I Swear I Still Hate Him (Atlas Lawson) novel Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Atlas POV

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Staying over at my cousin’s place had been great. One minute they were babies, the next they were talking about middle school like it was the biggest deal in the world. I loved those kids. Every second with them mattered.

But still…

I was excited to leave.

Excited because I was finally going home. Excited because I’d get to see Emery.

Five days. That’s all it had been. Five beautiful days, and somehow it felt like forever. We talked, sure, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t seeing her smile in person, holding her, kissing her until she laughed and told me to stop.

On the way back, I even stopped to grab her favorite ice cream. Oreos and caramel. I pictured the way her eyes would light up when she saw it, like I’d just handed her a trophy instead of dessert.

As soon as I stepped inside, the butler reached for my bag.

“Hey, I’ve got it,” I said, laughing, but he insisted anyway and slung it over his shoulder like it was his personal mission.

“Atlas,” Mom said, coming down the stairs and pulling me into a tight hug.

“Hey, Mom.”

She leaned back, hands on my shoulders, squinting at me like she was inspecting something suspicious. “Wow. Two days with your cousin and you already look like you’ve put on weight.”

I laughed. “Pretty sure I look exactly the same.”

She raised a brow. “Highly doubt it.”

I grinned and kissed her on the forehead,

“Atlas, my man,” Rory said, walking over and pulling me into a quick bro handshake. “You look different.”

“See?” Mom said, pointing at him. “I told you.”

I shook my head, laughing. “Okay, maybe a little. Aunt Liliana was feeding me every second I stood still.”

They all laughed, and for a second, everything felt normal. Comfortable.

But my eyes kept drifting Scanning.

Blonde hair. Familiar presence. Nothing.

Was she at the pool? Probably Or the library She liked the quiet

“Is Em at the pool?” I asked casually.

The laughter stopped.

I looked up.

Their siniles had faded just slightly, but enough for a mach to drop.

10:17 Mon, Feb 9

Chapter 128

“Is she okay?” I asked, my voice tightening.

“Atlas…” Mom said softly, reaching out and touching my arm.

My chest tightened. “What’s going on?”

Fear hit me hard and fast. Please…please don’t let something have happened while I was gone.

“Emery’s fine,” Mom said quickly.

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I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Okay. Then why are you both acting like someone just died?”

They exchanged a look.

And that look told me everything was not fine.

“I was waiting for you to get back,” Mom said gently. “So I could tell you the good news… Emery moved to France.”

The words didn’t land right away.

“France?” I repeated, blinking.

My head started spinning.

“Yeah,” Rory said. “She got an opportunity with an entertainment company. A good one. And she took it.”

Why didn’t she tell me?

France?

I knew Emery had style, hell, she could make sweatpants look intentional, but this? This was huge. And sudden. And we’d been talking. Every day,

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I closed my eyes for a second, dragging in a slow breath like that might keep everything from spinning out of control.

“Okay,” I said finally, opening them again. “So she moved to France. What about rehab? Is this really the best time for her to be on her own?”

My gaze locked on Rory, sharp and searching. Needing to see he was against this shit.

“She’s still doing rehab,” Mom said quickly, stepping in. “And this is good for her, Atlas. It gives her a fresh start.”

A fresh start?!

I shook my head, my jaw tightening. “Does it really sound like a fresh start or rather she’s being forced to move away”?”

Neither of them answered.

That was all I needed to hear.

“I can’t do this right now,” I muttered, turning toward the door.

“Atlas, where are you going?” Mom called, her voice rising

I didn’t stop. Didn’t even slow down. “France.”

“Atlas!”

10:18 Mon, Feb 9 E

Chapter 128

how fast I had to move to catch the next flight.

I just knew one thing…

I needed to see her.

Because none of this made sense.

And I wasn’t about to let her walk away without answers.

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The airport was fucking loud. Like every little sound had intensified in my head. Rolling suitcases, boarding calls echoing overhead, people moving like they had nowhere urgent to be, like their worlds weren’t completely falling apart maybe jus my world…but it still mattered.

I walked straight up to the counter, fingers drumming against my thigh, jaw tight.

“Hey,” I said, leaning forward slightly. “I need the next flight to France.”

The woman behind the desk typed something into her computer, her nails clicking calmly against the keyboard. Way too calmly.

“Okay,” she said after a second. “The next available flight to Paris is at eight p.m.”

I checked my watch.

Shit.

That was almost ten hours away.

“Is that… the soonest?” I asked, already knowing the answer but hoping, stupidly, that she’d say no.

She nodded apologetically, “Yes, sir. That’s the next available flight.”

I exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck. Ten hours felt like a lifetime right now.

“Is that the only flight today?” I pressed.

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