Page 77 of Because You Loved Me

I help by cleaning up the classroom while Ellie sells paintings and sculptures in the other room. When we get a few minutes to chat, Ellie grabs my arm, grinning. “We’ve sold more today than we have the entire time we’ve been open! You were indispensable today. Thank you for all your help.”

My throat tightens and I hug her. “I was happy to do it.”

Ellie pulls out an envelope and hands it to me. “I wanted to give you a little something for all you’ve done for the gallery.”

I open the flap and peek inside. There are several hundred-dollar bills inside, probably around seven or eight of them. Guilt rises in my throat. I’ve been lying to this nice woman. I press the envelope back into Ellie’s hand. “I can’t take this.”

She shoves it back at me. “Of course you can, Miss Kiki. You worked hard today, and this is a small commission from what we’ve sold this morning.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. I don’t deserve this money. I don’t deserve her friendship, or anything else I’ve received on this island. The bitter realization comes to me. Everyone on this island will hate me when they find out who I am. All I’m doing is hurting them more the longer I stay.

The front door to the gallery opens, and Tobias walks in with Skyler. He’s wearing his jeans again. They must be designer, because they hug him in all the right places.

“Kiki!” Skyler yells and runs to me, grabbing my legs. “I rode a pony!”

“A real one?”

Tobias chuckles. “It was a merry-go-round pony.”

I slide the envelope in my dress pocket and give Skyler a hug. “That’s awesome.”

“Can you come to the boat race with us?” She looks up at me with her large, blue eyes. The trust in them takes me aback. This is who I will hurt when I leave. My own daughter. When I disappear Tobias will search for me. He will find out who I am. That means someday Skyler will know her mother abandoned her…twice.

“Yes,” I manage to say as the emotions surge in my throat. I have to get off this island before I do even more damage.

“Yippee!” Skyler claps her hands. “Can we go now?”

I glance at Ellie, who shoos me toward the door. “Of course,” Ellie says. “Go have fun.”

Skyler grabs my hand, and we walk out of the gallery, Tobias on our heels. We climb into the car, and Tobias drives us to the marina. Crowds of people are already there, staking claim to their small piece of the marina to watch the race.

Skyler tugs me to the spot she thinks is best. “Let’s watch it here,” she says as Tobias pulls out three camping chairs from the trunk of his car.

He walks over to us and places the chairs on the dock. I sit down and Skyler climbs on my lap. Tobias chuckles. “You don’t want your own chair?”

Skyler shakes her head. “No. I want to sit on Kiki’s lap.”

“All right.” He sits down next to me. As we wait for the race to start, Tobias puts his hand on my arm and gently squeezes it. “Thanks for coming to the race with us. It’s all Sky’s been talking about.”

I nod and hug Skyler close, breathing in the scent of her hair. This will be the last time I hold her. I have to memorizeeverything about her tonight. I’ll get up early and leave in the morning, before Tobias and the rest of the Barrett clan wake up.

“Kat, you okay?” Tobias asks softly.

“I’m fine,” I say, but even I can hear the lie. At least I’m not crying, like I did in front of Ellie.

“Let’s talk. Tonight. After Skyler goes to bed. Okay?” He squeezes my arm again, and my insides melt with his touch.

“Okay,” I say, even though talking with Tobias is the last thing I should be doing.

I reach into my pocket to pull out my phone, but it’s not there. All I have is the envelope of money Ellie gave me. I must have left it at the gallery. I’ll tell Tobias to swing by there on the way home. I want to leave it with all the clothes he bought me so he can return them or at least sell them to get some of his money back.

We watch the race together, like a family. I do what I can to burn the memories into my brain so I can carry them with me after everything evaporates. I know they’llall be hurt when I leave, but I’ve only been here for two weeks. They’ll forget about me.

They. Will. Forget. Me.

The thought rips my heart into a million pieces.

CHAPTER 33

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