“Yes,” I murmured.
Addison joined me in the stall. She shut the door behind her. Addison squatted in front of me. “What happened?”
We both heard voices come into the bathroom. I was silent letting tears roll down my face. Addison waited until they left the bathroom, and she said, “Did someone say something to you?”
“I overheard some women talking about William.”
“Uh-oh,” Addison said. “What did they say?”
I wiped my face with the back of my hand. Addison handed me a bundle of toilet paper to blow my nose.
I straightened up and sighed. “It doesn’t matter what they said.”
Addison said gently, handing me another wad of toilet paper, “Well, you seem upset. Is there something I can do to help?”
“Did you know that a condition of William’s promotion was me selling my family’s land?” I blurted out.
Addison’s eyes grew wide, her head drew back, and her back straightened. She didn’t have to say anything. Her expression told me it was true.
I shook my head. “I thought this was real, but he was just after the land. I’m such an idiot.”
I stood up and Addison shook her head rising from her squatting position with me. “No, I don’t think it was that simple, Kit. I think there is a lot more to it than that.”
“It’s okay, Addison. You don’t have to sugarcoat this for me. I overheard three women talking about it. Said they’d heard it all from Charles, and you just confirmed it.”
I straightened my dress. “It’s better that I find out like this.”
“No, Kit. I think you might be misunderstanding the situation.” Addison looked panicked. “You really should talk to William about this later. I’m sure he can clear things up.”
I scoffed. “I’m sure he can.”
I gave Addison a weak smile and marched past her, back out into the brightly lit bathroom. I checked my makeup in the mirror and straightened my dress.
Addison crossed her arms in front of her chest with a worried look and asked, “What are you going to do, Kit?”
I sighed. “I don’t know yet.” I turned to Addison. “I’m not interested in a lot of drama, but I’ve got to get out of here.”
Chapter 26: William
Kit texted me that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to go back to the hotel. She said I should stay and mingle. I tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail. I looked down at my phone to text her back. Suddenly, Addison and Meredith appeared. Addison looked worried. In a hushed whisper, she recounted what had happened in the bathroom. Meredith assured me that she’d set the women straight who were gossiping, then she’d let Charles know what he’d done. I couldn’t have cared less about that, but I knew she meant well. I patted her on the shoulder and headed for the door.
When I got there, Kit had changed. She was wearing a pair of jeans, her hair pulled back into a tight braid, and any remnants of makeup removed from her face. She had a bag on her shoulder.
“I’m heading to Veronica’s,” Kit said softly. She perched on the arm of the sofa without looking at me and said, “You know, I’m a recovering people pleaser, so I hate conflict.” She seemed to be talking to herself more than me as she stared off into the corner. “But with you, I’ve never been afraid to tell you what I think. It was…refreshing…I thought.”
I didn’t like the distant and sad expression she had on her face.
“Kit, Addison told me what happened. Let’s talk about this.” I reached for her. When she turned to look at me, I could see a seriousness in her.
“William, was your job promotion dependent on me selling our riverfront property to Braithway & Randall?”
I froze. “Can I explain?”
“Answer me,” Kit said coldly.
“It’s not that simple. A lot of things had to be accomplished for me to get that promotion. Purchasing your land was not theonlything,” I said. I tried to move close to Kit on the couch, but she stood up. I quickly said, “I was tasked with doing what’s best for the community, and I believe the development potential of that property will completely revitalize Creekstone, change it forever, in a really positive way.”
“Some women were gossiping at the bar, and I overheard them.” Her voice was shaky and angry. I had never seen her like this. “They knew the whole story—which, according to Charles, was that I didn’t want to sell in December. So you dated me, convinced me to sell, and then as soon as I sold, you got the promotion.” Kit let a puff of air out and muttered, “I can’t believe you let me believe…” Kit’s voice cracked and she looked away. I stood up and tried to close the distance between us, but she stepped away, so I stopped. “I feel like such a fucking fool.”
