FORBIDDEN CONNECTION |✔️

XXV

A V A

I heard a knock on the door after two hours.

Vincent peeked inside with a mischievous grin that sometimes reminded me of Lucy. His behavior was strikingly similar to hers.

"Lily wants you two at the table if you’re done with your session." He emphasized the last word with a knowing look before blinking and leaving us alone again.

We were almost finished, so I packed up my books and stationery. As Jeremy stood to go, I asked, my voice laced with nervousness and my gaze fixed on my lap, "Do I need to join?"

He turned and approached me, gently lifting my chin to meet his gaze. He took my hand and intertwined our fingers. "They’re very welcoming and friendly. Don’t be nervous. Just think of it as being with family. They’ll love you," he said, blinking his eyes and offering me a reassuring smile.

"I can’t even remember the last time I had dinner with my family. It feels so awkward to think about it." His family seemed so elegant and high class and I couldn’t help but worry that I might mess things up. Meeting them for the first time made me anxious. What if my behavior would ruin my image in front of him?

"Do you have any idea that my mom already likes you? And about Dad, I could say he’ll like you too after seeing how good you are with horses," he said.

I nodded but then stopped when I realized what he had said. "Your mom already likes me?" I asked, blinking in surprise.

He pressed his lips together for a moment before answering. "She knows about us."

My heart skipped a beat when he referred to me and him as us.

"She knows?" I asked, my mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Just relax," he said, standing up and helping me up. "I'll be with you, and it'll be fun joining them, Ava. Trust me."

I was speechless, I knew she liked me from the way she admired and talked with me, but I had been speaking with her casually, thinking she wasn’t aware of our relationship. I was wrong. She knew from the start, and I had been pretending to be clueless about our situation. Now, knowing she was aware, I couldn’t help but feel nervous about meeting her again.

"Ava," he called.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" I muttered.

His eyes softened. "Because I never expected you to react like this."

I stayed silent.

"I’m sorry." His words startled me for a second then I let out a chuckle.

"Don't say that," I said with a smile. "We shouldn’t keep them waiting."

I think I should not overthink it, I should go and handle the situation instead of giving him a long face. She liked me and had no problem with whatever we had, so why was I feeling sad? Besides, Jeremy will be next to me; I shouldn't be so nervous.