Chapter 16
16
K ate pulled her suitcase from the closet and dropped it on her bed. The afternoon sun streamed through her bedroom window as she started to pack.
The last two weeks had dragged by. When Kate had left Vanessa’s the morning after signing the NDAs, Kate had imagined they’d see each other again in a few days for whatever Elliot had lined up for them, but Elliot had called just a few minutes after she’d gotten home, saying that Vanessa needed some space.
Kate pulled one of her favorite blouses down from its hanger. She folded it and added it to the suitcase, thinking about how every touch, every look between them had seemed so real even though Kate knew none of it was.
Kate paused at her dresser, staring at her reflection. Her cheeks flushed pink at the memory of Vanessa’s hand in hers as they left the restaurant, of the way Vanessa had asked if she could kiss her. What if Kate had given too much away? That was all she could think about these last two weeks.
What if Vanessa knew?
The buzz of her phone made her jump. A text from Elliot with the address for the cabin. Kate added a light jacket to her suitcase, picturing cool evenings on the deck. Alone. With Vanessa. For an entire weekend.
Kate clicked the link in Elliot’s text, opening photos of Logan’s cabin. Her thumb swiped through images of a cabin tucked away in the woods. Pine walls and exposed beams gave way to sleek furniture and updated appliances. The kitchen opened to a great room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a wooded valley.
She paused on a photo of the master bedroom. A king-sized bed dominated the space, draped in crisp white linens. The second bedroom appeared smaller but it would do. At least there were two bedrooms.
The next photo made her pause. A jacuzzi on the back deck, steam rising into the mountain air. Kate walked to her dresser and pulled out a black bikini. The fabric slipped through her fingers as she considered whether to pack it. She tossed it into her suitcase before she could overthink it.
She just hoped this weekend wouldn’t be too awkward. There was the real possibility that everything was fine, that Vanessa really had just wanted time to herself after all of the headlines, after seeing Lauren again, and maybe Vanessa had no idea how much Kate actually cared about her.
That was all Kate could hope for.
She finished packing and zipped the suitcase closed, her stomach in knots. A whole weekend of pretending her heart didn’t skip when Vanessa smiled. Of reminding herself this was all for show, no matter how real it felt.