Chapter 128 - The Promise

Ford. 

This is bad. 

I wanted to be the one to tell everyone. Somehow, I thought it coming from me would make things better. Yeah, who am I kidding? It was always going to end this way, whether we liked it or not. 

I am being shut out. I get it, this doesn't have anything to do with me. I am not her son. The only person she would be disappointed in is Lance. I will leave the disappointment to my father. he will give me his own fair share of grievance. So maybe worrying about Marybelle is not up to me. Maybe Lance can handle her on his own.

I hear the shouting from his room and trust me, I want to burst out of here and run to his rescue but I don't think it will do any of us any good. She has every right to be upset. We are doing things that might affect her marriage but this is not about her, this is about us. at the end of it all, we have our lives to live and I am done living my life for anyone else but me. 

I hear the bang of the front door after a couple of minutes and then his room door burst open. Marybelle looks at me, in tears. Now I even feel worse. She looks at me with a frown as she wipes her tears ''Please leave, I will handle Lance on my own.'' She tells me. 

This is he basically kicking me out. I completely understand her but I wish I could stay. I haven't even tried to convince her that I am actually good for him. we are good together. This doesn't have to affect her and my dad.

''Can I at least explain things?'' 

She shakes her head immediately ''I need you to just stay on your own for now. Lance will not be coming back to the house for a while.'' 

She is trying to keep him away from me. I didn't expect this from her. The only person I thought was capable of this is dad and now she is doing the same thing. Maybe being with him for too long has rubbed off on her in the wrong way. 

''Please don't do this,'' I beg with so much desperation. 

I can't stay away from him. I just got to him after a week away and I don't think I can survive longer. 

She sighs. I can tell this is hard for her. She hates to be this person but she is choosing my fathers side at this moment. I wish she could choose me and Lance. I wish she could give us a chance. 

''I just told him how wrong this is… please don't let me repeat myself,'' she begs as the tears fall down her face. 

I cant push things today because there is no convincing her while things are still hot. The only thing I can do is give her time and work on how I plan on telling my dad. He will eventually find out. 

Just like she did. 

How did she even find out?

I put on my shoes in a hurry and walk out of the house. my eyes roam around the corridors in search of him. I don't want to leave without at least saying goodbye to him. I don't want him worrying or thinking they have won. This is not over. 

I can't even call him because he left his phone in the room. Once outside in the parking lot, something pulls me to look up. I see him at the roof. I don't know how I even know it is him—maybe you can call it instinctual but instantly, I am running back into the building until I get to the roof. 

I didn't really hear his conversation with his mother, but it must have been tough for him to storm out of there. I open the metallic door to the roof and he looks back immediately. I walk over to him and he is in my arms in an instant. 

''Baby,'' he cries into my arms. 

''I thought she would be on my side. I was so confident that she would have my back,'' he tells me still in tears. 

This is not her fault. 

Yeah, he had too many high expectations. There is no world where she would take this with smiles and encouragement. This is a big deal. To anyone. it will take a lot of acceptance for your mother to accept you being with your stepfather's son. It is a touchy topic that will take a lot of getting used to. I know she will eventually come around but it might be too late then. 

''I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to be without you.'' He concludes. 

I have thought about running away together. As long as I still have my trust fund. I can take care of both of us. This is supposed to be the backup plan, but we need to see how things play first. 

''Babe, it has been a couple of minutes. Don't you at least want to give her the benefit of the doubt? Let's see if she will come through. She might end up being on our side.''

I am trying to see the glass as half full. I know his mother is a good person. I see the way she looks at him. she genuinely loves him, and I know that Lance knows that because he loves her too. 

Is it such a good idea for him to leave her right now?

''She is never going to come around. You didn't see the look on her face. she is disgusted. She hates me.'' 

I shake my head, pulling away from him so I can see his face, slowly, I wipe the tears that are on his cheeks. I want to find the right words to assure him that she doesn't but I don't know what to say. 

''She doesn't hate you,'' I tell him because deep down I know how much that woman loves him. 

''She said I am selfish and she is right. I haven't thought about her all through this. I have been thinking about myself.''

That is not true. 

He is the most selfless person I have ever met ''You are not selfish Lance. you are far from it. this thing between us is out of our control. There is a pull that kept bringing you back to me. There was nothing we could do.'' 

''Please let's run away, I am tired of everything,'' he cries. This is hurting me a lot more than he can even fathom. Our relationship seems doomed and we haven't even been together for a long time. I want forever with him but there are these forces that want to pull him away from me. 

''Are you willing to leave everyone and everything behind?'' I ask him. he seems to be forgetting about Jack. His best friend that he hasn't been apart from in like forever. 

Is he going to leave him too?

''Jack will visit. He will know where we are. I want to be with you more than I want to be here.'' He tells me. My heart aches in my chest from his words. I will be the cause of him separating from his mother and best friend. it seems like I only bring problems into his life. 

I want to be better. 

I wish things could be different for us, but this is the life we have been dealt with and we have to make choices. 

I choose him and I will keep choosing him over and over again. There is no one else but him. there is a look in his eyes, somehow behind the tears, there is excitement. He is thinking about this is a little too deeply. 

''I want to do this with you. Please don't let her keep you from me,'' he begs again. 

I release a sigh from the frustration of being put on the spot. I can't refuse him. I know his mom will come around and then we can get her on our side but if he needs an escape right now, then I will give him that. 

''Okay. Let me pack a few of my things. I will be back here in an hour; I want you to wait for me by the convenience store.'' I finally give in to him and with that, he smashes his lips to mine, roughly pushing me against the wall.

''I love you,'' I remind him in hopes that it is always at the back of his mind. 

I leave him with promises. Promises of being together. Once I get home, I grab the bag I took to see uncle Max, it still has my clothes in it. slowly adding a bunch of other stuff, I head out of my room excitedly. 

Once I get to the small hallway that leads to the door, I see him seated on the chair by the corner. Almost like he was waiting for me. 

''Where do you think you are going?'' his voice is cold and detached. Somehow I sense anger in his tone. 

I made a promise to Lance. 

I have to keep it.