Forbidden Mate- A Step-brother Romance - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

~APOLLO~
"I thought Apollo would propose before the engagement party, I wanted to be able to post pictures of him proposing to me," Jada says as she glances at my mother. I can tell just by the expressions on their faces that they're waiting for me to respond.
I didn't care what look the both of them gave to me, I had no plans to propose.
This wasn't your typical engagement, and I didn't want any part of it. The idea of proposing to Jada felt overwhelming, and my mother knew that.
She knew even getting me to agree to this dinner was a big task. It took this long. She knew better than to try and force me to propose to a woman I didn't even want to marry.
"Oh, that's really not necessary, darling," my mother tries to reassure her. "We don't need a proposal. It just wastes time. We want this marriage to happen as quickly as possible, and for that, we first need to organize the engagement ball."
The tension in the air thickened as my mother awaited Jada's agreement. They were locked in a silent standoff before Jada finally broke into a smile. For a moment, I hoped she would refuse to marry me, but luck wasn't on my side. It was clear that she was willing to sacrifice certain things to make this wedding happen.
"Okay," Jada says, her voice bright. "Just set a date for the engagement ball, and we can move forward with planning everything. There is much to be discussed.”
Her shy nature was suddenly disappearing now that there were talks of an engagement ball and a wedding. It didn't go unnoticed by me.
“Great,” my mother laughs. “Let us begin the planning. I've been waiting so long for this day.”
Ah, fuck. The very thing I had been trying to avoid was finally starting to unfold.
Leaning back in my chair, I zoned out as they began discussing the party plans. I felt my phone vibrate on my lap, and my heart sank when I saw it was Lana calling.
I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. I couldn't ignore her call, especially since I had no idea what she wanted.
"I need to use the restroom," I say, making my escape. I didn't want my mother to notice I was leaving to answer the phone. She was already suspicious, and I didn't want to give her another reason to speculate.
Once I was out of sight, I quickly swiped to answer the call.
I pressed the phone to my ear, my chest tightening with guilt. I knew I was agreeing to marry Jada when deep down, I wished I could be with Lana.
"Lana?" I say, surprised at the silence on the other end. I missed her voice more than I realized, and I longed to hold her again.
"Where are you?" she whispers, her tone laced with worry.
Fuck.
Hearing her voice cut deep. I wanted nothing more than to listen to her and skip the dinner with my mother and Jada.
"Why aren't you home?" she continues, her voice shaky.
"I had an emergency to take care of," I tell her. It wasn't entirely a lie.
There was a heavy silence before she said, "Are you going to be honest with me?"
I froze, unsure of how much she knew.
"What do you mean?" I ask cautiously, wanting to gauge what she was thinking before I said too much.
I wished for the chance to explain everything to her in person; I didn't want to spill it all over the phone.
"I spoke to your father," she says, getting straight to the point.
I felt the blood drain from my face in shock. I couldn't believe my father would ever have a conversation about me with her. They barely spoke in the past—why now?
"And?" I prompted, bracing myself for whatever was coming next.
"He told me you left for dinner with your mother and—" she paused, clearly not willing to finish her thought.
"I—," I sigh, steeling myself. There was no point in denying it when she already knew the truth. "I'm currently at dinner with them."
"And that's the 'emergency' you mentioned when you left without telling me?" she asks, her voice flat.
Damn it.
My jaw tightened as I struggled to find the right words to mend the situation.
"Lana—"
"Just save it," she says, her voice breaking. My heart sank further when I heard her sniffle—she was crying. "I know what the dinner is about. I know you're discussing your wedding."
Before I could respond, she hung up. I listened to the beeping tones as my head swirled with confusion. I didn't want her to find out like this. I had hoped to tell her myself, but it seemed my timing was off.
She probably thought I was a complete jerk, and deep down, I knew I was. I kept hurting her, over and over again.
This was too much. I couldn't sit through dinner knowing Lana was back home in tears because of my choices.
Without wasting another moment, I bolted out of the restaurant, disregarding everything else. I knew I should at least send my mother a text, but I couldn't take the time to explain. She wouldn't let me leave if I tried.
Lana’s words replayed in my mind, full of betrayal and pain. I just wanted to hit something to relieve the crushing ache in my heart.
I snatched my keys from the valet and jumped into my car, pressing down hard on the accelerator as the engine roared to life.
I hoped my mother hadn't caught wind of that conversation back inside the restaurant.
I found myself at a crossroads, unsure of what to do next. Ending the engagement with Jada was out of the question; it simply wasn’t something I could back out of, no matter how desperate I felt to escape it.
So why was I rushing home to Lana? Why did I want to comfort her knowing that I would only break her heart in the end?
WHY?