Page 28 of Take My Heart
‘She didn’t love him. We all knew it. Sawyer’s the only one who didn’t, but we couldn’t tell him. He needed to figure it out on his own.’
‘I thought I loved Cam, but the longer we dated, the more I felt unsure about him. My friends and family kept saying how in love Cam and I were, and I believed them. But in my heart, I wasn’t sure if what I was feeling was love or the pressure to be in love and get married.’
‘When did you figure it out?’
‘I don’t know. I think part of me knew all along that I didn’t love him. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.’
‘What’s so great about this guy? Why was everyone pressuring you to marry him?’
‘He’s from a good family.’ She pauses. ‘Well, a family with a lot of money.’
‘Are you saying you didn’t like his family?’
‘They’re okay. They’re just really formal. They’re not the type of people who make you feel comfortable. You feel like you’re always trying to impress them.’
‘That would suck. Who the hell would want to be around people like that?’
‘They actually have a lot of friends. Cam’s parents are very well connected. They’re both lawyers and their clients are allcelebrities, mostly well-known musicians and professional athletes. They know a lot of important people.’
‘I’m guessing their friends aren’t really friends but people who are hanging around them because they’re rich or have connections or whatever.’
Kate smiles a little. ‘That’s exactly what they are. You’re really smart.’
She thinks I’m smart? I almost flunked out of school. But I’m smart when it comes to people. I can tell when someone’s bullshitting me.
‘Are your parents the same way?’ I ask.
‘Kind of, but not really. They weren’t rich growing up, but once they became lawyers and were making good money, they wanted to be like Cam’s parents. They aspire to be in that world. Honestly, I think that’s why they wanted me to marry him. It was their ticket to a higher social standing.’
‘That’s messed up.’
‘I know,’ she mutters, picking up her shot glass. She downs the whiskey, then collapses back on the couch. ‘I already feel better.’
‘Whiskey has that effect on people.’
‘It’s not the whiskey.’ She looks at me. ‘It’s you. Letting me talk? Listening to me? It really helped.’
‘Anytime,’ I say, wishing I could talk about my own shit. I haven’t told anyone what’s going on. I’m too embarrassed. Too ashamed. I keep thinking I can fix it, but then it gets worse. Like my controller on the plow breaking. I told Nick it’s broken, but I didn’t tell him I don’t have the money for a new one.
I don’t know how I got myself into this mess and I have no idea how I’m going to get myself out. I’m so damn stressed Ican’t sleep. And hiding this from everyone is making it worse. I’d probably feel a lot better if I spilled my guts to this girl, a stranger who has no connection to me or my family or this town, but I can’t do it.
I need to figure this out on my own. I need to fix this. And I will. I just need more time.
Chapter 6
Kate
It’s amazing how talking to someone can make you feel better. At first I was hesitant to tell Brody anything, but then I realized it doesn’t matter what I say. Brody doesn’t know me, or my family or friends, or Cam. He’s not going to tell them what I said.
‘I don’t know what to do now,’ I say, resting my feet on the coffee table. ‘Oh, sorry,’ I say, putting my feet down.
‘For what?’ Brody asks, taking a drink of his beer.
‘Putting my feet on the table. I don’t know why I did that.’
‘I don’t get it. What’s the big deal?’
‘It’s bad manners. My mom would’ve had a fit if she saw me doing that, especially as a guest in someone’s home.’
