Page 25 of Keeping Kaitlyn

Unable to look away, even though I know if Went catches me staring again, I’m going to get another one of his hard, punishing glares, I shake my head. “I don’t think he’d be interested in someone like me.”

Tess laughs again. “First of all, I have no idea what that’s even supposed to mean,” she tells me, her tone making it clear just how ridiculous she thinks I am. “And second of all—then you must be blind because he is very,veryinterested in you.” When all I do is stare at her, Tess sighs. “Are you serious? He keeps looking at you like he’s making sure you’re still here. Been doing it all night.”

I want you to stay. Promise me, Sunshine—promise me you’ll be here when I get back.

I promise.

“I don’t think that’s true.” The words sound strange, coming out of my mouth. Garbled and pushed together.

Tess gives me another scoff. “Trust me—as the Gilroy’s resident expert on the inner workings of Wentworth Fiorella, I can confidently tell you—all you have to do is ask and that man will give you anything you want.”

FOURTEEN

WENTWORTH

This is harderthan I thought it would be. Having Kait here. Watching her move around my space. Watching her study the framed memories I have scattered around it.

Last time it was easier.

Last time I was angry.

Last time, I basically held her hostage and almost fucked her to death before I finally came to my senses and let her go. Not that she seemed to mind.

I’m still angry.

I still want to fuck her.

But I don’t want to punish her—not anymore.

I just want to understand what happened.

What I did.

Why she left.

I won’t ask though. Ican’tbecause asking would mean ripping myself open for her, all over again, and that’s not something I’m willing to do. Those wounds are closed, and they’re going to stay that way.

Gaslighting myself has become an essential survival skill.

I’m taking my sweet jesus time, changing out my needles and filling my inks, trying to stave off the inevitable. Hoping against hope that Tess will get tired of waiting on me and let me give Kait a raincheck that I have no intention of honoring so she can go home to her giant dickhead instead of harassing me. I should know better by now—there’s no such thing as waiting Tess out. Not when she’s made her mind up to harass you.

“Just so you know,” she says, boosting herself onto my display counter again. “I’m prepared to sleep here if that’s what it takes, so you might as well just start Kait’s tattoo already.”

Shooting her a brief, over-the-shoulder look, on my way back to the sink, I ignore what she just said. “Can I at least put my shirt back on?”

“Sure.” She gives me a blasé shrug. “To be honest, I’m surprised you took it off in the first place.”

Shooting her a dirty look, I make an impatientgimmegesture with my hand. “You asked me to, remember?”

“Yeah.” Picking my shirt up on a laugh, she hands it to me. “But I didn’t think you’d actuallydoit.”

“You know…” Snatching my shirt out of her hand, I practically snarl at her before I pull it back on. “One of these days, your ass is going to go right through that glass.”

“Good.” Tess grins at me while she swings her feet, the heel of her boot bumping against the back of the case. “Then I can sue you for a billion dollars and buy my own private island.”

“That’s your plan?” Laughing at her, in spite of myself, I jab the soap dispenser with the heel of my hand and begin to lather. “You want the island, I’ll just give it to you. No need to cause yourself bodily injury.”

A private island in the Caribbean sea between Jamacia and Florida was one of the assets my grandfather left to me. He had plans to build an all-inclusive resort, but the plans stalled out when he died. All that’s on it is an airstrip, a dock, and a handfulof solar-powered, luxury bungalows my grandfather had built to show potential investors.

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