Page 43 of The Marriage Pact
“I don’t know why…” he began, but even as he spoke, his phone rang.
It was lying on the countertop. His eyes went straight to it. Kaitlyn knew what he was thinking. For a moment, he paused, the vibration of the phone echoing around them.
“It’ll be about the deal,” he said.
Kaitlyn sighed. He’d made his choice. He was on the phone for half an hour, shouting at someone about figures and percentages. By that time, she’d booked a flight and called a cab to take her to the airport. Her mind was made up. There was no point in fighting anymore. Kaitlyn hated arguing, and she hated the fact that it had come to that between them. Better to draw a line than to go on living in false hope.
“I’ll let you know when I land,” she said as he returned to the living room.
“Do you really have to go? I thought it was all good. That you were happy.”
Kaitlyn shook her head. “I just wanted your time. That’s all,” she replied just as his phone buzzed again.
CHAPTER 17
ALEX & KAITLYN
Alex watched as the cab drove away from the front of the apartment. He’d helped Kaitlyn with her bag, and the two had exchanged an awkward farewell. He’d tried to kiss her, but she’d merely brushed his cheek with hers. There’d been tears in her eyes as she’d climbed into the cab, though she’d faced resolutely forward as it had driven off. Alex was left feeling awful.
I didn’t even realize she felt like that. Why didn’t she say something?
He felt angry at having been caught by surprise. She’d given him no indication. And yet, now that he thought about it, the signs had been there. He’d seen the disappointment in her face when he’d told her he had to work, that he’d be home late and they’d not eat together, or that Saturday was a workday like any other. The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize Kaitlyn was right, as much as he tried to justify his own position.
I have to work. I can’t shake off the responsibility. People depend on me for their jobs. I worked hard for this.
He was telling himself this as he walked toward the Macarson building. What would other people say now? He’d been seen with Kaitlyn in public. She’d been introduced as his fiancée. Alex could just imagine what Malwida Ree would write about him if she got the chance. And then there were the investors. They liked stability, and, if they discovered the chaos now reigning in Alex’s personal life, perhaps they’d think the same was the case in his professional life. But Alex had to admit he’d been having doubts, though not about his feelings for Kaitlyn. He loved her. Of that, he was certain. But there’d been the question of her being thrown in at the deep end. He’d felt guilty about that.
Then why didn’t I do something about it?
Things could have been different. Very different. If only he had given Kaitlyn the time she deserved. Looking up at the Macarson building, his name emblazoned over the revolving doors leading into the lobby, Alex felt bitter.
“The meeting is all arranged. There are representatives from the Jamaican government, local investors — one in particular looks promising — and I’ve brought in a few private finance corporations, too. I know we don’t want to go down the path of a loan, but it’s better than losing the deal,” Hilary said as she briefed Alex on the morning schedule.
Alex wasn’t really listening. He knew how important the deal was. He’d lived and breathed it for the past months. But after what had happened between him and Kaitlyn that morning, it somehow no longer seemed important.
“Whatever you think,” he replied.
Hilary paused and looked at him curiously. “Is everything all right? You don’t seem yourself this morning.”
Alex sighed. He hated to appear weak. Weakness was a sign of failure. That’s what they’d taught him at Harvard. With Kaitlyn, he’d felt strong. Confident. She’d always made him feel confident. He remembered a time back in high school, when he’d faltered trying to answer a question at a mathlete final. It had been Kaitlyn’s smile that had given him the confidence to work through his fear. He’d answered the question correctly, and they’d won.
“Kaitlyn left this morning,” he admitted.
Hilary was different. He didn’t mind appearing weak in front of Hilary. She’d seen him at his best and at his worst. The low points and the high. She looked at him sympathetically. “I’m sorry to hear that. Did she say why?”
Alex sighed. “Because of all this, that’s why,” he replied, looking around him at the office and wondering if any of it was really worth it.
The flight passed uneventfully.Kaitlyn ate a bag of peanuts and drank a cola. It was hardly champagne and canapés on a private jet. There was no VIP exit, just a queue at baggage collection and a cab home. She arrived back in Cedarhurst in the late afternoon. It had only been a matter of weeks since she’d left, and yet so much had changed. Her mom’s house felt empty again. There was that same silence as before. That sense of loss and emptiness. Kaitlyn felt herself grieving again. She shed some tears, not knowing what she was going to do or what was going to come next. It was all so… confusing.
It didn’t take long for the text from Rachel to arrive.
The lights are on at your mom’s house.
It was easier to get it over and done with.
Come round, if you can. I’ll explain it.
The reply elicited an almost immediate response, and a knock at the door brought Rachel armed with tissues, a bottle of wine, and a large box of chocolates.
