Page 47 of Let’s Be Real

“You too.”

“You know, I’m going to have to sleep in your bed if we want to keep up this ruse.”

My lower gut stirred, but I kept it contained. “I think I’ll survive. I did the first time.”

“Hmmm…well, now I have an excuse to go into your room and make sure it’s set up for optimal sleeping.”

“I don’t think it’s the room that’s the problem. I think it’s my brain.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” She patted my chest then retreated a step. “Are you sure you’re okay with me going to work and leaving Kelly with you?”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend even a minute with Kelly, but I nodded anyway. “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us.”

We weren’t fine.

At least I wasn’t.

I’d been trying to get some work done at my kitchen island. Rome and I were working on acquiring a failing healthcare company, and since he had a newborn at home, most of the overtime fell onto me.

After Samantha left, that was where Kelly found me. And if she’d gotten the hint I didn’t want to chat, she didn’t take it. Instead, she got busy making herself—and me—a snack then plopped herself on a stool beside me, craning her neck to read my screen.

“Donner Health?” She grabbed a handful of popcorn out of the big bowl she’d placed between us. “My company has done advertising for them. Not anymore, since they don’t pay their bills in a timely manner, if at all.”

I nodded. “They’re in financial trouble.”

She tapped her chin. “Oh, that’s right. Your company comes in, buys out failing businesses, then sells them for parts.”

I scanned the screen, looking for the numbers I needed before responding. “Not always. If we’re able, we invest and turn them around then sell them for profit. Breaking up failing companies is our last resort.”

“I’m not judging. Money is what makes the world go round.” She munched, quiet for a solid minute. “That’s why Josh is chasing me. He won’t have full access to his trust fund until he’s thirty-five unless he’s married. Poor guy is going to have to wait another seven years.”

“I’m sure he misses you,” I said, hoping it was the right thing.

“He misses everything I did for him.” She tossed her dark hair behind her back. “It took him a week to find me when all he had to do was look through the addresses for our wedding invites. That tells me everything I need to know.”

“It does?”

“Yep. He’s not resourceful and wasn’t desperately scouring the city. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d spent all week in bed with Scarlet.”

The way she winced was the only evidence of how deeply hurt she was—and how out of my depth I was. She was hurting. I could see that. But I didn’t know what to do with it or even if I needed to.

Luckily, Kelly moved on from her problems to mine.

“Have you called your mom back?”

“I texted her.”

I didn’t tell her she’d been part of the push I’d needed to finally reply to Louise. The idea of letting Louise have it had stuck with me. I wasn’t sure I’d follow through, but I’d opened the door to the possibility.

“And?” Kelly pressed.

I rubbed my forehead, exhaling heavily. “She asked to see me. I’m considering it.”

“You probably need to consider quickly, huh?”

“Yes. I probably do.”

I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, when Samantha got home from work. I heard her quietly close the door, drop her keys on the entry table, and kick off her heels—the sounds I’d gotten used to when she and Adrian had stayed with me. The familiarity made something settle in my chest, and my head sank deeper into my pillow.