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

everything I had not to flop to the floor. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time.”

“I didn’t lie,” I squeaked.

“The hell you didn’t.” He didn’t yell. It wasn’t his way. But the anger still radiated through the words. “I gave you the chance to tell me the truth that night at the restaurant.”

Another dagger in my chest. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. “I’m sorry, Jacob.”

“Why, Maeve?” His voice sounded desperate. “Why?”

“Why what?” I asked.

“You like doing that?” He gestured toward the club.

“You don’t understand,” I said with a shrug. “I’m trying to keep everything afloat.” Ironic how I felt like I was sinking. “It’s not forever.”

“So that makes it okay?” He shook his head. “There are other ways, and you know it.”

“The other ways are not enough.” I sniffled into the back of my hand. “You never had to worry about keeping a roof over your head or where your next meal was coming from or how you were going to pay for doctor’s appointments and medicine and clothes for school and...toothpaste!”

“You’re not alone. You have help.”

“I can’t rely on Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim. And you know how hard things have been for them.”

“I wasn’t talking about them…”

I let out a heavy sigh. “It’s easy for you to sit there and judge.

“I’m not judging you, Maeve,” he said. “But you’re so much better than this.”

I let out a sarcastic chuckle and swiped a tear from under my eye. “Am I, Jacob?”

He silently stared at me and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Maybe everything Rich said about me that night is true.”

His frown deepened. “I don’t care about that.”

I’d always had a sinking feeling that Jacob was too good for me, and he was proving me right with each passing minute.

He grabbed my hand and pulled. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” I said, resisting.

“I want you to come home with me. And never come back here again.”

I glanced down at my toes. “I can’t.”

I had too much riding on this money. I just had to stick it out a couple more years. Take classes during the day. Work at the club at night. Graduate. Take care of Kasey and Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim, too. That had been my plan.

“Let’s go, Maeve.” He gave me a small tug. “We’re going home.”

“No!” I ripped my hand away from his.

“Why not?” he cried. It was getting harder for him to control the level of his voice. “Tell me why you can’t leave this piece of shit job.”

“I need this, Jacob. I have too much to lose if I walk away now.” I shook my head. It felt like all the pressure was coming to a head. “I’m not just going to quit because it’s what you want.”

How would I send money to Aunt Maeve and Uncle Jim? What would happen to the farm? Where would Kasey go if I couldn’t even support myself? How would she get her medicine? Each question pummeled me like a hard wave. I couldn’t turn my back on the ocean. I’d drown.

His chest rose and fell in short succession. “This isn’t about me.”

“It’s not?” The tears were stinging my eyes. I was afraid to blink, not wanting to let one go. “So…if I didn’t want to quit my job, then you’d be okay with that?”

He looked out into the parking lot, his face wrinkled with hesitation. “No, Maeve. I wouldn’t.”

“You just don’t get it, do you?” I couldn’t resist the blinking anymore. My aching eyes welled with backed-up tears. “I have more to think about than just me. I can’t afford to take some crap-paying job in an animal clinic and depend on my parents to help me when I need it.”

“Look, I’m sorry that your parents are assholes. But I can’t live with myself knowing you are here, doing what you do, with whoever has a few bucks in their pocket.”

“Well, I guess that settles it then.”

Jacob ran a hand over the hood of his sweater. “What are you saying, Maeve?”

“Come on, Jacob. Let’s both be honest here.” I turned my head away just long enough to wipe away a few escapees.

He furrowed his brows and threw back the hood of his sweater, revealing his unkempt hair. “Honest about what?”

“You know just as well as me that this wasn’t going to last forever.” I crossed my arms over my chest, the cold air starting to seep into my pores. “I’m not going to quit my job, and you’re not going to spend the rest of your life with a girl like me.” My body trembled as it fought against the emotion bubbling inside of me. I had to do this. “It just isn’t going to work.”

“Just admit it, Maeve. You’re afraid.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Going out with me in the first place, being my girlfriend, even picking your major…the thought of committing to something, anything, terrifies you!”

I stayed silent and gently shook my head.

“Just say it,” he said a little softer.

“I don’t commit because I don’t want to…I’m not afraid of anything. I’m the girl you want right now, not forever. Just do yourself a favor and stay away from me.”

He shoved his hands back into his jeans, his head turned down. “Seems like you’ve got it all figured it out then.” He hitched his chin up to look at me. “I thought you knew me better than that.” He unzipped his hoodie and took it off. He swung the sweater over my shoulders. “And I thought I knew you better, too.”

He took a few steps backwards before turning around and walking away.

I stood in the parking lot for another few minutes, trying to catch my breath while I fell into a blubbering mess.

Chapter Twenty-Four

I still wasn’t used to coming home to an empty apartment. Well, technically, it wasn’t completely empty. Mischa was always at my feet to greet me. I threw my car keys on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch. Mischa leapt into