But nothing ever is.

Fifty-Three

Whitney

The past

When I walked downstairs at Jackie’s house the next morning, the only thing I could think was at least I didn’t let him throw me out again. I took a stand. I could still respect myself this morning, even if I felt like my heart was breaking all over again.

Maybe there was some way it could work between us . . . somehow?

I walked into the living room on my way to the kitchen and froze.

“Hey, baby,” Ricky said as he jumped up from the couch.

My eyes must have been as wide as dinner plates as they tracked from him to Aunt Jackie, Asa, Cricket, Karma, and Ricky’s mom all in the room. Cricket’s face looked strained, and she shook her head like she was trying to send me a message.

What the hell is going on here?

“Are you okay?” Asa asked. “Sleeping till noon isn’t normally your thing. And does anyone know whose truck is parked out front?”

Oh shit. It didn’t even occur to me that I needed to park Lincoln’s truck farther away from the house, because I was too upset.

“I swear I’ve seen that truck before,” Karma said, and the keys hung like dead weight in my hoodie pocket.

“I need coffee,” I blurted, poised to escape to the kitchen.

Ricky stepped forward. “Not yet. I have something I need to ask you first.”

“Can it wait until—” My question trailed off as he dropped on one knee, right there in Aunt Jackie’s living room in front of both our families.

Oh my God. Oh my God. No. This isn’t happening.

Blood rushed in my ears, practically drowning out the words he said next.

“Baby, you know I need you more than I’ve ever needed anyone in my life. I want to take care of you. Take you away from here. After this summer and everything that’s happened, I realized that life is too short to take chances. So I have to do this now. Marry me, Whitney.”

Hot tears slid down my cheeks. “I can’t do this right now. I can’t.” My voice shook, but my feet came unglued from where they’d been stuck to the floor.

I spun around and bolted for the front door. It crashed shut behind me, and I ran barefoot across the lawn.

My brain was a roiling mess, and the only thought that made any sense was get out of here.

I fished the keys out of my pocket and dropped them twice on the ground as I rushed to the truck. I didn’t even care that my brother was going to grill me about whose truck it was later. I just had to leave. Now.

As soon as I climbed inside, the passenger door flew open. My head jerked to the side.

It wasn’t Ricky.

No, it was his mom, her face pinched and angry. “I knew . . . I knew when I saw this truck.”