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."

it out if you've got something to say. Beating around the

feeling better," Dustin replied, ever the gentle

see him as more than a brotherly figure despite years of

how to push his buttons, feigning urgency. "Not telling me makes me

helpless. "Fine, I'll

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

haven't,"

saw Conrad today, and he didn't

Rad's houses, which set Rad off. My dad hit him and

aware of the first

out of the house, I felt it would

all this?" I knew Dustin had a reason for bringing it

looked conflicted as if

want

I know it's not fair to drag you into this, but my parents listen to you, and..."

me, right?" I finished

that's not what I meant,"

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,

held

he looked at me, and I met his gaze without flinching. "But I've never brought this up with your parents. As to why they would know about it, I have

thing's for sure..."