All the Wrong Reasons (25 page)

I winced to hear his name come from my grandfather’s lips. Apparently, he’d been doing his homework.

“I will not tell you who to marry,” he continued. “But I will tell you who you won’t marry. And while I am paying for your education, I will tell you who you are allowed to date.”

I couldn’t speak. I was horrified. How could something like this happen in this day and age? And how had I let it? But most importantly, how could I get out of it?

“Then, I’ll pay for my own education,” I whispered.

He laughed. “You will? How? Your musician will pay it? Your mother?”

“Maybe,” I spouted petulantly. “I’ll find a way.”

“Not at Dunne-Browling. You forget who is on the Board.”

My blood chilled as I stared him down. He didn’t even blink. “You’d do that?”

He nodded. “And more. You see, it’s not only your education that I fund, remember.”

All the air in my body left me in a whoosh. Would he dare? How could he? “Tommy didn’t do anything wrong,” I muttered. “You can’t punish him.”

“Oh, I’ll not punish him – I’ll show him what happens when I’m crossed by my own flesh and blood.” His eyes bored into mine. “You’re setting an ugly example for him and I’d rather he not choose your type of lifestyle. I’m doing this for your sake and his.”

My chilled blood froze, falling away from me and I couldn’t move. What choice did I have? Maybe I could settle for a lesser school but Tommy…

“I’m not an unreasonable man,” Grandfather continued. “I expect no decisions from you tonight. I’ll give you two weeks to decide what you intend to do and we’ll speak then.”

I nodded, not knowing what else to do. All the fight had fled my body anyway. I rose quickly, wanting only to escape. “Fine.”

“Go home and rest,” he said. He placed a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it away. “We’ll talk again, soon.”

I darted out of the room and slipped through the front door without any type of farewell. I got back to Bailey’s car and started it. The clock in the dash declared it to be after midnight and I knew my mother would be worried.

But what would I tell her? What would I tell Lucas or Dustin? What would I tell myself? I needed to find a way out of this mess with my heart still intact – and more importantly, Tommy’s future still secure.

***

There were several vehicles parked outside my house – Lucas’s truck included. I was in no mood to face any of them at all. I couldn’t tell them what my grandfather had said. I couldn’t tell them what he had done. I didn’t even want to think about it tonight. Ever the procrastinator, I wanted to push it aside and just slip into my bed and sleep. I wanted to forget everything for about ten hours and sleep blissfully.

As soon as I opened the door, nearly everyone pounced. My mother was the first to reach me.

“Irelyn, where the hell have you been?” she demanded as she placed her hands on my shoulders. “What is wrong? Are you okay?”

I shook off her hands and sighed. “Fine, Mom, okay?” I strolled to Bailey, avoiding everyone’s eyes and tossed her the keys. “Thanks.”

“Sure,” she said, uncertainty glimmering in her eyes. “No problem.”

I stared at her for a few seconds, biting my lip, deliberating what I should do. I wanted to kick everyone out – even Lucas – and collapse on the floor.

I didn’t. Turning around, I headed for the stairs. I stopped on the first one to glance over my shoulder. “Um, thanks for coming and everything but I’m really tired and not in a mood to talk. I’m just going to bed.”

“Irelyn,” Mom said in an authoritative voice. “Where did you go?”

My lips pulled in a frown as I lifted a shoulder. “It doesn’t matter, Mom.”

She stepped closer to me. “I want to know what is going on.”

I shook my head as I glanced briefly at Lucas. My heart fell, shattering at my feet. I loved him. How could I leave him? “No, Mom. Not tonight. Please.”

She started to protest but Lucas crossed the room to rest a hand on her shoulder. “Ms. Colby, let her go to bed. I’m sure she’ll talk to you in the morning.” He lifted his eyes to mine and I nearly lost the weak hold I had on my emotions.

“Thank you,” I whispered so quietly, I wasn’t sure he’d heard me. He nodded, giving me a crinkly-eyed smile. I spun on my heel and ran up the stairs.

I sank to the floor near the door but left it open a crack. I wanted to hear Lucas’s voice so I could close my eyes and pretend he was in the room with me.

“…fine, Ms. Colby,” I heard Morgan say. “You can relax now. I’m sure once she gets some rest, she’ll talk to you.”

“No, something hasn’t been right with her for a while,” Mom said. “And she hasn’t talked me at all.”

“Give her time,” Morgan said.

“This has something to do with my parents, I just know it,” Mom insisted. “I’ll bet anything my father is trying to push Irelyn into marrying Dustin. And I don’t think she wants to. I tried to talk to her about it the other day but she wouldn’t open up.”

“She’s been under a lot of stress lately,” Lucas said, making my heart flip. I didn’t care what he said – I just wanted to listen to him. I had no clue if I’d ever get to hear his voice again after this night.

“I know,” Mom said. “And I know you kids know what’s going on. Now, I don’t expect you to tell me because I know you won’t break her confidence, but, tell me this much – is she in some kind of trouble?”

“No,” Bailey said. “Not at all.”

“Are you sure?” Mom pleaded.

“Yes, Ms. Colby,” Morgan said. “She’s not in trouble, honest. She just has some personal decisions she has to make.”

I smiled, loving Morgan and her sweet, comforting personality. In the short time I’d been rooming with both girls, I’d grown to really love and care for them. They’d turned into the best friends I’d ever had.

The front door banged against the wall, making jump, my eyes wide and my heart pounding in fear. Was someone down there that would hurt my mother or my friends?

“Is she back yet?” Dustin growled in a low, dangerous voice.

“Yes, Dustin, she is,” Mom answered. “But she went to bed. She really needs some rest.”

“And I need to talk to her,” he said. I heard his heavy footsteps cross the room and I leapt to my feet, preparing for a showdown.

“Not tonight,” Mom stressed, her voice harder than normal. “Leave her be.”

“She needs to answer some questions,” Dustin said, determined to confront me.

“Stop,” Lucas said. “You’ll respect this house and the occupants. If Ms. Colby says no, then I’m afraid you’ll have to obey her wishes and leave Irelyn alone.”

My heart surged, making me want to run down the stairs and jump in Lucas’s arms.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on with you people, but I will find out,” Dustin growled. “I know Irelyn confronted Mr. Colby tonight and I want to know why.”

“What are you talking about?” Mom asked. “She went to my father’s house tonight?”

“Yes,” came Dustin’s curt reply.

“Why?” Mom asked.

“I don’t know,” Dustin said. “All I know is that Irelyn damn near attacked me in the bathroom at the bar. She was adamant that I tell her who helped me arrange the party. She screamed at me and for a minute, I thought she would resort to physical violence.”

I heard a chuckle and I imagined it was either Collin or Spencer. I longed to see the look on Dustin’s face. I, too, was slightly amused despite the gravity of the situation.

“My father helped you arrange this party?” Mom asked in disbelief. “He helped arrange a party at a bar for Irelyn?”

“Yes,” Dustin confirmed. “It was his idea.”

I cringed – I knew that my friends had to have guessed why. They needed no explanation.

“Why?” Mom asked.

“I don’t know,” Dustin said. “He just told me that he would arrange and fund the whole thing. I just had to invite a few people.”

“Did you hire us or did Mr. Colby?” Lucas asked, a strain in his voice.

“Mr. Colby,” Dustin said. “He told me he did when I spoke to him Friday night.”

“I see,” Lucas said.

“Mr. Colby told me that if I planned to propose to Irelyn that I would need to do it in a way that would totally surprise her. He said that Irelyn liked to go to this bar and listen to your band and that he’d arranged to have the bar and the band for the night. He said that Irelyn wouldn’t expect a proposal and that I could do it then.”

I cringed, my despair cloud swirling into an angry tornado again. I longed to charge down the stairs to punch Dustin – even though I knew it wasn’t his fault. My grandfather had set us both up to be slaughtered. Maybe I deserved it but Dustin certainly didn’t.

But I couldn’t face him – couldn’t face either of them. Not yet. Not while I had this decision to make.

“Why would he do that?” my mother agonized. “She was so confused about things just the other morning. Why would he set this whole thing up when neither one of you are ready?”

“I am ready,” Dustin declared. “I’ll marry her tomorrow if she’ll have me.”

“Dustin, I think you need to leave,” Mom said gently. “I think all of you need to leave and let Irelyn rest. Lucas is right about that. And Dustin, I don’t think you should pressure her to marry you right now. I know you love her, honey, but she’s a little stressed. Why don’t you wait until she calls you – don’t call her.”

I didn’t hear his reply – didn’t know if he did reply. All I knew at that moment was that I loved my mother with all my heart and no matter what my grandfather said – she was an amazing woman.

The door opened and closed among low murmurs of goodbyes and ‘call me’ and ‘see you later’. When I heard the door close for the last time, I eased the bedroom door all the way shut, changed into a t-shirt, and climbed into my bed.

I stared at the ceiling as my mother’s footsteps sounded in the hall. They paused by my door momentarily then continued on to her room. I released a sigh of relief and closed my eyes to my swirling thoughts.

What the hell was I going to do?

Chapter 18

I didn’t sleep at all that night but I remained in my bed with my head buried under the blankets until my mother finally stormed into the room and ripped them back late the next morning.

“Irelyn, I demand to know what the hell is going on,” she said, her cheeks flushed and her eyes uncertain. “I am your mother and I have a right to know what has you so upset.”

I knew this moment would come and in all my mind-tossing and pondering and thinking, I hadn’t a clue what to tell her. She didn’t know the whole, ugly truth. I still needed one person on my side.

I heaved a huge sigh as I threw my legs over the side of the bed. Rubbing my messy hair, I lifted my eyes to my mother. “Mom, this is between me and Grandfather. I’m sorry, really I am. I need to figure out what I am going to do and once I make that decision, I’ll come to you and tell you the entire truth.”

“I don’t like being kept in the dark,” she said. “Especially when something has you so upset. Irelyn, I’ve never seen you like this.”

“And I’ve never had to deal with something like this before,” I said as I stood to wrap my arms around her waist. I kissed her cheek. “But you are an amazing woman and I love you very much.”

She drew back, startled. “You’re not sick, are you?” Oh, please tell me you’re not sick!”

Smiling, I pecked her cheek. “Nope, healthy as a horse.”

She continued to eye me, her mouth pressed in a hard line. “Okay, honey, I’ll let it go for now but only because I trust you – you’re such a good girl who usually always makes good choices.”

I flinched at her words, dreading the day I’d have to confess everything to her. And that day was coming. “Thanks, Mom.”

I hung out all day with my mom and Tommy. They both tried to be cheerful but I caught their surreptitious glances and did my best to ignore them.

Mom made a huge dinner with a cake for dessert – but neither mentioned my birthday the next day or the party. I was rather grateful because I was eager to forget both.

When Tommy perched on the piano bench and played for me, a few tears escaped. How could I ruin him? There just had to be a way…

I finished up some laundry and gathered the things I’d need for the new term. As I packed, my mind wandered to Lucas. I wondered what he was doing and what he was thinking. I knew he’d be worried but I just couldn’t talk to him yet. I didn’t want his voice to weaken me and tip the scale in his favor. I had to make a decision with my head and not my heart.

Dustin had tried to call several times, too, but I ignored him. I shoved everything I needed for school in my car, anxious to get back to my dorm in case Dustin decided to stop by on his way back to school. But it wasn’t necessary. He finally gave up on my cell and called the landline. My mother answered, speaking softly to him before hanging up and smiling at me.

“He’s gone back to school,” she said. “He just wanted to make sure you were all right. I told him you were and that you were busying packing so you could go back to the dorms.” She kissed my cheek. “He asked if you would please call him one day this week. He just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I said. A worried crease formed on her forehead but I could offer her no promises that I would indeed call Dustin. I hadn’t decided what I would do and until I did, I preferred to not mention either.