Page 31 of Between Regrets and Promises (Between Us Trilogy #2)

SOPHIE

I check the text from Lennon and ignore it, but I won’t be able to stall all evening. When she told me she’d call the cops, I knew she would do it. Having them show up here with the way that he is and after his admission would only make things worse for me. I need a solid plan without all of that.

After I put on a dress, I go to the bathroom and try to figure out what I’m going to do. I apply enough heavy makeup so it’s not as noticeable, but if anyone stares too long, I’ll have to figure out what to say, especially since Weston will be with me and he’s not going to let me out of his sight.

After I apply heavy makeup and fix my hair, I walk into the living room where he’s sitting with the bottle in his grasp.

“I can’t go to this alone, babe. I want you there by my side,” I plead, knowing damn well he won’t let me leave without him.

“Fine,” he huffs, slamming the bottle on the coffee table, swaying as he walks past me toward the bedroom.

Weston returns dressed, dangling his keys in one hand and mine in the other. There is no way in hell I’m getting in a car with him in this state, but he probably won’t let me drive my car either. He’ll kill us both and possibly someone else too.

“Sorry about your keys,” he says, handing them over. He sounds genuine, but from experience, it’ll be short-lived.

“Honey, you should let me drive.” I try to reach for his keys, but Weston jerks his hand away.

“No. You aren’t driving my truck.” His booming voice sends an uneasy shiver down my spine.

“I’ll drive my car,” I quickly say.

“No, I’m driving mine.” His gaze burns into me, letting me know he won’t budge.

Instead of arguing with him, I try to reason with him. “Okay. Let’s have some coffee then. It’ll help you sober up a bit before we leave.”

He hesitates, but then thankfully agrees. After an hour of waiting, his eyes don’t seem nearly as glassy. I check the time again, and when I notice Lennon called, I know I have to respond before she gets even more worried.

Sophie

Sorry, running late. On our way now.

Lennon

Okay, I’ll meet you in the hallway. I have big news!

She seems overly excited and I fear I’ll rain on her parade with how shitty things are going with Weston.

As I follow him to his truck, I have a bad feeling that maybe we shouldn’t go and almost ask if we can cancel.

But staying here with him in his current mindset could be even more dangerous.

I need to tell Lennon and Maddie the truth, though it’ll be obvious as soon as they see me.

Nothing gets past them—surely, another black eye won’t—and they won’t let it slide this time.

After I buckle in, Weston speeds down the road. I want to ask him to slow down but don’t want to risk setting him off again. He grabs my hand and forcefully interlocks his fingers with mine, holding me so tight it hurts.

“You’re mine, Sophie. You’ll always be mine,” he says with a threatening grin that sends a chill up my spine.

“I know.” It’s all I can say as he speeds recklessly down the highway in a vehicle that could easily be used as a weapon.

When the reception hall comes into view, I release a sigh of relief. He zooms into the parking lot and nearly hits a pedestrian. I cover my mouth with my hand to hold back my scream, and he laughs while veering around the old man trying to enter the hall.

“Weston,” I whisper-hiss.

“He’ll learn to get the fuck out of the way, won’t he?”

Fear builds in the pit of my stomach, and I force it down as he parks. Weston looks at me. “Be on your best behavior in front of your little boy toy, Sophie. He better stay the fuck away from you…or else.”

“I don’t have a boy toy, Weston. You’re all I need,” I say, knowing my lip service will feed his ego.

He palms my cheeks and roughly pulls my face until our lips collide. “I better be. Best behavior, or you’ll regret it.”

“Okay,” I whisper.

When I step out of the car and see Lennon crossing the parking lot toward me, I’ve never been so thankful to see her. Weston’s a dick, but in front of my sisters, he puts on a show, displaying just how charming he is when he wants to be.

“Hey!” Lennon says and pulls me into a big hug. I smile, happy to see her and to be alive after the drive over here. “Everything okay?”

She studies my face, and I turn my head toward Weston, who’s walking fast behind me and making sure to keep me in line. “Yeah, totally. We lost track of time.”

He catches up to me and grabs my arm like I’m a child to pull me away from Lennon.

“I need a beer. Let’s go,” he barks, walking past Hunter and guiding me inside.

We go to the bar, and he gives me a dirty look when he orders two beers as if he knows I’m going to say something about him drinking.

It’s the last thing he needs to do because he doesn’t know his limits.

I keep my focus on the floor and try not to make eye contact with anyone because I’m worried they’ll see how swollen my face is. I wish I could disappear right now.

As if Lennon can read my thoughts, she walks up and pulls me away. Before capturing me, she gives Weston the sweetest expression. “I gotta run to the bathroom and change Alison. Wanna come with me, Soph?”

“Sure,” I say, knowing Weston won’t say no to Lennon, who then waves Maddie over too. Lennon grabs the diaper bag, and Weston gives me a silent warning, causing a knot of fear to form in the pit of my stomach.

Once we’re in the bathroom, Lennon locks the door and grabs me, turning me toward her. “Please tell me you’re not trying to cover up a black eye, Soph. I swear to God, I will murder him.”

“It’s not what you think,” I say out of habit, though it’s no use. He doesn’t deserve the excuses anymore. He doesn’t deserve me.

Maddie is a ball of fire, pissed to the extreme. “Did he hit you?”

As I try to explain, my bottom lip trembles, and my emotions begin to pour out. The questions continue one by one, and I answer them truthfully. I explain about his drinking and driving, and why we were so late, and then Lennon’s words bring me back to reality.

“You can’t honestly keep making excuses for him, Soph. He’s a drunk, and he’s hit and hurt you on more than one occasion,” she tells me firmly. “Please leave him. I’m scared for you.”

I swallow hard, feeling my heart in my throat and feeling my entire world crash around me as the truth of why I can’t leave falls out.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t have money to get my own place, and I can’t go back to my old apartment.

What am I supposed to do, Lennon?” I’m so fucking scared, and I know my sisters see it in my expression and hear it in my voice.

I’ve thought about my options over and over the past couple of weeks.

My only choice is to quit my dream job—resign from the symphony—and move back to Utah with my parents, ultimately ending my career as a professional musician, which can’t happen.

I won’t let it. She offers for me to stay with her, and while it’s generous, that’s not my only concern.

“It’s not just that,” I meekly say. “He won’t let me break up with him and leave.”

Both of their eyes go wide, and the questions keep coming. I explain how I tried to end it a few weeks ago and he slammed me into the wall. And then I tell them what he said. “He told me if I left him, he’d kill me.”

Lennon urges me to go to the police and get a restraining order.

“I’m scared, Lennon,” I say as tears glide down my cheeks. They pull me into a hug, and when I’m with them, I feel safe. Leaving the reception tonight is going to be difficult, especially if he’s drinking again.

“I know, Soph. We love you and will protect you, okay? Hunter, Mason, and Liam are all on your side too.”

The thought of them coming to my rescue makes my heart swell, but I don’t think Lennon realizes how dangerous Weston is. She hasn’t seen the side of him that I have. He threatened to kill me, and if they get involved, he’ll retaliate against them too.

“Don’t say anything yet, okay? I’d rather move my stuff out when he’s sober, tell him it’s over, and then if he doesn’t take it well, we’ll get the cops involved.

” I wipe away the tears, knowing I need to stop crying, or my makeup will fade away, revealing all my secrets.

I wish I could leave him tonight, but it’s best not to do anything abrupt with him or make a scene in public.

“You aren’t doing it alone, though,” she tells me, and I agree although it’s dangerous as hell.

After a moment, I’m grateful when Lennon changes the subject. Just as she’s about to announce her big news, police sirens echo in the distance.

“What the hell is that?” Maddie asks, unlocking the door, and we see people rushing down the hallway, almost as if the place is on fire.

Maddie steps out, following the crowd, and we stay close behind her.

Tons of people are by the door, and we somehow make our way through them until I finally see Hunter and Liam.

They look terrible, and I’m fearful that something’s gone wrong.

“What happened?” Lennon asks as we make our way to them.

The look on their faces isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before.

Police fill the parking lot and yellow caution tape is being drawn.

I look around—trying to spot Weston, trying to find Mason, and trying to put all the pieces together—but nothing is making sense.

The only thing that pulls me away from my panic is Liam. “Your boyfriend,” he snaps, his jaw twitching with anger.

Everything happens in a blur. Lennon says something about Mason going to jail. Weston’s name is muttered. Then something about a fight.

“Where’s Weston? Is he getting arrested too?” Glancing around, I’m worried as hell although a night in jail might be good for him. It would give him a chance to sober up and me the opportunity to pack my stuff and leave him for good.

I continue searching for him through the crowd.

“Do you see Weston?” I ask Lennon.