“Don’t answer that,” I mutter and Liam squeezes my side.
“Dad, how many times does Mom have to apologize? She made a mistake, but she chose you. You two still love each other. I see how you look at one another still. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes with Liv, but look at us now. We just got freaking married. Carson got knocked up in college and I’m sure that wasn’t her first choice, but look at her life now. So what if Flynn makes bad choices? We all do. Can you honestly tell me she’s not happier and healthier now than she’s ever been? I think she’s more clear-headed about this than she’s been about anything in her entire life. This is happening and we need to accept it if we want her in our lives. I know my life wouldn’t be as interesting without her in it.” Luke throws me a wink and I walk over to him to wrap him in a big, uncharacteristic hug.
“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you willingly give your siblings a hug,” my mom says through a sniffle.
“I’ve changed in the past couple of months. You might like who I am now.” I shrug and my mom walks over to me.
“Flynnie, I’ve always loved who you are.” She hugs me and she sounds like my mom again, not the angry, snotty housewife she’s become over the last few weeks.
“We’ll need to do damage control. I’m not sure if you’ll get out of this unscathed. It’s going to come out one way or another. Stuff like this always does.” My dad immediately enters damage control mode, ready to take care of business.
“Actually, I’m already handling it.” Liam speaks up for the first time and we all look at him expectantly. “I am no longer a therapist. I’m shutting down my practice.”
“WHAT?” I screech and walk over to my boyfriend. “What are you talking about? What did you do?”
“Someone did find out about me and Flynn.” I know he’s referring to Miranda, but my family doesn’t need all the nasty details. “She was blackmailing me for money. Luckily, there’s no proof that Flynn and I were in a relationship while I was her doctor, so she doesn’t have much to work with. However, I would still be investigated. If I stop practicing medicine, it might look suspicious, but it’s better than the alternative. There’s nothing for anyone to grasp onto. I’m essentially punishing myself and getting ahead of any negativity.”
“But there’s still documentation that you were her doctor.”
“Having a relationship with a former patient is not illegal. It is unethical, which is why I’m terminating my license on my own accord.”
“What are you going to do?” My voice is quiet, breathy. I feel like I’ve ruined his life.
“I’m going to teach. I got a job at Cape Fear University in their psychology department.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. My words heavy and filled with guilt. He shouldn’t have to give up his career for me.
His hands find my shoulders and he forces me to look at him. “Flynn, I made this choice on my own. This is why I didn’t want to tell you. This is not your fault. Remember, the choices other people make are not your fault. I’m doing this for us.” His hands slide down my arms and grip mine. “I don’t want you to worry about anything.”
We stare at each other. His hazel eyes are full of love and I smile at him, feeling wholly safe in his arms.
“Okay, well, I’m going to get back to my wedding. Glad we could work this out.” Luke salutes us with his glass before walking back inside.
I step away from Liam and let out a small chuckle.
The confrontation is over, but we’re all still standing out here, somewhat awkwardly. I’m not really sure where we go from here, though there’s nothing else for us to say at this time. My parents are going to accept us. I want to push up on my toes and kiss Liam, but I don’t want to push my luck right away either.
“Can you give us a minute? I’d like to talk to your mother.” Dad’s voice is low, broken. I hate seeing him this way. I hope, somehow, they can patch this up, this rift between them.
Carson, Liam, and I head back inside to give my parents some much-needed privacy.
My sister joins her husband and daughter on the dance floor. When a slow song comes on, Liam tugs me into his arms and we sway along to the music. In his arms, in this moment, I feel like everything is going to be okay.
“Do you want to get married?” I ask him, my earlier anxiety at the thought of this conversation having since dissipated. I bite back a laugh and wish I could take a picture of his face. His eyes are wide and his fingers are digging into my hips. “Not now. You can calm down. Just in general. Is it something you ever see yourself doing again?”
“I won’t say it’ll never happen, but I haven’t thought about it much. My divorce papers are barely cold. Is it something you want?”
“I could warm up to the idea. In like, many, many years.” He leans down and kisses me. We both still have a lot we need to deal with. I need to continue working on myself and figuring out a real life plan and he has to deal with the wicked witch of Wilmington. “What are you going to do about Miranda?”
“My lawyer has set up a meeting with her on Monday. Everything will be taken care of. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I know. I trust you. Do you want me to come as back
