He Crossed the Ocean for Her, Never 90 Miles for Me Chapter 04

He Crossed the Ocean for Her, Never 90 Miles for Me Chapter 04

Early the next morning, I arrived at the Mercer house.

Mrs. Mercer looked up from the kitchen and smiled. “Leah! You’re here. Come sit down. You’ve lost so much weight. Has work been that busy?”

I watched her bustle around the kitchen.

The scene was painfully familiar. Ever since I was little, I had stood right here, watching her ladle soup into a bowl for me while complaining that Julian still hadn’t come downstairs.

Trying to sound casual, she asked, “How’s Julian been? Has he been spending more time with you lately, or is he still buried in work all day?”

I didn’t answer.

She sighed and looked at me seriously.

“Leah, you know how he is. Once work gets hold of him, nothing else exists. But you two grew up together. You know better than anyone what kind of person he is. He’s not a bad person.”

I had been hearing some version of that excuse for more than twenty years.

When I was six, he shoved me off a playground slide. On my sixteenth birthday, he stood me up. And now, at twenty-six, he couldn’t even be honest with me when our relationship ended.

I cut her off. “Mrs. Mercer, I think the soup’s boiling.”

“Oh!” She hurried back to the stove.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Mrs. Mercer went to answer it, and the smile disappeared from her face.

Julian stood outside holding Caroline’s hand.

He glanced at me once, then led Caroline inside.

“Mom, this is Caroline, my girlfriend. I wanted you to meet her.”

Mrs. Mercer stayed frozen in the entryway.

Caroline greeted her with a polite smile. “Mrs. Mercer, hi. I’m Caroline Avery. Please, call me Caroline.”

Then she spotted me, and her face lit up.

“Leah! I didn’t know you’d be here!”

She settled into the seat beside me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“That dress looks amazing on you. Is it from that store we went to last time?”

I smiled at her.

She really was a good person—warm, open, and sincere.

I couldn’t bring myself to dislike her.

Julian took the seat farthest from me.

Once dinner started, Mrs. Mercer barely spoke, but her attention kept returning to Caroline.

“Ms. Avery, right? What do you do? Tell me about your family. How old are you?”

The questions came one after another.

Caroline hesitated.

Julian stepped in calmly. “Mom, what’s with all the questions? It’s her first time here. Don’t scare her off.”

“What’s wrong with asking?”

Mrs. Mercer’s voice rose.

“You suddenly bring someone home. Of course I want to know who she is.”

“Know what?”

Julian looked up, irritation flashing across his face.

“If you’re angry, be angry at me. Don’t take it out on her.”

Mrs. Mercer shot to her feet.

“Is that how you speak to me? Forget how you treat me. The way you’ve treated Leah—”

Julian cut her off.

“What does Leah have to do with me?”

“What, is she an idiot? Can she not survive without me?”

Everyone went silent.

“Growing up, you were always telling me to treat her like a little sister and look out for her. Fine. I put up with it.”

“She’s been glued to my side for more than twenty years. Everywhere I go, she follows. I can’t even get a second to breathe!”

Years of resentment seemed to pour out of him all at once.

“I’m an adult now. I get to choose who I love, don’t I? Why do you all keep trying to force her on me?”

Mrs. Mercer started trembling.

“Julian! Our families have been planning this match since you were kids—”

He laughed.

“Did you ever ask me? Did any of you ever ask whether I wanted it?”

His breathing turned ragged, his voice rising with every word.

“I told you I don’t want this!”

“I’m sick of seeing her!”

“She makes me want to throw up!”

“She disgusts me!”

I kept my head down, my eyes stinging from the steam rising off the soup.

Caroline jumped up.

“Julian! Stop!”

She fumbled for some tissues, hurried over, and gently dabbed at my face.

Across the table, Julian looked rattled for a split second.

Mrs. Mercer started crying.

“Leah, I’m so sorry. Julian is the one who was wrong. I should’ve raised him better.”

I took her hand and swallowed back my tears.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Mercer.”

“I actually came here to tell you something too. I want to call off the match our families planned for Julian and me.”

I looked at Julian. His expression tightened.

Then I smiled.

“Actually, I’m already engaged. He’ll be here any minute.”

Right then, a man appeared in the doorway, framed by the light behind him.

“Leah, I’m here to pick you up.”