Kady was taking a sip when he’d started his sentence and by the end of it, she was gagging. Literally. She choked on the liquid and set the glass down with a clunk. She flailed her arms, gasping for air as if she were drowning in the ocean.
“Oh, stop being a drama queen.” Tyler rolled his eyes and reached over, slapping her on the back hard. It didn’t help with choking, but she wasn’t choking anyway. “You’re not going to die. Just breathe and you’ll live to get married.”
She held a hand over her throat and shot him a look that should have set him afire. “Y-You’re an a-asshole.”
“She lives,” he slurred, flinching when she smacked him hard on the arm. “Ow, that hurt.”
“Good. You deserved it.”
He cocked a brow. “For pointing out the obvious?”
“No, for throwing that out there when you knew I’d react that way.” She picked up her drink and took a long sip. “And, uh, seeing as I didn’t know she, uh, lost her V-card with you in the first place, I kind of needed a second to absorb that.”
“Well, absorb and we’ll discuss.”
Kady took another drink. “But when did this happen? I thought she lost her virginity with some guy named Rick in…” Her eyes lit up and he could see all the pieces forming in her mind. “Oh my God. Mexico. It was you.”
He averted his eyes and tugged on his collar. Why hadn’t he gotten out of his suit before coming down to the bar? “Hi. I’m Rick. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh my God, that explains so much. I mean…I knew she had a crush on you, but I couldn’t understand why she kept asking about you all these years. Why, after one short trip in Mexico years ago, she had to know what you were up to all of the time. What you were doing. If you were seeing anyone.” She shook her head and let out a soft laugh. “I’m such an idiot. That’s why. Because of Mexico.”
“She didn’t care about me. She just needed intel so she could plot her payback, is all. For her list.” He shook his alcohol-hazed head. “Why else would she care about that stuff? She doesn’t even like me.”
Kady shook her head, her eyes still on the bar. She seemed to be trying to understand everything. “How did this happen?”
He snickered. “Do you really need me to explain the logistics of how to—”
“God, no. Ew.” She smacked him on the arm again. “You know what I mean, so answer the question.”
He sighed and rubbed his abused arm. “She was upset about her parents and left the group. I followed her and found her crying in the hallway of the hotel. I tried to comfort her. Next thing I knew…” He waved his hand. “Well, you know.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, images bombarding him from that night. The sight of her leaning against the wall, tears creeping down her cheeks as she tried to straighten her clothes. The way she’d held her hand out to him as he bolted from her side. She’d looked…devastated, confused, and scared.
Well, no shit, Sherlock.
No wonder she wanted a little payback. He deserved it. She had every right to want to punish him in some way for what he’d done to her, and he’d flipped out on her like a lunatic.
“Okay, so now I know what happened back then. What happened tonight?”
“We spent the last few days together…reconnecting.” He cleared his throat. “And I thought we had something going on. But she was only playing with me. Nothing more. She even made a list of ways to do it. It was all a game to her.”
Kady smacked him on the back of the head hard enough to make stars shine in his vision. “Do you hear yourself?”
“Ow. Stop hitting me.” He rubbed the sore spot. “Why did I get hit that time?”
“Tell me this.” She leaned in, her eyes spitting fire. “Would a girl who only wanted payback want updates on where you were and what you were doing?”
Shit if he knew. Women didn’t make much sense to him. “I…I don’t know. Like I said, maybe she was making her list.”
“She wouldn’t do that. She’s not cold enough, or duplicitous enough, either. I guarantee if you told her how you felt, she’d give you another shot if you wanted it.”
“But she’s moving to Maine.” He dropped the remainder of the napkin on the bar. “I can’t believe she’s leaving, right after I took the job in Denver to be close to her. What kind of twisted sense of humor does God have, anyway? I’m going to—”
“Wait a second.” She held a hand up. “You took a job in Denver to be with her? Seriously?”
He averted his eyes, knowing she was seeing the similarities to their situations and feeling like a dipshit for thinking he and Christine could have the same happy ending as Colt and Kady. “Yes. I figured since it worked for you two…maybe it would work for us. Stupid, right?”
“No.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Not stupid. It’s romantic and sweet. Do you still want to be with her, even after all of this?”
“I don’t know. I just know…I don’t want to lose her. I fucking love her. I do. I love her.” He wanted to be her person. Wanted her to need him. He stood up, clumsily righting himself, and tossed some cash on the bar for the bill and tip. “I’m going to go tell her right now.”
Kady stood. “No, you’re not.”
“Yesh, I am,” he slurred. The floor swayed under his feet, and he grabbed the bar edge to keep himself upright. When did hotels start moving like fucking boats on an ocean? Once the hotel stopped moving, he nodded decisively. “She’s not getting away from me that easily.”
Kady shook her head. “You going up there drunk as a skunk won’t do a damn thing to help your cause.”
“But—”
“No.” She grabbed his arm. “You’ll ruin it all. If you go up there, slurring and bumbling up the declaration of love you’re bound to make, she’ll push you away. I mean, hello. Her parents were killed by a drunk driver. Something tells me a drunk declaration of love isn’t the way to go.”
He nodded and swallowed past this dry throat. “Shit. You’re right.”
She relaxed. “I never thought I’d hear you admit that. I might have to get this moment recorded in writing. Are you too drunk to sign your name?”
“What’s it matter? I’m a doctor. My signature is always horrible,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fuck me. I don’t plan on drinking like this ever again. Write that down, too, will ya?”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Kady said, grinning. “Now let’s get you to bed…after I get that signature.”
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning, Christine flinched at her reflection. She looked more monster than glowing bridesmaid, and who could blame her? She’d been up all night, going over every single thing that had happened since the second she’d crashed into Tyler in the hallway. Since he kissed her and made her forget, for a short time, that she was supposed to be having careless fun and leaving her past behind her.
Now she was supposed to leave him behind, too.
She wasn’t sure if she could do it. Continue on like this, letting Tyler think she didn’t care about him. Maybe she should tell him the truth. Make him listen, since he’d refused to last night. She would tell him he’d meant more to her than he would ever comprehend. Or maybe she should just leave him alone.
Christine left her room, deciding to hobble around without the crutches today. Her footsteps slowed down at Tyler’s door. She was supp
osed to go straight down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, but she stopped at his door, her heart racing light speed ahead.
Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door before she could talk herself out of it. After a minute of waiting and no sounds from within, she realized she was wasting her time. He wasn’t there. She straightened her shoulders and headed for the elevator. As she waited, she tugged her skirt down and slapped her cheeks. She looked like a ghost and knew it. Any little kids who crossed her path would be certain to run away screaming for their mommy and daddy. She kind of wished she could do that right now herself.
Run to her parents.
Her mother had always been the best at giving advice. Dad hadn’t been quite as good, but he had always been great at listening and letting her talk. Then, after she spilled her guts out, they would go get ice cream and she would dangle her feet off the back of the truck—just her, her mom, and her dad against the world.
She’d never felt as alone as she did now.
And she missed her brother.
The doors opened and she scanned the dining room. Tyler wasn’t there, but her girls were. She plastered a smile on her face and made her way over to them. As she seated herself between Regan and Julie, she picked up the cloth napkin and placed it in her lap.
“Hey guys,” she said, trying to sound cheery and alert.
Regan looked at her, her gaze scanning her in the way that only Regan’s could. She had a way of looking at someone and knowing that something was up—and she usually figured out what that something was far too easily, too. But today she didn’t look quite as together as she normally did. She had her hair pulled in a loose ponytail and wasn’t wearing any makeup. Christine tried to think of the last time she’d seen Regan out and about without makeup on.
She couldn’t even remember.
“You okay?” she asked Regan.
Regan waved a hand. “I’m fine. Let’s talk about you. What happened with you and Tyler last night? Spill your guts.”
She didn’t even pretend to not know what Regan was talking about. “He thinks I was playing him,” Christine said, her voice low. “And now he hates me.”