Chapter 17 Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
My phone rings with an incoming video chat right on time. I finish pouring my glass of red as I hit the accept button. The screen fills with my sister’s tired, yet still stunning, face. And I’m instantly filled with an ease that can only come from special time with Kennedy.
She raises her own glass of wine in greeting, and I mime clinking it in cheers before we both take a sip.
An unspoken tradition when we both need some unfiltered sister time.
We usually try to set aside at least one night a week for these chats, but it’s been a hot minute since we could find a free evening for both of us.
“Messy bun and your glasses instead of contacts,” I acknowledge as I take my perch next to my balcony doors.
I don’t have them open tonight, which is a shame with how cool the evenings have turned.
Usually they’re open as I take any chance I can get before the weather turns too cold.
But the conversation between us is not for public ears.
“Are you still struggling with this book, Kenny?”
She lightly bangs her head against the wall she’s leaning against. No doubt in the same position I am, but instead of the Main Street and mountains view, she’s looking out at skyscrapers.
“I feel like I’ve never written a love story in my life.” Her eyes close briefly before blinking back open with a faraway look. “What if I used it all up already?”
“Used up what?”
She shrugs, tipping her wineglass to her lips. “My talent. My creativity. My luck, because that’s unfortunately the biggest reason I am in my position.”
I wrap my blanket around my legs and snuggle down, knowing this is going to be one of those nights. This isn’t the first time we have had this conversation and probably won’t be the last.
“Kennedy, you and I both know it was all you that got you to where you are. And I promise you haven’t used up your talent or creativity.”
“Then why can’t I finish a chapter?”
“Maybe you just need a little break?”
“It’s been months, Gwen. I haven’t written anything of substance since Catching Feelings released.”
I smile at the reminder of her sports romance series about a baseball team falling in love one after the other with the girls of their dreams. It was a favorite of mine, and not just because I know the main character in book two was inspired by me.
I owe her all the coffee for the rest of her life for giving me my own little rom-com fantasy to read about.
I mean, who doesn’t want to be fictionally swept off their feet by the bad boy of the MLB?
“Wait,” the smile falls from my face. “Ken, that was in May.”
“Yup,” she pops the p.
My mouth drops in shock. “Is this the longest you’ve gone since–-”
“Since my own heart was absolutely ripped to shreds in college?” She swirls her wineglass; her eyes locked on the liquid before tipping it back and downing the remnants in one gulp. “You’ve got it.”
I watch without judgement as she pours another healthy glass. I follow suit, emptying my own in one swig, then replenishing the wine with a heavy hand in solidarity.
“Did something happen?”
The twitch in her brow and the guilty look that glosses over her green eyes tell me I’m probably not going to like her answer. I wait silently to see if she wants to tell me what it was.
As if the truth is easier to admit when she’s not looking directly at me, she looks at something other than her phone screen. With a deep breath, she rushes out a bunch of words I can’t decipher.
I furrow my brow. “You know I didn’t catch that, right?”
She sends a heatless glare in my direction, takes one more breath, and repeats herself.
“I slept with Matt.”
I blink slowly at my sister, thinking for sure she’s going to jump out and yell that she’s playing a very not-funny prank right now. When she doesn’t say anything, just stares at me with that guilty look on her face, I realize she’s dead serious.
“How does that even happen? You’re in New York. He’s here. Unless you came home and didn’t tell me.” I point at the screen. “Which I’ll be way more upset about, if I’m being honest.”
She nibbles on her lower lip. “Remember when I was down there for my book tour?”
I nod, the memory unfolding for me. “How? You were here for one night, and I was with you!”
She shakes her head. “I stayed one more night.”
“I have so many questions.”
Kennedy covers her face with her hands and groans. “No more questions. It took a lot to admit this to you.”
“Okay fine, just one.”
She drops her hands and looks to the ceiling, probably trying to determine what I could possibly want to ask.
“How was it?”
My sister throws her head back and laughs. “I thought for sure you wanted to know who caved first instead.”
“Oh, I definitely do, but I’m sure you’ll give me all the details, eventually.”
She grins with a small eye roll, knowing I’m right. We don’t keep things from each other forever.
I wave my hand in front of the camera, hurrying her up to answer my pressing question.
“It was…” she sighs wistfully. “Incredible. Amazing. Better than I remember.”
It’s my turn to laugh as I clap my hands with glee.
“Stop that! You’re supposed to tell me how stupid I was.”
I shake my head excitedly. “No way. I’ve always wanted y’all to get back together.”
“You just want me back in Willow Grove.”
I shrug, knowing it’s true. There was no reason to deny it.
“We are not getting back together. We haven’t even spoken since then.”
“Not even a quick text to plan your next rendezvous?”
“Definitely not. I think we are both in agreement that it was a one-time slip up.”
I raise an incredulous eyebrow. “How do you know if you haven’t talked about it?”
“I do believe the way he snuck out of my hotel room the next morning was enough explanation. I’d rather not reach out and be let down by that man yet again.” She takes a small sip of her wine.
“I guess that explains why you haven’t written a love story since.”
Her smile is sad, falling back down quickly as she stares at her fingers clenching the stem of her glass. “Nothing like opening the wound your first love left behind for a quick one-night stand to ruin your career.”
“Hey, your career is not ruined. This is just a little hiccup, is all.”
“It will be ruined if I can’t make my deadline.”
“Can you ask for an extension at all? Buy a little extra time to get your head straight?”
“Hilary is going to see what magic she can work. I have an idea that we think will go big time, so hopefully they trust me enough after the last series.”
“Why don’t you come down here and get away from the city for a bit? I wasn’t kidding when I brought up the festival. Ophelia could use the extra hands since it’ll just be her and Piper.”
“I don’t know, Gwen. I don’t think it would be good for me to be that close to him right now.”
“I promise to keep you two from crossing paths.” I cross my fingers over my heart and give her puppy-dog eyes.
She chuckles at my theatrics. “How about I say I’ll think about it and we leave it at that for now, okay?”
“Okay, okay. But just know it’s going to be awesome this year!”
Kennedy’s eyes light up, and she grabs at the chance to switch the topic of conversation to me now. “Tell me all about it.”
I dive right into explaining all the auction items and the games that we always enjoy. But I can’t help the face-splitting grin on my face when I start talking about the date auction.
“I need to stop by the vineyard and taste test the wines they are going to give us for the baskets. You already know Ophelia and I are going to create a fun little dessert to pair with it. And of course, the meat and cheese platters they do. Ugh, my mouth is watering just thinking about how great it’s going to be.
” I pause for a second to catch my breath.
“And Logan is treating you well? He’s not making you do all the work only to take all of the credit, right?”
I shake my head. “I was worried about the same thing, but he’s honestly been so great.”
“I’d hate to have to come kick his ass.”
I roll my eyes. “You would have to come down here to do that.”
“Ha-ha. I’m not joking, though. I remember vividly what happened last time you let him in.”
I feel my cheeks warm at the reminder.
“Has he ever even apologized for that night?”
It’s my turn to avoid looking at the phone, too afraid to see disappointment on my sister’s face, knowing she wanted to demand an apology that night when I called her to pick me up. “It’s fine, Kenny. I promise. It was so long ago.”
“If you say so. Just make sure you remember how he can be. And how he always will be.”
I purse my lips, furrowing my brow in thought. Because I don’t think I do. Or at least I don’t think I had the right opinion about Logan ever since he let me down all those years ago. He seems changed for the better.
“Is that bitch Camila still hanging around him?”
“Kennedy!” I cry out.
“What? It’s true. She’s a bitch, and if you won’t say it, then I will for both of us.”
I sigh, thinking about all the times Camila had been nice to me since we were kids. I don’t think I could even count on one hand.
“She is, unfortunately. It’s weird. I can’t figure out if she’s just his dad’s personal assistant or if she’s latching on to them with the belief that they are getting back together.”
“Probably both. She will sink her claws into that family no matter what.”
“Did something happen between you two?” I press. A question I always wondered but never thought to ask.
She shrugs. “Aside from being an absolute terror to anyone that can’t give her something? Not really. She thoroughly enjoyed picking on us about being orphans. Saying our parents didn’t want to be around us so badly they killed themselves.”
My eyes almost fall out of my head. “What?!” I screech. “How did I not know about this?”
A smirk slides across her lips as she examines her knuckles. “Because I took care of it. I wasn’t going to let you hear any of that.”