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I jerk my thumb toward the deck. “You must have left it by the pool earlier.”
Her eyes widen. “I did? That’s not like me.”
“Guess you must have had other things on your mind.” I step up to her, put my hands on her hips and pull her against my body. “Don’t forget, these past couple weeks you’ve been doing all kinds of things that you don’t normally do.” I hope to pull a smile from her, but her startled expression doesn’t go away. I soften my voice and ask, “Hey, are you okay?”
Her eyes flicker to mine. “Did you...read it?’
“Of course not,” I say, a little offended that she thought I would. “I would never betray your trust like that, Khloe.”
“Yeah, I know,” she says, and it calms me. She visibly relaxes, and my mind briefly goes back to the way I betrayed Naomi’s trust. It seems like a lifetime ago now.
She glances at me like she wants to say something, then closes her mouth again.
“What?” I ask, and step back to examine the way she’s still staring at her journal. “Do you have the secrets to the universe in there?”
“Something like that,” she says, and picks the book up. She jumps at the sound of her phone ringing in her purse. She pulls it out, checks the caller and casts me an apologetic glance. Over the last week, I’ve gotten used to that look, considering her phone has been ringing like crazy, and she’ll only ever answer it in private. It’s possible she’s lining up work for when we return, but I don’t ask, and she doesn’t supply. That’s rule number seven for “fucking your assistant.” No exchanging personal information.
“I’ll be right back.” She darts upstairs, and my curiosity deepens. I fully understand and respect that whatever she has between those pages, and whoever it is ca
lling her, is none of my business. It shouldn’t bother me that she’s being secretive and almost cagey.
Why then does it feel like she just kicked me in the teeth?
I light the barbecue, and when it reaches temperature, I place the steaks on the racks. Khloe has a strange expression on her face when she comes back downstairs and steps outside.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
She hesitates for a second, and I can’t help but get the feeling, again, that she wants to tell me something. “Yeah, sorry about that.” She jerks her thumb toward the kitchen. “I had to take that call.”
I eye her for a second. “You sure you’re okay?”
She briefly looks down, like she’s considering that, and when her head finally lifts her demeanor changes. “Positive,” she says, and gives me a big smile that’s obviously forced. “Should I make a salad?”
“Already made.” She turns to go back inside, and I follow.
“You always think of everything,” she says, her smile genuine this time. Her dark eyes light up, “Speaking of thinking of everything, this girl at school told the funniest story...”
I smile to encourage her to continue as I grab the bottle of white wine I’ve been chilling, pour us each a glass and head back outdoors. The whole time Khloe is following me around and talking animatedly with her hands.
We both laugh at the end of her story, and she takes a sip of wine. That gives me a chance to pipe in. “Khloe, have you ever thought about becoming a teacher?”
Her brows pull together, and she stares into her wineglass. “Actually, no. I never considered it before. Never thought I’d like it.”
“You’re so good with the kids.”
She smiles. “I’m having fun. I can’t deny that.”
Before I can help myself, I say, “You could always stay on here.” Shit, what am I doing? “I mean, if that’s something you’d want. You said you loved it here, and the school is desperate for help.”
She sets her drink down and stares past me, like that thought had never occurred to her—and why would it?
“I...don’t know.” She flips her hand over until it’s palm up. “My life...friends... New York.”
“Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking,” I say. “You once asked me why I didn’t live here, and I gave you the same answer.”
“Yeah,” she says so quietly I have to strain to hear. She fiddles with the stem of her glass and takes a deep breath as she looks out over the ocean. “The truth is, Will, I don’t really have a reason to go back.” Without looking at me, she continues. “I lost my dad and have no family to speak of, other than my best friend, Steph. I used to think I was going to be a part of Liam’s big family.” Her smile is shaky, and her eyes are a bit glossy as she looks up at me. “I’ve always wanted that, you know. I always wanted to be a part of something great like that. I think I liked the idea of belonging to his family more than anything.”
I step away from the grill and sit facing her. Sliding my hand across the table, I take her palm in mine and lightly brush my thumb back and forth over her flesh. “You should have that. Just not with him, because you shouldn’t change yourself for anyone. You’re perfect just the way you are.”
