Forgiving Nancy (Last Hangman MC, #5)(3)

“I have to go.”

“I know. You better get your ass downstairs.”

“You love my ass.” He smirks.

“I do, a little bit. It’s nice and bubbly.” I giggle.

“So is yours. I love you.”

“I love you too.” We both stay on the line for a little longer, just staring at each other in silence, neither one of use wanting to say goodbye and hang up. Finally Bennett moves the phone from his ear and hangs up. I pull the phone from my ear as well but we keep looking at each other as if trying to remember every single detail of the other. I see him sigh before he places his hand over his heart and blows me a kiss as he disappears from my view.

I throw my phone onto my nightstand and sit on my bed. I pick up the strip of pictures we had taken in a photo booth a couple of days ago.

“Only a few weeks to get through and we’ll be together again,” I whisper to myself and climb under the bed covers. I don’t feel like finishing my essay on ’Romeo and Juliet’ or doing anything anymore. Sleeping the rest of the day away is the only option that makes any kind of sense to me right now. At least it’ll bring me one day closer to Graduation. Just before I doze off, my phone alerts me to a text. I look at my phone and smile.

Bennett: 24 days.

I sigh in relief knowing that he’ll be there waiting for me. I can’t wait for this nightmare to end.

That used to be my very worst nightmare; being away from Bennett. Despite my parents’ threats, we didn’t break up and I knew that I was making the right decision to leave with Bennett as soon as I could. But I never got to fulfill that dream. It was stolen from me in the blink of an eye and I will always blame my parents for it. It’s true that what happened that night technically wasn’t their fault, they were the reason we were running away, they were the reason we had to meet up in secret and they were the reason that I was at that ridiculous country club in the first place. If they had been more open minded, Bennett and I would still be together today, I’m sure of it.

“Nancy, if you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late! We cannot be late!” my mother shouts at me from downstairs as I put the final touches to my makeup.

“I thought it was okay to be fashionably late?” I yell back.

“Do not talk back at me, young lady!”

“I can never win,” I mutter under my breath and walk to my bed to grab my clutch bag. I send a quick text to Bennett before leaving my room.

Me: 10 days can’t come quickly enough.

Bennett: I know my Gorgeous Girl. Hope you stay safe and sane tonight.

Me: Safe, yes. I’m under constant watch. Sane? Never with my parents and their country club friends.

Bennett: Sane is boring anyway. Try to enjoy yourself, it’s not long now.

Me: I know. Hope you’re staying safe with whatever it is that you’re doing.

Bennett: I’m always staying safe, don’t worry. I love you my Gorgeous Girl.

Me: I love you too. I have to go, she’s yelling again.

I drop my phone into my bag and make my way downstairs carefully so I don’t ruin my god awful dress that I was forced to wear. I hate wearing dresses. I’m more of a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl but here I am, wearing a horrible evening gown, to a ridiculous party, just to please my parents.

“Well, it’s about time. In the car. We’re late enough.” My mother glares at me as I walk past her. I clamber into the back of the car as best I can in this absurd dress and keep quiet. The less interaction I have with them at the moment, the better. They’ve been threatening me with the Convent on a daily basis if I even think about speaking or looking at Bennett, so not talking is the best option.

Before I even manage to undo my seatbelt, my parents are out of the car and already talking to their ‘friends’. Why make me come if they’re just going to leave me on my own whilst they talk to the so-called friends they spend half their time bitching about. I swear they only spend time with each other because they have a lot of money and want to show off.

I.

Hate.

This life.

I might have been brought up within a rich family but money doesn’t interest me at all. It doesn’t make people happy, it most certainly has never had that effect on me and it seems that the more money you have, the less happy you are. At least that’s the impression I get from over half the people at this party. It’s quite sad if you think about it; all these people are loaded and the pleasure all that money brings them only occurs when they flaunt it to others.

I’m not sure why my mother decided that I just had to come tonight; there’s no one around my age and I can’t even drink for another three years. This is going to be one long night.

After about two hours of listening about Darling Chestnut the pedigree French Bulldog and his antics which are quite frankly disgusting, I manage to sneak a couple of drinks from the bar. It’s not like anyone is really going to notice or care anyway. I do however feel slightly inebriated after drinking them in quick succession and I’m pretty sure I’m going to combust because it’s so damn hot in this room. I try to let my parents know that I’m heading outside to get some air, but they shush me and tell me that it’s rude to interrupt a conversation. Typical.

I make my way outside of the building and the fresh air hits me like a bag of bricks, making me feel a lot drunker than I was before. There are a couple of steps that lead to the huge building where the party is and it’s going to be a challenge to get down them without breaking my neck. I have to move quite quickly because the noise and anything to do with the party is irritating me past the point of no return and if I don’t move away I might do something I’ll end up regretting. You know that feeling you get when you’re upset and mad at someone or something and the littlest thing drives you crazy and makes you want to break something? That’s where I’m at right now. I just want to destroy something or yell at my parents in front of their * friends to show them that I matter. Full of rage, I grab my phone and message Bennett.