Young Love Dies Hard: The Young Brothers, Book 1 by Nikki Lane (old books to read txt) 📗

“This is my girlfriend, Maeve.”

“Oh, this must be your girlfriend.”

“Have you met my son’s girlfriend?”

Jacob had left with Noah to find the bar, leaving me alone with Carol. She found our table and gestured for me to take the seat next to her.

“I’m so happy you came to visit us,” she said, her lips almost touching her martini glass. Every time she turned her head, the diamonds in her ears caught fire. Her pearls were so long she had to wrap them around her neck twice. I wondered what it would have been like to have a mother like Carol instead of a mother like mine. How would I have ended up? More like Jacob maybe? I should be so lucky.

“Thank you for having me.”

“I’ve been trying to get your aunt and uncle down here for years.”

I fiddled with the silverware on the table. “It’s hard for them to get away from the farm.”

“I know,” she replied. “Things haven’t been easy for them. Or for you.” She gave me a sympathetic smile. She’d given me the same smile every time she’d see me at Aunt Meg’s when I’d run away from home.

“I’m lucky to have them.”

“And they’re lucky to have you. Your aunt always shares how proud she is of you. You turned out to be a beautiful woman, Maeve. And smart, too. That’s a hard combination to find nowadays.” She held the top of my hand. “Jacob’s lucky to have you, too.”

A rush of blood flooded my cheeks. I wanted to say something back. But when I opened my mouth to speak, the words evaporated.

By the time dinner was served, I was feeling short of breath. Noah and Jacob were dueling over the last piece of bread in the basket. Carol and Mr. Young were whispering between themselves, a smile touching their lips every other moment. Laughter echoed somewhere in the room on regular occasions. Every once in a while, a new relative would come to the table and say hello. I tried to fade into the background, something that usually worked for me during the annual potluck BBQ. But that tactic wasn’t doing it for me here. Jacob and his family wouldn’t allow it. They were determined to make me feel like part of the family. It was anxiety-inducing.

“You okay?” Jacob said, leaning close to my ear. I could tell he sensed something was off.

“I’m just…” My gaze flickered around the room. My heartbeat started to drum in my chest. Did he hear it? “Might have had too much wine.” I’d barely finished my glass, and I hoped he didn’t notice.

“Do you want to go?”

The room didn’t feel so big anymore. With every shallow breath I took, the walls seemed to creep a little closer together. “No,” I said. “I just need some air. I’m going to the ladies’ room.”

Jacob’s forehead creased as I got up from the table, leaving my dinner half eaten. “Maeve,” he called after me.

I turned to face him and mustered a half smile. “I’m fine, really. Finish your dinner.”

It took me a few minutes, but I finally found the restrooms. My fantasy of having a minor breakdown alone near the hand dryers was short-lived when the bathroom attendant smiled at me. I pushed into an empty stall and locked the door. I didn’t have to pee, so I just stood there, clutching to the door for support, taking long, deep, even breaths.

But confining myself to the small space of the stall wasn’t the best idea. I darted out of the bathroom and headed for outside. My lungs relaxed a little when I inhaled the cool night air. The valet looked on as I sat down on one of the benches farthest from the entrance.

A few minutes later, Jacob came strolling through the doors, clearly looking for someone.

“Maeve,” he said when he spotted me. He trotted over. “What are doing out here alone? Is everything okay?”

I folded my hands in my lap. A light breeze wafted through the narrow space of the covered area in front of the building. Goosebumps prickled my skin.

“I told you I just needed some air. Everything is okay.”

He sat down beside me. “Everything is not fine, Maeve. It’s okay to admit it.”

I looked down at the hem of my dress. The same one I’d worn on our first date. “Maybe…it’s just a little overwhelming for me. I’m not used to all of this.” I felt the tears burn at the back of my eyes. My throat grew thick. “I’m sorry,” I squeaked.

“What are you sorry for?” He ducked his head to look at me.

“Everyone’s just being so nice and…” Sniffle, sniffle. “All I can think about is running away.”

He grabbed my hand and stood up, pulling me up, too. Jacob held my face, tenderly wiping away a tear from my cheek.

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” I still couldn’t meet his face. “Look at me.”

I didn’t know where I summoned the courage from. Maybe it came from being held by him. Maybe it was the firmness of his voice. But I did. I looked up.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I should be the one apologizing. I pushed you too hard. I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable.” He wiped away another tear. The touch of his finger against the wetness of my skin made my heart ache. “Come on.” He grabbed my hand again and started to walk.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you back to the house.”

“Jacob, I don’t want to take you away from your family. It’s important.”

He stopped and looked back at me. “You’re important. More important than anything. They’ll understand.”

He continued to walk toward the valet. I was right behind him, knowing, at that point, I would have happily followed him right off the edge of a cliff.

Jacob didn’t bother to tell anyone we were leaving. He sent his brother a quick text from the car before we left the restaurant.

He weaved the car through traffic effortlessly with