CHAPTER 19 KAYLEE
“She asked me to leave,” he says once he pulls out of the parking lot.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said anything,” I say as guilt pulls at my stomach.
He shakes his head. “You did the right thing. It’s just…strange.”
I lift a shoulder. “It makes sense, Ben. She’s used to her life the way it is.”
He’s quiet a while as he thinks that over, and we’re nearly back to the hotel when he says, “She was doing fine without me being around, without my interference, and now she must feel like she’s losing everyone she loves.
She’s gaining me back—slowly, with a big maybe involved there—but she’s losing the people who are a part of her everyday life. Her best friend. Her new husband.”
I nod. “I think sometimes people are happier when they’re in the dark.”
“Yeah,” he murmurs, and I hope his silence here isn’t indicative of something he’s keeping me in the dark about.
I don’t think it is, though. He’s been nothing but honest with me since the start, and I really think he’s just being a little introspective as he tries to sort his feelings where his mother is concerned. It’s a complicated mess.
We both change out of our dressy clothes when we get back to the hotel, and then he pops open a beer. I grab a bottle of water because the thought of alcohol is still making my stomach turn over, and I join him out on the balcony.
His phone rings as we sit there chatting about the events of the day. He doesn’t blame me even though I blame myself, and I feel bad that I might’ve ruined her wedding day.
He blows out a breath as he looks at who’s calling, and he sends it to voicemail.
“Who was that?” I ask, my curiosity definitely piqued.
“I think it’s Tatum. She texted me last night, too, and I ignored it.”
“What do you think she wants?” I ask, my brows knitting together in concern.
His phone dings with a voicemail. “Let’s find out, shall we?” He clicks the button and puts the call on speaker, and it’s definitely Tatum’s voice coming through the line.
“I told you last night we needed to talk, but you ignored me. Then somehow that bitch you’re marrying lied and now my best friend won’t talk to me. You need to fix this—all of this—or you’re going to regret it.”
That’s it.
That’s the whole voicemail.
I’m not sure how she can make him regret his relationship with her any more than he already does, but the threat is there.
His phone rings again.
“Just answer it and tell her to fuck off,” I suggest.
He chuckles, and then he answers and puts the call on speaker. “What?”
“Nice way to greet the girl you wanted to marry,” she says.
“Yeah, a decade ago. Things change, and I’m marrying somebody else now. Somebody who, by the way, is definitely not a bitch, and I suggest you never call her that again. Now what do you want?”
“I have something of yours,” she says.
“Just one thing?” he asks.
“Well I figured you don’t want your Grizzlies shirt back at this point.”
“No, I don’t.” He rolls his eyes. “What is it you have?”
“Meet me at my place tonight and I’ll show you.”
“I’m good. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll be going now.” He hangs up and glances at me while he shakes his head.
“What do you think she has?” I ask.
“Who knows? I’m not stupid enough to go to her place to find out.”
“Why’s she so obsessed with you?”
He sighs. “Her mother died when she was a teenager. My mom sort of took her in as her own. We were close, but I was young, blinded by what I thought was love, and stupid as fuck. I spent most of my time at my dad’s place, but she spent most of her time at my mom’s.
They got close even though I drifted from my mom, and when I left for college then moved to San Diego after I was drafted, they stayed close.
I was her first, but she wasn’t mine. I was the first guy she ever loved, and she somehow became a part of my family’s fabric—my mom’s side, anyway.
” He shrugs. “She never extracted herself, and my mom never made her. I think my mom always felt sorry for her and sort of looked at her like a charity case.”
“That’s sad,” I say, suddenly feeling a little compassion for her even though she literally just called me a bitch while threatening Ben.
“Yeah. But it doesn’t excuse her behavior.”
“No,” I agree. “It doesn’t. Aren’t you wondering what she has of yours?”
“She won’t go too long without letting me in on it. She’ll do pretty much anything to get herself back in my life.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I murmur.
“Hey,” he says, reaching over and resting his hand on my leg for a beat. “You have nothing to worry about, Peaches. I love you. Okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
I say the word of agreement, but that doesn’t really make me any less worried about what the future holds…or what Tatum holds.
As much as I enjoy the heat of the sex we share, I also like nights like this—where we’re just relaxing on a balcony and talking. I feel the bond between us strengthening as Ben puts to rest a lot of the pain of his past and we look toward a future together.
We talk about some of the questions Molly has sent me, and a sweet excitement starts to fill the air around us for our upcoming wedding.
I only pray next weekend goes a little more smoothly than this weekend did.
I just have a feeling it isn’t going to.