A Week for Love to Bloom (19 page)
Read A Week for Love to Bloom Online
Authors: Scarlet Wolfe
Justin went straight to the bank to tell Ashley what happened. “Ashley, I need your help.”
“
What’s wrong? You look terrible.”
“
It’s Lauren, she’s hurt and won’t talk to me.” He told Ashley the details of the day.
“I need you to leave work, so
you can check on her. You know I wouldn’t ask this of you if it weren’t important. She won’t let me take care of her, and I’m sure Claire will have to work in the garden center.”
“
I’ll go ask Beth, but I don’t think she’ll let me leave.”
Justin watched Ashley and
Beth speaking. Ashley turned and shook her head, signaling that she couldn’t leave. Unfortunately, Beth was about to have a wave of fury thrown at her that she didn’t see coming.
“Beth, Ashley
’s leaving. It’s an emergency.”
“Lauren is not family to her. I don’t see why you can’t do it
, if it’s that important.”
Justin paced in a circle, running his hands through his
messy hair and blowing out a deep breath. He turned back to Beth. “Does Ashley have vacation time available to her?”
“Yes
, she does.”
“Beth, I need you to do this.
It’s important, and if you care about me as a friend, then you’re going to let her leave and give her time off with zero consequence,” Justin demanded as he pointed his finger at her.
“F
ine, you can go, Ashley,” Beth said with her arms crossed.
“Thank you
, Ms. Humphrey,” Ashley said before she left to get her purse. Justin felt bad when he saw the mortified look on Ashley’s face, but Lauren was more important to him.
“Thank you, Beth,” Justin said as he gave her a quick hug.
Justin begged Ashley to convince Lauren to see him. She promised to try and to give him updates.
***
Lauren opened her eyes to find Ashley sitting on her bedroom floor, flipping through a magazine. “Ashley, what time is it? What are you doing here?”
“
It’s five o’clock. I’ve been here a couple of hours. I left work so I could see how you’re doing. It appears you’ve scared the crap out of some people, including me.”
Lauren erupted into a cry
that lasted twenty minutes, and nothing Ashley said kept the pain behind the tears from flowing. She sat on the bed next to her and held her hand. Lauren finally settled down.
“Justin went all Incredible Hulk
at the bank. You should’ve seen him. He was hot, Lauren. He came in blazing and told Beth I was leaving. He really didn’t give her an option. I thought I was going to lose my job right then and there, but he told her I was leaving, and there’d be no consequences for it. You would’ve been impressed.”
Lauren
didn’t want to laugh, but the way Ashley told the story made it impossible for her not to.
“He’s
an absolute mess. I’ve never seen a man this passionate about his woman before. He’s sick with worry over you.”
“Well, I have bigger problems. Please don’t tell me how bad he’s doing, it just makes me feel worse.”
“He wants me to convince you to see him.”
“No, absolutely not. I want to be with him, but I can’t. I have to make him stay away. He can’t give up his family for me, and I refuse to be around them.”
“What did they do?”
“Justin didn’t tell
you?” Lauren asked.
“He told me about the auction
and said the firm represents the bank. He said he thought you were mad at them because they didn’t tell you ahead of time. Is there more to it than that?”
“Oh my God, they
don’t even plan on telling him. Maybe it’s better that way. At least he’ll hate me instead of them. He can blame me for giving up on us instead of blaming them for their greed and destruction.” Lauren proceeded to tell Ashley what the Garrisons would gain from the property being sold.
“Oh, Lauren, I don’
t think he knows about any of that.”
“
I received more shocking news today, but I can only tell you if you swear not to tell anyone.”
“Of course
.”
“
I’m pregnant. I found out at the hospital, and you’re the first to know.”
Ashley started crying with Lauren as she held her on the bed.
“I have to tell him, but I’m not doing it until after he starts his classes in Nashville. I know him, and he won’t go if I tell him about the baby. He’ll make a great dad, and at least I’ll have a part of him.”
“You can’t make rash decisions, Lauren.
It’s way too soon. Give it time. Your anger toward the Garrison family might ease, and maybe you all can find a way to be amicable. Don’t throw away your future because you think it’s what’s best for Justin. Let him make that decision.
“
I know important people have let you down, but it doesn’t mean he will. I know forgiveness is the last thing you want to think about right now, but eventually, it’s something you’ll need to face.”
“Your brutal honesty is hard to take sometimes, but
I’m a lucky girl to have a best friend like you,” Lauren said.
***
Claire woke Lauren up the next morning to let her know that she was going out to work. She eased Lauren’s mind when she told her she called in reinforcement for the rest of the week. Brett and their other part-time employee agreed to work a few extra days, so Lauren could rest as the doctor ordered. She looked at her phone and had two missed calls from Justin and a few texts.
Justin:
I miss you. Please call me. I love you...
Another
: I’m so worried about you. Are you feeling OK? How’s your head? Please don’t shut me out...
Last:
Young lady, this is serious. I love you, and I told you after the last incident I wasn’t ever going to let you walk away. I meant it!
Lauren couldn’t help but smile from the last one. Then reality hit her again. She couldn’t give
in. She despised his father and brother. She knew Justin would pick her over them, and she couldn’t let him do it.
She decided to reply:
Justin, please let this be. I can’t be a part of your family. You deserve a wife who will love them as much as she loves you...
W
ithin seconds Justin responded:
That’s complete bullshit, and you know it! This will blow over. Please don’t throw away what we have because of them. I’m coming over there!
Lauren
text
him urgently:
Don’t! I won’t let you in. I don’t want to see you.
She
realized it was a mistake to reply to him. It hurt her terribly to say those words. She knew she was killing him, but in the long run she thought he’d be happier.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Justin called Ashley the next day
. “How’s Lauren? Will she see me?”
“
I’m sorry, but no. I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to Lauren, and I think she’s supposed to be with you, but she’s convincing herself that it’s vital you have someone who can get along with your family. Lauren is humiliated and hurt by your father and brother, so she believes she’ll cause you a lifetime of friction with them.”
Justin groaned.
“You know as well as I do she’s feeding herself that bullshit. I have to see her, convince her. I know we can work this out with my family.”
“I agree with everything
you’re saying, but Lauren’s been betrayed by a lot of people. She was already struggling to heal from her father’s betrayal before all of this. I can tell she’s putting her wall back up. I believe you can get her back, but as painful as it is, you have to give her space first. She isn’t thinking clearly right now, so you’re not going to convince her. She needs time to see that she can’t live without you.”
“God, I don’t know how
I’ll stay away from her, but you’re probably right. Please don’t tell Lauren, but I was going to propose tomorrow. I don’t want her to know because I’m going to fight to get that opportunity, and I want it to be a surprise when I do.”
“Wow, Justin.
I’ll do what I can to persuade her, but like I said, give her time.”
***
Saturday came and went for Lauren. Justin never called or text. She knew she should feel relieved, but it just made her sad, especially when she thought about the memorable night they were supposed to have.
A few
days later, Lauren decided to work a couple of hours in the late afternoon. It was the day before she thought Justin was moving away. Brett arrived to work around the same time. Lauren’s cell phone buzzed.
Justin:
I’m coming over, now!
Lauren
:
No, I have work to do, and I told you how I feel.
Justin:
I’m not going this many days without seeing you, remember?
Lauren:
No, I mean it.
Justin:
Why do you have to be so damn hard headed, woman??
She prayed
he’d stay away as she walked into the last greenhouse to work. Seeing the table crushed her.
***
Brett was stacking bags of soil on a pallet near the entrance of the property when Justin pulled into the parking lot.
Justin got out of the truck and was
irritated to see Brett there on a weekday. He went to walk by him, but Brett stepped in front of him and put his arm out to stop him.
“Whoa,
you’re not talking to her,” Brett said aggressively.
“Wha
t did you say?” Justin’s fists clenched.
“
I’m not going to let you talk to her, so you can just get back in your truck and leave.”
Justin sucked in
a huge breath, exhaling slowly, remembering the fury he’d felt the time before. He calmed himself down by thinking of Lauren. He figured he didn’t stand a chance at getting her back if he punched Brett.
“Brett, you need to stay out of this. This is between
Lauren and me, so where is she?” He saw Brett’s jaw and fists clench and wondered why he was getting angrier.
“You have a lot of nerve coming around here after what your dad and brother did to her.
I’ve heard all the details of them taking whatever money is left from the sale and waiting to tell her, so she couldn’t save the place.”
“I don’t know what in the hell you’re talking about
.”
“Like I believe that. Everyone in town is talking about it. It only took a few people seeing that ambulance at your dad’s firm to start
the gossiping. Since the word got out about this place going up for auction, Mr. Parker’s been bragging to everyone about the subdivision he’s putting in here. He’ll be lucky to sell one damn house. People in this town love this place, and they love Lauren. You definitely don’t deserve her!” Brett said, pointing his finger at Justin.
Lauren walked out of the greenhouse.
“I think you’re making shit up, and I know what you want from Lauren. I swear if you put one hand on her I’ll break it off!” Justin stumbled back when he felt the blow to his mouth from Brett’s fist. Without a thought, Justin connected two punches right into Brett’s stormy face, dropping him to the ground. He got back up with blood gushing from his nose.
Lauren ran toward them.
“Both of you stop!”
Justin pointed at Brett while giving him a fiery glare.
“This is between Lauren and me, and I told you to stay the fuck out of it!”
Brett lunged toward Justin, so Lauren jumped between them, holding her arms out.
“Justin, I can’t believe you did this again,” she said angrily.
“
He threw the first punch. Am I just supposed to stand here and let him hit me?”
“Brett, go in the house and doctor your nose,” Lauren ordered.
“If he hurts you, I’m coming back out. I don’t care how many times he hits me,” Brett said before he opened the back door.
Justin was furious, and it took all of his will not to go after Brett.
“Lauren, I’m sorry. You have to believe that I tried not to fight him. He told me he wasn’t going to let me talk to you.”
He hated seeing the
weary look in her eyes. When he felt her wipe the blood away from his mouth with her thumb the touch penetrated through every yearning fiber in Justin’s body, giving him the green light. He grabbed Lauren into an embrace, breathing in the scent he desperately missed.
“I have to hold you
... touch you, Lauren. I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t go a minute longer without seeing you.”
Lauren pulled away from him
. Justin decided on the way over to tell Lauren he wasn’t moving. He thought if she knew it might persuade her to fix things. “I have something to tell you.”
“Justin, I’m sorry, but
we’re over. I meant what I’ve said repeatedly. I won’t interfere with you and your family’s relationship. You need them in your life.”
Justin grabbed h
er face and gave her a short but forceful kiss.
“Dammit, Lauren! Why do you get to decide what I need? Huh? Tell me how you know
what’s best for me?”
“
I’m furious with your family, and I’ll never be the kind of woman they want you with. If I give in, you’ll take my side, and I refuse to keep you from them. Please go,” Lauren said, weeping.
Before Justin
left, he wanted to give her something to think about. He spoke softly, not with the urgency that had been dictating his every move. “You’re not the only one getting hurt, you know. You said you trusted me. If you truly love me, you won’t throw me away so easily … us away.
“
But if you want me to leave for good I will. You said you’d given all of yourself to me, and I ... I don’t want to give you back.” His eyes were red as tears of anguish streamed down his cheeks. He waited several seconds for a response, but Lauren just stared at the ground crying. He got into his truck and drove away. He felt lost. It was as if half of him had been ripped away. Justin didn’t know how he would function without her.