AllFreeNovel
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“I’m not the only one here who puts other people first,” Kayleigh grumbled.
Taylor pushed her away playfully. “True, but don’t tell anyone. I’ve spent years cultivating a certain impression of myself and I ain’t blowing it now.” She winked at Kayleigh and pivoted her towards the door. “Now, git. I’ve got some schedules to rework.”
“Thanks, Tay,” Kayleigh replied as she headed out to introduce herself properly to Rebelle.
*
The days seemed to drag, especially now she wasn’t coming home each night and speaking to Ben online. So many times her mouse had hovered over thatunblockbutton but she couldn’t do it.
She missed him,hard. Like a chunk of her soul was gone but she continued to exist, acting like she didn’t have a piece of her missing and no idea how to plug that empty space inside. The only good thing to come out of this was that to exorcize her pain, she had been writing: the best thing yet, in her opinion. She had been so excited and desperate to share it with someone and the first person that came to mind, she wasn’t speaking to.
She hadn’t seen him, and if she was truly honest with herself, she was disappointed that he had stayed away. She was expecting to have him turn up here at the bar or at her house or message her phone but nothing. She knew she was being ridiculous, he had hurt her after all, and she had told him to leave her alone, and sent a very clear message when she blocked him. So why did she still want to see him so bad?
“There’s someone here to see you,” Rebelle called softly, her words halting and nervous like they were every time she spoke. She was intriguing. Rebelle didn’t share any personal information about herself despite Kayleigh asking, but she seemed sweet enough.
Kayleigh stood up from where she had been stacking liquor bottles in the storeroom. Her heart began its excited pound at the prospect of Ben finally coming to her. She tried to tell herself that she wasn’t happy at the idea that he had come to her, that she was still mad, still hurt and feeling betrayed but shemissedhim. She smoothed her hands over the front of her dress and came out to the main bar area but he wasn’t there, instead she saw Christy.
“We need to talk.” The petite blond now had an unreadable expression. Her hands were planted firmly on rounded hips and in one of her hands, Kayleigh saw a manuscript,hermanuscript. She gulped and nodded, nausea churning in her stomach. Christy marched off into Taylor’s office, leaving Kayleigh to trail behind her.
Christy closed the door behind them, Taylor looking up from her desk confused.
“Taylor, get out,” Christy commanded.
Taylor sputtered. “It’s my office!”
Christy huffed. “Okay fine, stay then, but you’re about to get mad in a sec.” Christy waved a nonchalant hand and Kayleigh fought a smile as she watched the dynamic unfold between these two best friends. Taylor sat back, folding her arms across her chest, raising a curious eyebrow.
Christy turned to her. “Kayleigh, quit your job. Right this second.”
“Hey!” Taylor cried, sitting up.
“I warned you!” Christy jabbed a finger at Taylor who was now pouting. “Kay, this is one of the most amazing things I have ever read. I need to play the game, right this very second and I havenevergamed in my whole life. So, what the hell are you waiting for, girl?” Christy demanded, raising Kayleigh’s manuscript in the air.
“I…” She had no reply.
Christy was determined to hold her to account. She began inspecting her immaculate nails and tapping her foot. “I’m waiting…”
The dam that held all her creative fears inside Kayleigh broke. “I don’t know how to do it. I don’t know if Icando it. I don’t know if my story ideas would run dry, and I’m scared. I’m just a normal girl with big unrealistic dreams and this is crazy, to think that I could do this! There, are you happy now?”
“Yes, very. First things first, you’re going to go home and research how to do it and what you would need. If you can’t get those things or they aren’t possible then we will look at how to do this on your own, independently, which I can help you with. The main thing is you stop telling yourself you can’t, and start working out all the ways youcan.”
“I would listen to her if I was you Kayleigh, she knows what she’s talking about,” Taylor piped up.
Kayleigh rolled her eyes. “Now you agree with her? She just told me to quit!”
Taylor frowned. “Oh, yeah.”
There was more arguing between the two of them and Kayleigh managed to slip back out to the bar where she could gather her thoughts. Taylor emerged from her office a while later when Rebelle took her break. Taylor was drying glasses and stacking them, but her eyes were on Kayleigh, watching her, following her until finally Kayleigh snapped.
“Okay, say whatever it is you want to say! Are you mad about what happened earlier?”
Taylor put her towel down and faced Kayleigh. “Ben told me what he did.”
Kayleigh’s throat closed. “Wh- He did?”
“Yup.”
“And?”
