Devious Intentions (Carson Cove Scandals 3)

“I was out…” I felt a lump rising up in my throat.

“You have a boyfriend, don’t you?” My mother narrowed her eyes at me.

“What? Why would you think that?” I tried not to react to her question.

“I found a bag of your things in the living room after you went upstairs…” She looked up at me. “I’ve packed my fair share of overnight bags.”

If that’s all she thinks it is, then I better go along with it.

“Fine.” I nodded. “Yes, I’ve been seeing someone.”

“I had a hunch.” She nodded. “At first, I thought you were just coming home late every night because you didn’t want to be here, but now it makes sense.”

“We don’t get to talk much these days…” I sipped my coffee.

Not that we ever did.

“I know, but things should be a lot better after the wedding.” She smiled. “It will be nice to have some peace and quiet around here!”

“Wedding?” I feigned confusion. “Didn’t you already have one of those?”

“I know you were listening last night, Leigh.” My mother narrowed her eyes. “You’re too nosy to mind your own business.”

If the cards are on the table, I might as well play them.

“It didn’t sound like Jenny was very excited about this—wedding.” I tilted my head to the side. “Shouldn’t she get to decide who she marries?”

“After what she did last night?” My mother motioned to the house. “Do you really think she is capable of making her own decisions?”

“There seems to be a pretty big jump from throwing a temper tantrum to being forced to marry someone…” I took a quick sip of my coffee before I said anything that I would regret.

“Edgar knows what is best for his daughter. I trust him.” My mother shrugged. “She’s going to be marrying a wonderful man—handsome, charming, and he’s from a very wealthy family.”

“You’ve met him?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“Yes, that’s part of the reason we went to Cabot Beach. We were supposed to meet the rest of his family today—but we had to rush back to Carson Cove.” She sighed. “I still can’t believe she did this to our home…”

“So, this wealthy, handsome, charming man—is okay with marrying a seventeen-year-old girl that doesn’t want to be his wife?” I shook my head. “Something seems off about that.”

“Marriages in his family are often arranged.” My mother waved off my concern. “It’s already decided, so don’t worry about it—she’s not our problem anymore.”

I never thought my mother would dismiss someone’s entire life so easily…

“Until then, she just stays locked in her room?” I took a sip of my coffee and raised my eyebrows inquisitively.

“Well, she certainly can’t seem to behave when she isn’t!” My mother’s response had a little bit of venom in it. “I tried so hard to fix this place up! Just look at it now!”

“Yeah…” I sighed.

Let’s just make it all about you…

It was clear that my mother wasn’t going to be any help. I retrieved the bag I packed the night before and returned to my room. Edgar came home a short while later, and I decided to use the fact that my mother thought I was seeing someone as an excuse to leave Sinn Manor. I didn’t know where I would go, but I needed to get away for a little bit. I drove around for about an hour before I finally decided to go to the villa Damien rented for us. It was quite lonely without him, but that felt better than being trapped in Sinn Manor.

I returned to Sinn Manor late Saturday night after everyone else was in bed. It appeared that some effort had been made to clean up some of the destruction. All of the glass was gone from the floor, and plastic had been taped over the windows. I checked Jenny’s door when I got upstairs, and it was still locked—if she heard me outside, she didn’t say anything. Even if I had a key, I would have been scared to unlock it. I had no idea what kind of rampage she would go on if the opportunity presented itself. She covered for me after the party, but I wasn’t sure if she would trust me when she was sober. It was too risky either way—being locked up was probably the best option until we could actually make our escape.

There has to be a way to fix this…

The next morning, I woke up and got ready for work. I wasn’t in the mood to stand at the front desk all day, but I didn’t want it to seem like anything was out of the ordinary. I checked the local news on my phone and didn’t see any mention of Damien’s arrest. I drove by the police station just to be closer to him—and then called in sick to work. It wasn’t a lie. My stomach was in so much turmoil, I felt like I might start throwing up at any second. I knew that was probably the last straw for me, and I would get fired, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to care. I spent another day at the villa instead—where I could be alone with my sorrows. They were all I had.