“Yeah, they were together forever, though. Eight years?” Noah asked.

“Five years,” Elli said, laying her fork down and taking a pull on her beer.

“Yeah, eight years, honey,” Olivia added.

Shea looked around the table. Michael had his head down, shaking it, as Adina and Lauren looked at Elli with sympathy in their eyes.

“It was so sad to see him go. That’s why, Shea, honey, I’m not really getting attached to you. I don’t see you staying with Eleanor, you know? Between her weight issues and her so called career, she isn’t really good enough for you.”

“Wow, Mother, thanks!” Elli said, causing everything to look at her. She threw her napkin on her plate and jumped up, causing her chair to fall back.

“And this is why I don’t come home. I’m leaving.”

She looked over at Shea.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes. Elli then walked out the room, leaving him with her family. Michael stood up, calling after her before he sent Olivia an evil look and rushed out of the room. Shea stood up slowly, throwing his napkin on his plate.

“Oh no, Shea, honey, don’t leave,” Olivia said, standing up, “she’ll be alright, she’ll come back when Michael tells her to.”

Shea was trying so hard to breathe, and not blow up at Elli’s mom. He counted to three before looking at her.

“I apologize if this comes out rude, Olivia, but what the hell is wrong with you people? That woman is the most amazing person I have ever met. There is no weight issue, she’s beautiful. And her career, I mean, do you even know that she is one of the most prestigious photographers in Nashville? Why are you guys doing that to her?”

He shook his head.

“You guys have issues.”

Shea stepped out from the table, looking down at Lauren and Adina.

“It was nice meeting you, ladies. Everyone else, I could have went on without watching you tear Elli to pieces. Let me say this, you’re lucky you are her family.”

With that, he walked away. When he got to the front room, Michael was walking back towards him.

“She’s calling a cab, apparently,” her father said as he passed by.

Shea was pretty sure Elli’s family was about to get it from Mr. Fisher. They needed it, that was for damn sure.

“It was nice meeting you, sir,” Shea said, turning to look at Elli’s father’s back.

“You, too, Shea. Now please, go get my baby.” Shea nodded as he turned and walked out of the big doors to see Elli pacing by his car. He walked down the steps, watching as she pulled her phone out of her purse. When he got close enough to where she heard him coming, she looked up, her big green eyes full of tears. Some started to fall over, rolling down her cheeks.

His chest clenched at the site and he had to look away.

“I’m calling a cab, so you can leave.”

“Elli, get in the truck,” he said, going around the truck and opening the door.

She looked at him, then back down at the floor.

“You’re mad,” she stated.

“Yup, pissed as f**k. So don’t test me, get in the truck.”

Shea thought she was gonna fight him on it, but she didn’t. She got into the truck, and he slammed the door before going around and getting in. They drove off the property and nothing was said until they hit the interstate.

“I mean, do I even know you, Elli?” Shea asked.

The tears were falling fast and Elli didn’t even look over at him.

“You never told me your family is rich or that your uncle is Bryan f**king Fisher, my boss. You didn’t think you should have told me that?”

“It never came up.”

“Apparently nothing came up! Elli, your uncle is my boss. Don’t you think I needed to know that?”

When she didn’t say anything, he kept going.

“What if he trades me when he finds out? What if we broke up and he gets pissed and fires me, then blacklist me!? What then!? Don’t you think these are things I need to know!?”

“I’m sorry, Shea. I should have told you about my uncle, but Uncle Bryan isn’t like that.”

“I don’t care! It is still something I need to know, Elli!”

She wiped her face, looking at her skirt that had little spots from her tears.

“Broadway, Elli? Really?!”

“It was a long time ago.”

“I mean, I didn’t even know you sang for a living, and you were sick? It’s as if you kept a part of your life from me, hid it from me. I’ve told you everything. I mean, damn, it’s as if I don’t know you and in one night I meet the family from hell, and then find out a bunch of shit about you.”

All Elli could do was nod as she cried.

“I can’t believe this, it just blows my mind. But the kicker, Elli,” he didn’t say anything until she looked over; she saw nothing but hurt and anger in his eyes as he said, “you were engaged. You were f**king engaged, which means you lied to me, because I asked if there was someone important. But you lied and said no.”

“He wasn’t important, Shea, he was a convenience.”

“Did you have sex with him?”

“Yes, but-”

“He was important then. You said yes when he put a ring on your finger.”

“But I broke it off because I didn’t love him.”

“But you said yes, so he meant something at the time!” he yelled, scaring the piss out of her. She looked back down at her hands, and nothing was said the rest of the way to her house. When he pulled into her driveway and didn’t get out, Elli started crying harder.