that everything he said was a fucking lie. And after all that, you’re gonna stand there and tell me it doesn’t matter how I feel about it because you’re gonna do it anyway, but you want my blessing!
” he yells, his voice getting louder the longer he goes on.
“And not only that, but you didn’t even have the decency to come and tell me what was going on.
Instead, I have to walk in on you two, sneaking around like a bunch of fucking teenagers.
So no, you don’t get my fucking blessing. ”
The room goes quiet for a minute, and I try to keep my composure as I say, “Hayes, I’m sorry you’re hurt, but—”
“Hurt? Yeah, I’m fucking hurt,” Hayes interrupts. “And pissed off, and betrayed, and annoyed, and—”
“Hayes, I’m sorry, but you don’t get to do this,” Lucy says, interrupting her brother’s rant.
“Lucy, I’m just trying to protect you,” Hayes starts, and Lucy holds up her hand.
“That’s exactly my point. I don’t need protection, Hayes!
” Lucy explodes, the words pouring out of her.
“I know you have good intentions, but I’m an adult.
You don’t get to judge me for who I want to date or the way I live my life.
Now, I’ve decided that I want to be with Colton.
We don’t need your blessing, but we’re asking for it because we care about you!
And for the record, we were planning to tell you as soon as dinner was over and we could talk to you alone.
Now, I’ll apologize for a lot of things in my life, but I won’t apologize for falling for your best friend. ”
The room goes silent, and Hayes stares at us for another moment before turning and walking out the back door, slamming it hard behind him.
Lucy sighs as she tries to hold back the tears filling her eyes. She drops her head on my chest as she stares at the door where he just left before whispering, “Well, I guess on the plus side, we don’t have to keep this thing a secret anymore.”