Even Now Read Online Free PDF Page B

She was shouting now. “That’s what I mean. How come Shane had to tell me? Why didn’t I hear anything before this?”
    “Watch your tone, young lady.” Her father stood and walked closer, his finger pointed at her. “We’ve been conducting business in this family for years without consulting you. You might be seventeen and pregnant, but that doesn’t mean you’re an adult, and it certainly doesn’t mean you’ll be privy to everything your mother and I do.”
    His tone wounded her, hurt her to the depths of her soul. Shane was right. The sale of the bank, the idea of both families moving, all of it was part of a giant plan to tear them apart. She closed the distance between them and took his hand in hers. “Why, Daddy? Why are you doing this to us?”
    He pursed his lips and looked away. When his eyes found her again, they were softer. “There is no us when it comes to you and Shane. You’re kids, nothing more than children. We’re going to save you from yourself, Lauren.” His voice was thick. “I love you too much to do anything else.”
    Her world rocked hard to one side, tilted in a way that made her wonder if it would ever be right side up again. She glanced at her mother, her ally, but she received nothing back. Her mom wouldn’t even look at her. One small step at a time, Lauren backed up. Her heart was beating so hard she figured they could hear it across the room. “You won’t win this!” Her voice was loud again — loud and shrill.
    “You will not talk to us that way, Lauren.” Her father’s gentleness from a moment earlier was gone. “Go to your room and think about your actions. This is no way for a daughter of mine to act.”
    She shook her head, stunned. Nothing was making sense, not his words or his expression or his tone of voice. It all ran together and she dropped her voice to little more than a whisper. “You won’t win.” Wetness filled her eyes, blurred her vision. She couldn’t make out the details of her father’s face through her tears, but she stared at him anyway. “I love him, Daddy. Selling the bank, moving away . . . ” Her throat was too swollen to talk.
    “Honey.” Again his expression eased. “You don’t know what love is.”
    An ache filled her chest and she could no longer draw a breath. Not with the two of them so close, knowing full well that they’d done this, planned against her and Shane this way. Her tone was still quiet, thick with the pain that coursed through her. “No matter what you and his parents do, the two of us will be together. You can’t live our lives for us.”
    She turned and ran to her room. She was about to throw herself onto the bed, when she remembered the baby. The precious little baby. It wasn’t his fault or her fault, but here they were. She sat down on the bed and stretched out on her side. With both hands on her middle, she let the tears come.
    All she wanted was to love Shane. How had things gotten so crazy, so mixed up? So she and Shane were young. So what? Did that mean they didn’t have a right to try to make this work, to figure out a way to raise their child and find a life together? She looked around her room at the pretty furniture and luxury bedspread.
    Her parents had more money than they knew what to do with — and so did Shane’s — but somehow they’d all missed out on how to love. The more she thought about their houses and their cars, the lifestyles they lived, the angrier she got. If they were poor or even average, the way most of her friends were, then this problem wouldn’t be nearly as big. Her pregnancy would be a disappointment to them, sure, but she’d stay home and raise her baby, and Shane would visit as often as he could. Then, when they graduated from high school, they’d get married and everything would work out fine.
    It was the money — the power and prestige that came with it. That’s why they were stuck in this situation. Then for the first time an idea came to her, a crazy, wild