No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Chapter 303



"Not feeling well?" Dustin walked in, holding a bouquet, his face etched with concern.

Lying down at this moment seemed inappropriate. Grasping the bedrail, I attempted to sit up, but Dustin pressed gently against my shoulder. "Don't get up."

"I'm okay," I insisted, trying to sit up anyway.

Lying before Ernest was never awkward, making him quite different from other men to me.

Dustin's gaze fixed on my face. "What happened?"

How could I tell him the shock from my parents' situation had got to me?

It wasn't that I couldn't say it, but it was more that I didn't want to. For some reason, I'd been keeping my words to a minimum, avoiding wasting them on things I could easily brush off.

"Just a little faint from low blood sugar," I lied.

Dustin seemed skeptical, eyeing me closely before I quickly changed the subject, "What did you want to talk about?"

Dustin hesitated, then offered a placating falsehood, "Nothing much."

more firmly, "Spit it out if you've got something to say. Beating around the bush is only

better,"

that was why I couldn't see him as more than a brotherly figure despite years

urgency. "Not telling me makes me more anxious, which won't help

looked somewhat helpless.

seconds. "Rad had a fall-out with my parents. You

I haven't,"

and

softly. "My mom kicked Haley out of one of Rad's houses, which set Rad off. My dad hit him and talked of cutting him off, even threatening to kick

was only aware of the first part. The rest

the house, I felt

this?"

conflicted as if

"You want me to talk to your

but my parents listen to you, and..."

it's because of me, right?"

I meant," Dustin tried to

mockingly, "The house was supposed to be Conrad's gift to me, but he let Haley stay there instead. That's also why Conrad and I broke up, something I've mentioned to

held a

as he looked at me, and I met his gaze without flinching. "But I've never brought this up with your parents.

thing's for sure..."