Chapter 67: Breakfast

Molly's POV-

I left my room extra late the next morning, hoping that by the time I got down to the breakfast room, the only person I'd see was my mother. The last thing I wanted was for either Scott or Paul to comment on how awful I looked.
I had slept restlessly, even before I had gotten Scott's quick text about having to leave. I couldn't tell if I was angry, sad, or relieved that he had left so quickly after what had happened. Then again, I couldn't quite separate my emotions either way. All I knew was that I would have time to sort through everything before hearing from Scott again.
I walked toward the large dining room and almost stumbled when I heard more than my mother's voice echoing from the table.
"Don't be so grouchy, Paul," my mother chided her husband. "After tomorrow Molly will have her license, and we won't have to worry about her taking that horrible bus anymore!"
I groaned inwardly. I really didn't feel like dealing with Paul's grumpiness either today. But, it was much more preferable to you-know-who. I took a deep breath and almost started walking again but waited a moment when Paul began to speak. I knew eavesdropping was not very ladylike, but I also hoped to find out why Paul had started acting very cranky toward me lately.
"Willie, you spoil that girl. Her friend Rebecca takes the city bus, and she gets along just fine," Paul grumbled.
Yeah, I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes. But even Becca had stories about some of the hairier things that had happened on the bus. Not to mention all the times when she had been late because the bus had broken down or had an accident.
Yeah, the bus was just fine.
"Dad." Another voice chimed in, and I felt my chest tighten. "The bus is not a safe place for either girl. Especially now that Keith is driving it. He's already been eyeing Becca. Do you really wanna risk a confrontation with Molly?”
What the hell was Scott still doing here? He was supposed to be long gone and at work... somewhere far away from here where I wouldn't see him for weeks! What the hell?
Paul grumbled, bringing my attention back to the conversation.
"The last thing we need is to bail Molly out of jail," Paul agreed begrudgingly.
"Besides, as Willimina said, Molly will have her license by tomorrow evening, and she can take over the car while I'm away," Scott continued.
"Fine," Paul snapped. "But we have to get on top of this disaster from the Seattle office. I don't want my business to go under because you would rather stay here and play chauffeur."
I didn't have to be in the same room to see Scott's eyeroll; I could almost hear it from out in the hallway.
"Did you want some coffee?"
I jumped and spun around, feeling my face flush with embarrassment, realizing I had been caught lurking by one of the maids. The older woman's face was carefully blank, a clear sign that she had learned long ago to keep her employers confidence.
I took a moment to try to school my features to hide my guilt.
"Yes! Thank you. I'll go join the others," I replied with a warm smile.
The maid gave me a nod and moved into the dining with her coffee pot. With a deep breath, I forced my lips into a tight smile and followed the maid into the kitchen. Maybe, with a little bit of luck, no one would notice how badly I was feeling.
"Good morning, sweetie!" my mother greeted me brightly.
"Good morning, all," I replied, trying to imitate my mother's tone.
I made a point not to look at Scott as I moved to my spot at the table. Of course, Scott was seated right next to me as opposed to where he normally sat next to his father. I was trapped, and I knew it. I could move to the other side of the table from him. But that would have made it all too obvious that I didn't want to be near him, and there was no way I was going to let him know I was that disturbed by him.
Sitting in the chair next to him, I busied myself getting food on my plate and some coffee.
"So, what's going on?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Oh! We were discussing Scott's upcoming trip," my mother replied. "He was supposed to leave today. But he's gonna stick around until after your driving test. We wanted to make sure you didn't have to take that horrid bus."
I forced a light laugh. "Oh, Mom! Don't stress about it that much. I'll be fine! It's only like two days. Why don't we have one of the maids drive me?"
The frown on my mother's face was nothing compared to the power of the glare I felt on the side of my head. While my mother was confused by my suggestion, Scott was pissed.
"Molly, honey, your safety is always my primary concern,“ Willimina insisted.
My smile became more genuine in the face with my mother's sincere concern. "Mom, I know it is. But, really, I'll be fine taking the bus for a few days." My mother began to argue, but I held up my hand to stop her words. "That is... if one of the maids or drivers can't take me."
The glare from Scott had started to burn a hole in the side of my head. He was definitely trying to get my attention and becoming harder to ignore.
"Well," Paul spoke up before I gave in to Scott. "It doesn't matter now. Scott has already missed his flight because of this whole situation. Making it more of a headache would be frivolous. Scott will be driving you. Just make sure you pass your test, so this can stop happening. Scott is not a taxi service, and he has a job to do."
Focusing on my plate, I bit my lip so hard I almost tasted blood. Paul was blaming me for something that was completely out of my control. I had tried to get out of Scott driving me. But no one was letting me, not even Paul himself.
"Molly," Scott called.
Great, I thought as I groaned inwardly. Scott was definitely making it impossible to ignore him. With no other choice, I lifted my eyes to his face and prayed that he wouldn't see how I was truly feeling.
"Yes?" I replied innocently.
The soft smile on his face did absolutely nothing to tamper the anger in his eyes. He was not buying the carefree attitude I was attempting to cultivate. Honestly, after last night what had he expected me to do? Melt like a hot mess at his feet? That was not going to happen! Just because he hadn't said those words back to me or even commented on them didn't mean anything. I was going to make sure he knew that.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were avoiding me," Scott said softly.
Oh, he was going to call me out like that? I thought angrily. There was no way we could have this conversation at the moment. My hands were tied, and he absolutely knew that.
My mother laughed merrily like Scott had made some running joke. "Oh! I'm sure that's not the case. Molly is just trying to be thoughtful. She knows you and Paul work so hard she doesn't want to get in the way."
Paul murmured under his breath, but I couldn't make out what he said.
"I'm sure that's what it is," Scott agreed with his chilly smile.
I returned its chill and nodded. "Absolutely. There's no reason why I wouldn't want you around."
Scott's eyes darkened with suspicion, but he didn't call me out on my blatant lie. "Good."
I gave another nod and turned back to my breakfast. However, I left my food untouched now that my appetite was completely gone.
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*Dear Readers:

I want to thank you for your patience with me. I just wanted to give an update. Last month, I suffered from a bit of a breakdown. I'm getting the help I need and slowly working to get well again.
I have started writing again, as you can see. But it is slow as I don't want to push myself too hard. My work is important to me, as are my fans and books. But I can't let it take precedence over my mental health again.
I appreciate your patience, and I'll get to you all slowly as I feel better.
My chapters will be sporadic and updated as I get them done. But each chapter is a little victory for me. They are another milestone I have achieved.
Thank you for sticking with me as I get through this.

All My Love,
Leann Lane*