7. Katie
KATIE
Driving back to Kyle’s house feels wrong on many levels. Robert would kill me if he knew what I was up to.
I park out front and head inside. Kyle’s already coming down the stairs as I come into the foyer. He’s either tracking me with his phone, which wouldn’t surprise me at all, or he’s monitoring the security cameras out front.
“There she is!” he announces, raising both arms in the air. “She’s finally came to her senses!”
My stomach twists, but I force a smile. Gotta keep up appearances.
He’s wearing Gucci flip-flops with Prada sweatpants and a Versace tank-top, just in case someone out there didn’t know he came from a family with money. Of course, he didn’t earn a dime of that money. He just moved it from Robert’s bank account to his own.
To say he looks obnoxious would be an understatement.
He saunters right up to me and moves in for a kiss, but I press my palm to his chest and shake my head.
“I…I still need some time,” I say, keeping my voice low and vulnerable.
He starts to frown but stops, then slowly nods.
“I understand. You’re hurt. Seeing me with Clarice upset you. It’s okay, Katie. Jealousy is a natural human emotion.”
I barely stop myself from breaking out into laughter.
Jealousy? Is he kidding? I never even wanted to marry him in the first place.
But I keep my mouth shut and just nod, my eyes on the floor.
“Why Clarice, though?”
Kyle sighs. “To tell you the truth? It’s just stress from work.” Oh, right. All that work you do. “She came on to me, and I didn’t know how to turn her down.”
There’s not an ounce of truth to that entire story. Well, except for maybe the fact that Clarice came on to him. I’d believe that.
Tyson, one of the cleaning staff, walks by with his mop and bucket. Kyle quickly takes me by the wrist and pulls me into the drawing room. I do not want his hands on me, but I let him for now. It’s important he feels like he’s in control.
He closes the door behind us and walks up beside me, keeping his voice low.
“Listen, I know you’re probably still angry, but I need this wedding to go through.”
“Aw, Kyle,” I reply, playing ignorant. “You love me?”
My response shocks him. He almost scoffs and laughs but holds it together.
“Well, Katie, I’ve never told anyone this, but there’s a clause in my grandfather’s will saying that if I’m not married by my twenty-first birthday, I get nothing.”
“Oh, wow,” I reply in my best commiseratory voice. “That puts you in quite a jam, doesn’t it?”
Kyle nods quickly, looking more pathetic than ever in his pieced-together designer outfit. He actually seems quite sincere as he looks at me.
I bet that would change if he knew why I was really here.
“Katie,” he says, his voice strained, “I will give you ten thousand dollars if you go through with the wedding.”
“Wow, ten thousand?” I repeat. “That’s a lot of money.”
If only he knew his father spent almost ten times that buying me a new wardrobe.
“That’s right. Ten grand, a diamond necklace, a vacation to anywhere you want—doesn’t even have to be with me. I just need you to say I do.”
The muscles on the corners of my lips are starting to twitch. I have to pinch the back of my thigh to keep from smiling.
“You don’t have to sleep with me. I can get that from Clarice. I just need us to be married. On paper.”
I nod slowly. “On paper.”
His left leg twitches as he stares at me. “The wedding’s in five days, Katie. I need your answer.”
He’s really starting to piss me off now. But this is good, good stuff.
“And I guess you need me to finish planning it too?”
For the briefest moment, Kyle actually tries to show some humanity. Tries to pretend like he’s commiserating with me. And he almost pulls it off. Almost.
“You don’t want me planning it, Katie. Not if you want it to be any good.”
Well, he’s not wrong there.
“Okay, just to be clear,” I say slowly. “You’ll give me ten grand—and other things—to marry you just so you can get your grandpa’s money?”
He sighs. “I know it sounds callous, but he’s leaving me millions, Katie. I’ll never have to work again!”
Twisting my lips, I force the fakest half-smile I’ve ever given in my life and nod. “Give me a few hours to think about it?”
It’s got to be a question so he doesn’t feel like me, a little girl compared to him, is telling him what to do. And it works. He nods, rising off his heels with excitement.
“Okay, but don’t take too long!” His phone buzzes in his pocket. “Shit, that’s my lawyer. I’ve got to take this. Call me soon, okay?”
I nod as he takes the call and walks away. Once he’s gone, I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. The recording app is open. It got our whole conversation.
Hell yes.
“No way am I marrying Kyle Reed.”
Now all I have to do is bring this to Robert, and he’ll have even more solid proof of his son’s betrayal.
But just as I’m about to grab the door handle and leave the drawing room, the door opens inward, bonking me in the nose. I stumble backward and let out a pained groan as Clarice wiggles in.
She’s dressed in all white: baggy white pants, a white top, white cardigan, and white slip-ons.
Something about the outfit just doesn’t work for me.
It’s like she’s trying to show the world that she’s some pure, virtuous woman.
But in reality, she’s a gold-digger who has no problem sleeping with her boyfriend’s son if it benefits her.
By the look on her face, I can tell she wants to talk. There’s nothing I want less.
“I was just on my way out—”
“Well, well, well, look who it is,” she hisses, grinding her teeth as she glares at me. It’s only now that I notice how snakelike she looks. “On your way back to spend the day with Robert?”
Something about the way she says his name makes my blood boil. Her tone is acidic, spiteful. Like she is actually jealous about me being with him.
Five minutes ago, I wouldn’t have even given her the time of day. But after suffering through that conversation with Kyle and almost having my nose broken, I’m on edge. So against my better judgment, I snap back.
“And if I was, why would you care? You had no problem cheating on him.”
Clarice’s eyes flare, and she scoffs, looking for a minute like she’s going to slap me. She steps closer, running her tongue across her lower lip. More snake vibes.
“You really think he wants you, don’t you?” she asks. I try to walk past her, but she steps in front of me, blocking my path. “That’s what I thought too. But you know what he wanted? Arm candy. That’s it.”
“Clarice—”
“Just a hot young girl to have on his arm, to show off in public, take to events. But most importantly, so he can one-up the other guys.”
I turn away, rolling my eyes. It’s clear she’s pissed off, but a tiny part of me wonders…is she making sense?
Famous actors, athletes, celebrities of all kinds—they all love to date young women. But I’ve never in my life, not even once, seen myself as arm candy. That’s for sure.
Clarice comes off as the kind of woman who could play that role with ease. In fact, she looks like she’d love to show up to Robert’s business events, even without him being there, just so she could have more eyes on her.
But me? I’ve always been more comfortable curled up in my room, hanging out with Deena or digging into one of my many cozy mystery novels. I don’t need the world to admire me to feel special. All I need is Robert.
“You think I’m lying.” Clarice sneers. “But why? Why would I make this up?”
“Sorry, I’m not a mind reader.”
“You’re not anything,” she jabs back, getting right up in my face. The scent of her perfume is overwhelming. Toxic. “You’re not a model, you’re not an actress, you’re not from a wealthy family. Do you even have a plan for your life?”
My heartbeat accelerates as she continues to throw more jibes at me. They’re like little pin pricks attacking me all over. I keep telling myself that she’s full of it. That I know Robert, and he would never feel this way about me.
But do I actually? I mean—how well do I really know him?
Despite the electric connection between us, we only met yesterday. I was engaged to Kyle for months, ever since I turned eighteen, and Robert never once made an effort to introduce himself to me. Thinking about it now, that seems…odd.
For the briefest of moments, a tiny surge of panic twists through me.
You let him come in you.
If what Clarice is saying is true, then I could end up carrying his child. And if he decides to abandon me for someone younger and hotter? Where will I be then?
My breathing grows faster, shallower. I have to get out of here now.
“Yes, I have a plan for my life,” I snap, pushing my way past Clarice. “It’s to never see you again.”
She shouts something after me as I quickly race through the foyer and outside.
My mind is a typhoon of vulnerable thoughts, doom and despair as I speed back to Robert’s penthouse.
I almost call Deena to talk the whole thing out with her, but just as I’m about to press her contact, I have a change of heart.
No, I need to talk to Robert first. I stuff my phone back in my purse.
The doorman nods to me as I pass, and I somehow manage to give him a smile back. But when I get on the elevator and press the button for the penthouse, I’m shaking. I just can’t get Clarice’s voice out of my head.
“You really think he wants you, don’t you?”
The elevator doesn’t move, and I realize how much of an idiot I am. Of course it isn’t going to move. It’s Robert’s penthouse. Not mine. It’s probably keyed to his face or his fingerprint or something.
My eyes start to well up with tears. I didn’t realize just how emotional I was until this moment.
My secret mission to get Kyle to spill his guts went well, but it had my adrenaline high.
And then the confrontation with Clarice—not to mention getting smacked in the nose by the door—has me questioning everything that’s happened over the last two days.
Just this simple little obstacle of not being able to get up to the penthouse has me about to burst.