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Chapter Twenty-Six
Sitting on her couch, Kylie squeezed a cushion with a cat embroidered on it until her arms tired. Her tears had dried but threatened to come back every time she pictured Derek’s angry face. She’d been about to tell him the good news, thinking he’d be happy to hear she’d found a way to stay and have her career. But she never got a chance to.
She’d called Audrey when she got home and told her all the horrible things Derek said. Audrey, of course, had driven straight over.
“What is wrong with him?” Audrey nestled on to the couch beside her. “Why on earth would he go off on you like that?”
“I have no idea, Aud.” Kylie sniffed. She’d been crying non-stop for twenty minutes and she could feel how puffy her eyes were. Captain was curled up between them as she absently stroked his fur. “We agreed to keep seeing each other yesterday. I don’t understand what happened.”
“You know he’s being an idiot though, right?” Audrey passed her another tissue. “You’re not a city snob like he’s insinuating.”
“Maybe I am. I have said some pretty snobby things since I’ve been back.” She hugged the cushion tighter.
“Hey.” Audrey sat forward. “Yes, you did. But who cares? You’re not saying those things now.”
“I was starting to feel at home, but if Derek’s going to be sneering at me every time I see him, I don’t know if I can deal with that.”
Audrey leaned back against the armrest. “It’s pretty hard to avoid people in Camden.”
“Maybe it’s for the best if I take Brad up on his offer and move back to the city.”
“Maybe it is.”
“You really think so?”
“No. Do you?”
Kylie thought about it. Would she be better off in Toronto? Did she want to be a face in the crowd again?
Brad wheeled into the room, drying his hair with a white towel. “What’s going on in here? Kylie, are you crying?” His eyes widened.
“Heyyyyy Bradley.” Audrey tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Have a nice shower?”
“Aud, stop harassing my brother.” Kylie smacked her arm.
“Not harassing. Appreciating.”
He rolled his eyes. “Should I be calling HR about this? But seriously, why are you crying, Ky?”
He had been so proud of her only hours earlier, and now there she was, stuck in the middle of drama again. She didn’t want to tell him. But Audrey had no problems with filling him in.
“Derek was a royal ass to your baby sister. You should go avenge her. Perhaps with fisticuffs.” She waggled her eyebrows at him.
“Yeah, no. He’s huge now, has a gun, and—” he gestured to his wheelchair “—has a slight height advantage over me.”
“Pish. You could take him. I’ve seen those pipes.”
Kylie snorted. Audrey was being ridiculous, but it was a relief to laugh.
“You’re not really going to leave now, are you?”
Kylie’s heart was broken. Things with Derek had gone way far south, but he wasn’t the only thing keeping her in Camden. “No, I’m not. Derek or no Derek, this is where I’m meant to be.”
“I’m so glad.” Audrey rested her head on the back of the couch and sighed. “Otherwise, I was going to have to get up, walk to the kitchen, get a pitcher of cold water, and dump it on you to make you wake up and come to your senses. But I’m far too tired to get off the couch right now.”
“We could’ve just pushed her into my shower,” Brad chimed in.
“I like your style, Brad Martin.” Audrey winked at him.
