34. Kaitlyn
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Kaitlyn
NOW
My brain has been churning with the new information from Bailey about why he left, but I have a feeling there are still things he’s left out. I’m sure he’ll cover them when, or if, he ever decides to talk about it with me again.
For now, I’ve been going down the rabbit hole to dig up whatever information I can find on Sebastian’s previous fiancée, who I never even knew existed before now.
How did none of us ever find out about this before? It’s kind of insane the things we don’t know about our parents.
Having this to think about is helping keep my mind off the breakup with Hunter.
I learned from Marley that JJ and Hunter plan to take a road trip across the country to get to Beaumont and sort out their issues with Hunt’s transfer.
She said JJ’s mostly upset because he feels like Hunter doesn’t trust him.
Nothing screams bad idea like being trapped in the car together for 2,600 miles, but maybe that’s just me.
I’m sad because I love Hunter, and I wish we had more time to figure out how to be friends again before he leaves.
It terrifies me that even though we both say we want to be friends, we may never find our way back.
All I want is for him to be happy, and I think breaking up was the best choice for us.
In actuality, it felt like we’d broken up long before it was made official.
I feel less like I’m floating in limbo and more like I’m finally standing on solid ground again. It’s still shaky, but stable enough.
I minimize the tab I had pulled up when Thalia walks onto the gallery floor from the back. “Are you positive you’re okay with running the gallery by yourself while we’re in California?”
“Yes, and if I have any questions, I can call my mom or the Charlotte gallery. It’s important you’re both there for them.”
Thalia’s green eyes soften as they comb over my face.
“Have you talked to Hunter?” she asks, and I push a faint smile on.
I love her for still worrying about me, but I’ll be okay.
I’m more worried about Hunter. I haven’t heard from him since he told me to stay at the house.
He got back from Charlotte yesterday, and I’ve been trying to make myself scarce.
One thing I didn’t expect to happen was for me to be spending more time with Mirabelle, but it’s really nice.
She’s always been there for me, but it was obvious to everyone I was better friends with the twins—or at least that was the case until I made a mess of everything.
Now, I’d say Mira and I are more like friends instead of hey, I was dating your little brother while I had the hots for his twin, and you’re married to my older brother.
“No, but it’s okay. I think he’s just really busy getting everything ready to leave,” I say, and a crease forms between her brows.
“I’m sorry, Kait,” she says, and I lift my shoulders in a shrug because it’s not her fault.
“Don’t be,” I reassure her, but I’m not sure how much Hunter told her about the circumstances surrounding the breakup.
“Speaking from experience, I like to think that everything works out the way it’s supposed to,” Thalia says, and I can’t imagine she’d be saying the same if she knew how I felt for Bailey.
“I hope so,” I say, and she smiles, disappearing into the back again.
Bailey and I haven’t had a chance to talk again since the night on the roof because I’m trying to keep my distance while Hunter is home.
I don’t know what’s going to happen with us, but the last thing I want to do is throw it in his face.
So instead, I’ve been throwing myself into my art, trying to figure out my feelings that way. Instead of trying to paint Bailey as a whole, I’ve found it easier to focus on the pieces of him.
I mastered the art of creating constellations from his freckles and the shades of emerald and turquoise in his irises, like the rolling waves of water on a hot summer day.
All my thoughts seem to surround him, and I don’t know how to pretend they don’t anymore.
My heart hurts for Bailey, hearing him explain how he felt like he didn’t fit in. Looking back, I understand it. I don’t think his parents ever meant to make him feel like he wasn’t important or that he didn’t fit in, but I get how Bailey slipped through the cracks for so long.
I drag my hands over my face, freezing when I remember I’m wearing mascara. Fuck . I swipe open the camera on my phone to see how much I’ve smeared it, but thankfully, it seems like I didn’t rub my eyes enough to ruin it.
I guess I should keep working on the guest list Thalia thinks I’m double checking for a showing we’re hosting later in the month. I’ve already gone through it once, and it looked good, but I’m checking again to be on the safe side.
The last thing I want to do is let her and my mom down when I’m supposed to be proving I made the right decision in taking a gap year.
The bell above the door chimes, and without lifting my eyes up from the computer, I repeat the greeting I’ve gotten very familiar with. “Welcome to 1133 , how can I help you?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d guess you’ve worked here for forever, sunshine,” Bailey’s voice says, and my head snaps up to find him.
He called me sunshine again. That’s a good sign, right?
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. “What are you doing here?” I ask, my cheeks flushing when I realize how the question sounds. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I just wasn’t expecting you to stop by?” Oh my god, Kait, just shut up now.
He holds up a paper bag, and a dusting of pink appears across his freckled cheeks. “I had an appointment to update my driver’s license, so I thought I’d bring you and my mom some lunch.”
“That’s really nice of you.”
Bailey pushes his blond waves out of his face.
Is he going to cut it short again, or let the waves grow long?
“It’s not a big deal. I’ll see you when you get home later.
” He sets the bag on the counter above my desk, and I don’t want him to leave yet.
I don’t have to tiptoe around him here because there’s a zero percent chance of Hunter walking in right now.
“Do you want to stay and have lunch with me?” I ask, trying not to overthink the invitation I’ve just extended.
“That’s okay. I don’t want to bother you,” he says, and that’s ridiculous.
I roll my eyes, standing up from my chair. “You’re not bothering me if I’m inviting you to stay. Please, Walker? ”
“Okay, Price,” he agrees, his eyes glittering like the stars.
“Perfect.”
Apparently a week is all it takes for things to go drastically wrong.
A couple of days before Thalia and Sebastian were leaving for California, there was a tropical storm forming off the Atlantic coast of Florida, but it was supposed to weaken and continue a path inland.
Instead, it’s now projected to swing back out onto the water and strengthen again, which means we’re fucked.
Now we’re down a lot of hands and stuck preparing all the houses and the gallery for the storm before leaving to ride it out at Henry and Mira’s house in Charlotte.
Henry and Bailey came to help me prep our parents’ house for a potential hurricane since I couldn’t do it by myself. Mirabelle brought Javi to supervise the setup so he wouldn’t feel left out.
“I forgot how much fucking work this is,” Bailey swears under his breath, wiping sweat from his brow with the bottom of his shirt, and I try not to stare as he latches his side of the metal shutters.
“My whole body hurts,” I agree, pulling my attention to his face to offering B a short smile.
We move to the next set of windows, but it’s cracked open, making it possible for us to hear my brother’s voice from inside the room. “I want you guys to come with me.”
Mirabelle huffs, and I can only imagine she’s crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, I’d like for us to go too, but you know what the doctor said. I can’t fly without putting the babies at risk.”
“I wouldn’t really call staying in a hurricane safe either,” he argues, and Bailey rests a hand on my forearm, capturing my attention momentarily.
“Should we be listening to this?” he whispers, and I hold my finger up to my mouth to signal him to stay quiet. He might not want to hear this, but I do.
“So if it’s not safe in a hurricane, then we should just airlift the house to somewhere it doesn’t happen.
Why didn’t I think of that before now?” Mirabelle asks, her voice dripping in sarcasm.
“Because that would be insane. I will be perfectly fine staying at our house, or hell, maybe I’ll stay at my parents’ house, which is right next to the ocean in case you forgot.
Or are you planning to move all of the houses out of the state?
” In this moment, I pity Henry a little bit.
I get where he’s coming from, but Mira is making some good points.
“It is completely insane to suggest airlifting houses. Mon c?ur , I just want you, Javi, and the babies to be safe?—”
“And you think I don’t?” She huffs, and I hope for Henry’s sake he can climb his way out of this one.
“I’m sorry. I know you do.” He pauses, and I can’t help smiling because she’s the only one he ever apologizes to. Even if it seems like he has to do it a lot. “I hate having to leave you, especially with this storm coming.”
“I know. I hate it too. I’m sorry, I just . . . I have to believe that everything will be fine.”
“I feel better knowing Bailey will be there with you.”
I steal a glance at Bailey, noticing the shocked expression on his face, almost like he never expected Henry to say something like that. Does he know Henry hired a second private investigator to try to find him after the Walkers’ turned up with nothing?
On second thought, I don’t know how he would know unless Henry told him, which I doubt he did.
Henry doesn’t share much when it comes to his feelings, but he cares more than anyone, even if he pretends not to.
I’ve known him my entire life, but the way he acts with Mirabelle is different from anyone else I’ve seen him with.
“Do you think maybe I can pretend to go into labor to push him and Kait together? There’s nothing like a crisis to make you face your feelings,” she says, laughing quietly after.
My jaw drops at her deviousness, and I can’t bear to look at Bailey right now to know what he’s thinking. B hasn’t said anything about his feelings, but then again, neither have I.
The last thing I want is for my feelings for him to be mistaken for a rebound, because it couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’m even more embarrassed when I hear my brother’s response. “My god, you’re evil. Just don’t go into actual labor. These chicks need to cook a little longer.”
He’s a traitor. I’ll kill him—like actually.
Bailey laughs softly next to me, and I can’t help looking at him now. “Did he just call the twins chicks?” he whispers, just barely audible so they don’t hear us.
“Let’s get out of here before they find us.”
Who would’ve guessed Mirabelle and Henry were in the matchmaking business?
Not me, but it is nice to know ahead of time she’s planning on pretending to go into labor.
Bailey doesn’t say anything else as we move on to the next set of windows, but when I glance at him again, he’s already staring at me. He holds my gaze, not looking away, and it causes butterflies to flutter in my stomach.