“Sarah Smith.” Her accent was so sweet. “You’re in year eleven, right?”
“Yeah. They had to put me in the last year.”
“You’re, like, seventeen. Doesn’t it seem odd being at high school with a bunch of young kids?” she said, taking a seat.
“How old are you?”
“Oh, I’m fifteen. I’m a year eleven as well.” She shook his hand.
“I haven’t seen you around.”
“We just got back from a holiday. Went to Cornwall. Dad got permission
to take us out of school. Now I’m back, and I’ve got to play catch up.” She tilted her head, looking at him. “You know, I’ve heard some people say you’re a twat, but you seem fine to me.”
He didn’t speak to anyone else.
“Twat?”
“You’ve got to learn to pick up the lingo. Twat, I guess is a little like asshole, or knob, that’s a good one.”
Landon chuckled. “I’m getting there.”
“Oh, that accent,” she said, laughing. “So how are you finding autumn in the UK? Is it to your liking?”
“Not really. It’s wet.”
“It rains a lot.”
The librarian ordered everyone to be silent, and Sarah smiled. “We better be quiet. It’s nice to meet you, Landon.”
He was well and truly fucked.
Where was his luck?
The girl meant for him was a fifteen-year-old British girl. How was he going to go home when she was right here? In that moment, Landon wanted his parents more than anything, and it was his own fault they weren’t there.
****
Abel sat in his father’s office. Damian was collapsed in the chair opposite the main desk, and their father was pacing the office. His brothers were all there. Three babies were coming into the Denton family, two of them with matched couples. Damian had gotten a woman pregnant, and she wasn’t the woman that he loved. There was no connection.
“You want to marry her?” Stuart asked.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
“You don’t even love her.”
“You married Anita,” Damian said.
“I was in love with her, and guess what? It didn’t fucking stick,” Stuart said. “There is this pull. You marry this woman, and I promise you, you’ll live to regret it. Tell him, Maddox.”
Maddox sighed. “What he is doing is very honorable.”
“Fuck honor. In the long term, this is going to hurt everyone involved.”
“What do you expect me to do? Ask her to get rid of it?” Damian asked.
“No!” Maddox said. “Do you think we’re here discussing your upcoming baby with the intention of you trying to get rid of it? You didn’t bag your dick, so don’t you dare expect any woman to get rid of your mistake!”