yeah,” I moan with sarcasm.
“Oh, before I forget, Jack has been poking around.” Her declaration startles me.
“What do you mean ’poking around?’”
“He came to the apartment, asking why I was here, where you were, all that fun stuff. You know how he gets, typical Jack, trying to bully the information he wants out of people,” Kenzie explains.
My chest aches, and my head is swirling. The idea of Jack finding out where I am makes me feel sick. I need time away, and my hope is the distance between us gives me the strength I currently lack around him. If I’m lucky, he’ll forget all about me. “You didn’t tell him anything, did you?”
“Are you serious? Of course I didn’t.” From the tone of insult in Kenzie’s voice, I’m certain she’s being completely honest. “I did tell him that you were selling the condo and asked me to take care of the place while you work some things out. I swore to him that I didn’t know where you are though.”
“And he bought that?”
“I doubt it, but I wasn’t budging, and I think he knew that.”
“Thanks for dealing with my mess,” I offer.
“Are you kidding?” Kenzie laughs. “Living in your incredible condo, dealing with your ex, is still loads better than my mom and dad’s incessant nagging.”
“Still riding you, huh?” I know things between her and her parents are volatile.
She sighs an extended breath. “Mom just knows how to push my buttons. She started in on the crap about when Ben and I are getting married.”
“What did you tell her?”
“To mind her own damn business.”
“I bet she loved that.” I laugh. I can see the scene unfold in my head.
There is a momentary pause, before Kenzie continues, “She has a point.”
“What? Kenz, what are you talking about?”
“Ben and I have been together almost as long as you and Jack were. You guys lived together and were about to get married. What the hell are Ben and I even doing? I can’t even get him to agree to get an apartment with me.”
“Don’t say that.” I know she cares about Ben, but she just grows impatient with the life she wants now and the stage they are in. “You know Ben loves you, and he only wants what will be best for the two of you.”
“I don’t know if he loves me more than his stupid video games.”
“That’s just silly,” I reassure her. “He works hard, and you know he plays those things to unwind.”
“I suppose.” I hear her swallow hard; I don’t think she believes me. “Enough of this depressing talk. Why don’t you go downstairs and speak to Mr. British McHottie.”
“You did not just say that,” I groan, rolling my eyes for good measure.
“I most certainly did, and if you don’t go hook up with him, I’m going to get on a plane, fly my ass over to England, and take care of this guy myself.”
“Shut up.” I try to keep my laughter down to a dull roar, unsure how much they can hear down in the pub.
“I’m serious, though; it’s dinner time there, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So … go down and have dinner. Sit at the bar, chat him up a bit,” Kenzie instructs. My heart starts to race. I’m still a little humiliated about earlier, but the idea of doing something completely out of character has me on the edge of my seat.
“Well?” she presses.
“All right, I’m going!” I insist.
“Oh my God, no you’re not,” Kenzie grumbles in disbelief.
I rise to my feet. “No, I promise. I just stood up, and I’m getting ready to head out of my room.”
“Ahhh!” she squeals in my ear. “I can’t believe it. Go get him, and then call me and tell me everything about it.”
“Love you, Kenz.”
“Love you, too, slut. Later.”
The phone clicks. I take a deep breath and prepare to make my way downstairs. You can do this , I tell myself. I laugh at my internal pep talk, shaking my head, and step out into the hall, telling myself silently, You’re just going down to grab a bite to eat; no big deal .
Much to
“Oh, before I forget, Jack has been poking around.” Her declaration startles me.
“What do you mean ’poking around?’”
“He came to the apartment, asking why I was here, where you were, all that fun stuff. You know how he gets, typical Jack, trying to bully the information he wants out of people,” Kenzie explains.
My chest aches, and my head is swirling. The idea of Jack finding out where I am makes me feel sick. I need time away, and my hope is the distance between us gives me the strength I currently lack around him. If I’m lucky, he’ll forget all about me. “You didn’t tell him anything, did you?”
“Are you serious? Of course I didn’t.” From the tone of insult in Kenzie’s voice, I’m certain she’s being completely honest. “I did tell him that you were selling the condo and asked me to take care of the place while you work some things out. I swore to him that I didn’t know where you are though.”
“And he bought that?”
“I doubt it, but I wasn’t budging, and I think he knew that.”
“Thanks for dealing with my mess,” I offer.
“Are you kidding?” Kenzie laughs. “Living in your incredible condo, dealing with your ex, is still loads better than my mom and dad’s incessant nagging.”
“Still riding you, huh?” I know things between her and her parents are volatile.
She sighs an extended breath. “Mom just knows how to push my buttons. She started in on the crap about when Ben and I are getting married.”
“What did you tell her?”
“To mind her own damn business.”
“I bet she loved that.” I laugh. I can see the scene unfold in my head.
There is a momentary pause, before Kenzie continues, “She has a point.”
“What? Kenz, what are you talking about?”
“Ben and I have been together almost as long as you and Jack were. You guys lived together and were about to get married. What the hell are Ben and I even doing? I can’t even get him to agree to get an apartment with me.”
“Don’t say that.” I know she cares about Ben, but she just grows impatient with the life she wants now and the stage they are in. “You know Ben loves you, and he only wants what will be best for the two of you.”
“I don’t know if he loves me more than his stupid video games.”
“That’s just silly,” I reassure her. “He works hard, and you know he plays those things to unwind.”
“I suppose.” I hear her swallow hard; I don’t think she believes me. “Enough of this depressing talk. Why don’t you go downstairs and speak to Mr. British McHottie.”
“You did not just say that,” I groan, rolling my eyes for good measure.
“I most certainly did, and if you don’t go hook up with him, I’m going to get on a plane, fly my ass over to England, and take care of this guy myself.”
“Shut up.” I try to keep my laughter down to a dull roar, unsure how much they can hear down in the pub.
“I’m serious, though; it’s dinner time there, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So … go down and have dinner. Sit at the bar, chat him up a bit,” Kenzie instructs. My heart starts to race. I’m still a little humiliated about earlier, but the idea of doing something completely out of character has me on the edge of my seat.
“Well?” she presses.
“All right, I’m going!” I insist.
“Oh my God, no you’re not,” Kenzie grumbles in disbelief.
I rise to my feet. “No, I promise. I just stood up, and I’m getting ready to head out of my room.”
“Ahhh!” she squeals in my ear. “I can’t believe it. Go get him, and then call me and tell me everything about it.”
“Love you, Kenz.”
“Love you, too, slut. Later.”
The phone clicks. I take a deep breath and prepare to make my way downstairs. You can do this , I tell myself. I laugh at my internal pep talk, shaking my head, and step out into the hall, telling myself silently, You’re just going down to grab a bite to eat; no big deal .
Much to
Similar Books
Hidden Meanings
Carolyn Keene
The Day Trader
Stephen Frey
Virgin
Radhika Sanghani
Linda Ford
The Cowboy's Surprise Bride
Pony Express Courtship
Rhonda Gibson
The Girl from Summer Hill
Jude Deveraux
Infinity One
Robert Hoskins (Ed.)
Night Thunder
Jill Gregory
Long Knife
JAMES ALEXANDER Thom
The Falling Woman
Pat Murphy