AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nearly sob right then and there. “Brandi, I’ve made a horrible mistake.”
“Well, yeah. What took you so damn long?”
A genuine smile slowly builds. “How is he?”
“You know, you can’t just break my best friend’s heart, disappear for weeks on end, and then expect me to give you what you want the second you ask for it.” There’s a pause, and with every second that ticks by, I deflate a little more. “But you know I have a soft spot for your ass.”
My mother’s shrill voice rings from behind. “You have two seconds to hang up that phone, young lady!”
“The last night I saw Damon, he asked me if I loved Thad. And I should have told him the truth, but I didn’t because… I was afraid.”
The bruising grip I have on the phone numbs my palm.
Chuck whispers in the background. “The truth about what?”
A smack sounds across the line. “That she loves Damon, you goof!”
I laugh even though my eyes begin to sting.
“Well, Kate,” Brandi says. “You’re in luck. He leaves for London first thing tomorrow morning.”
Relief cascades through me.
It’s not too late.
I’m reeling, burning through ideas of how I’ll catch him.
“Thank you, Brandi. I’m going to get this all sorted out, I promise.”
“You better. I actually kind of liked you.”
Now more than ever, I wish I could hug her. “I kind of liked you, too,” I say and hang up.
My mother stands beside me now, shocked, angry, confused. The opposite of my best friend, who’s smug as the devil in her all-black ensemble.
“Cor, I need a favor.”
She yanks off her gloves with a smirk. “Anything.”
“Kate, what are you doing?”
Nancy has never been very affectionate, but I take her dainty hands in mine anyway and stare into her widening eyes. With unshakable confidence, I say, “One day, I hope you’ll forgive me for this. But as much as I appreciate all your sacrifices, I refuse to live a loveless life on behalf of them.”
She surprises me with a thin sheen of tears as her hands grip mine just as tightly.
I flick my gaze to Coraline, who gives me a soft, encouraging smile.
“I’m going to get my happily ever after.”
* * *
Josh’s tall, lanky frame fills the front of the cabin of his private jet. “You ready, Kate?”
“Yeah,” I say, still getting used to calling him by his name rather than Captain Thomas. “Give us just one sec.”
Sun-tanned laugh lines mark the captain’s face, giving the older man a liveliness that perfectly complements Coraline’s spunky personality.
“You got it.” He opens the door to exit, lowering the stairs and letting in a wash of warm LA air.
