“I didn’t know that,” I say quietly, somewhat defeated.
Archie grabs my elbow. “Well, now you do. And if you and your boyfriend don’t mind your own damn business—”
I feel Justice at my back, halting Archie’s words. I pull my arm away and try to back Justice up.
“You touch Kaylee like that again, I won’t hesitate to take you down to the ground!”
I turn to face him. “Can we please go inside and talk about this?”
“You two can do whatever the hell you want, but I’m leaving. This is costing us, and I can’t waste anymore of my damn time on it,” he said, pulling the door open and walking back inside.
Justice runs his hand through his hair and paces across a short space on the pavement. “What do we do? He can’t get away with this, Kay.”
“Well, first you need to tell me what happened.”
“I saw him with Mina. When she came off her run, she was limping on a broken heel, looked pretty upset. I was thinking you could talk to her, make her feel better. I didn’t see you so I went after her, but I lost sight of where she went. I finally found her in one of the small meeting rooms, Archie pinning her against the wall.” He paused and shook his head, the pain and anger in his eyes piercing my heart. “I saw it in her eyes, she didn’t want it.”
“Did she say so?”
“No, that’s the thing. I rushed Archie, grabbed him by the collar, threw a fist into his lip, then tossed him against the wall. I was about to bash his face in, but she grabbed my arm. Tried to say he didn’t do anything, then ran off. Since we were alone, I asked him to tell me what was going on between you and him. What you were talking about earlier.”
“I told you. It was—”
“Come on, Kay. I saw your face, the look in your eyes. So, I told him he better tell me what the fuck he was saying to you.”
“Dammit, Justice, you said you’d let me handle it.”
“Yeah, well as soon as he was in your face all that changed.”
“What did he say?”
“Told me to mind my own fucking business, then took off. I chased him out here.”
I can’t take hearing this; things have gotten way out of control, and I don’t know what to do. The last thing I want is for Justice to see me for who I really am. A coward. He said so many wonderful things about me since we’ve gotten close, and now I feel like I don’t deserve any of them.
I turn my back on him, cross my arms, and fight the burn at the back of my eyes. Then, Justice is at my back, wrapping his arms around me. “You okay?” When I don’t answer, he rests his chin on my shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry, I guess I went about this whole thing wrong.”
I shake my head, tears welling in my eyes, followed by a building anger pushing to the surface. I whirl around to face him. “That’s right, you did.”
“That’s because I knew you were keeping something from me. I want to know what it is, Kay. You have to tell me so I can help you.” His mouth purses, his eyes narrowed defensively.
Fear and anger rumble through my system. “I’m sorry, but you don’t get to tell me what I have to do.”
He steps forward and I step back. “Dammit, Kaylee! If you can’t be honest with me then—”
“Stop!” I can’t hear the rest of it. “I can’t do this with you…” I turn to walk away, afraid to hear him finish that sentence.
“Kaylee, wait.” He grabs my arm. “Tell me what I can do to fix it?”
I turn back, glare at his grip on me. “It’s too late for that. You can’t fix it!” I jerk from his grasp. His eyes widen as he steps back, obviously caught off guard. “I asked you to let me handle it. But you couldn’t respect my wishes.”
“I know but—”
“No, Justice! I want you to forget about this. I don’t need you to fight my battles.”
“Hey, this isn’t just your battle anymore. Whatever it is you’re hiding is going to come out...”
I shake my head, knowing what I am about to say is going to hurt him, but I’m not ready for any of this. “I don’t know what you think is going on, but I never asked for your help, and I don’t want it.” I walk to the door and open it. “And I want you to back off.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying this whole thing between us is just too much, too fast.” The look on his face breaks my heart, yet, I can’t stop myself. “I feel like I can’t breathe right now. I need some space.” I pause for moment, our eyes connected, then I walk through the door and let it close behind me, fighting the tears for hurting him, for the situation, and maybe most of all, because he didn’t try to stop me.
Chapter 21
Justice
Sitting on the bench swing in our backyard, I replay every moment of the disaster that erupted at dress rehearsal. The pain in my chest after Kaylee crushed me hasn’t subsided. I stood in that parking lot a good ten minutes before I moved. Could she have meant anything she said to me? Was I somehow overstepping in this new relationship, or was this simply about Archie and whatever it was she wasn’t telling me? I’d never been in a real relationship, so I couldn’t know for sure. Maybe I had put us on the fast track as soon as there was even a hint from Kaylee that she was interested. That was because I feel so strongly about her. About us. All this time, I thought she was right there with me. Not being pulled into something she didn’t want.
I shook my head, a flash of memory hitting me of sitting right here on this swing with Kaylee. Our first kiss. It told me everything I needed to know, and since that moment, I knew Kaylee was the one for me. And though there were times I worried about her feelings for me, deep down, I knew she felt it too. So what happened?
“Shit,” I whisper, looking down at my hands as a new realization hits me. No matter what she thought about me in the past, I know she cares about me. Which means this whole thing is just another example of Justice screwing things up. Maybe I just need to apologize, back off, and hope she gives me another chance.
Turner slides the back door open and steps out. “Dude, what are you doing out here?”
“I don’t know…”
“Okay…” He walks over to the patio set and picks up some cushions the wind blew off. “Guess you didn’t see these.”
My brain is fried from thinking about this. “Sorry, man.”
Making his way over, he glances around the yard as if evaluating nothing else is out of place. He stops in front of me, hands in his pockets. “I’m not getting on your case just to do it, but you also didn’t even close the front door when you came in. What’s up?”
I squint up at him. “If I knew, I’d tell you.”
He lets out a little chuckle. “Please tell me you didn’t fuck things up with Kaylee already.”
I lean back in the swing, pressing both fists to my forehead.
“Shit, J. What’d you do?”
“Like I said…I. Don’t. Know.”
“Bullshit. You have some idea.”
Turner takes the seat next to me, and I recount everything that happened from when I first saw Kaylee at rehearsal to the moment she walked away from me. Maybe I shouldn’t have broken her confidence and told him about Mina and Archie, but Turner is my best friend, the only person I have to sort this out with, and I’m desperate. Staring out to the yard, I wait as he takes it all in.
“Geez, J, you can be a hothead sometimes, but it’s not like you did something so horrible. Or anything any other guy wouldn’t have done.”
“That’s what I thought. Maybe my reaction showed her we were moving too fast?”
“Maybe. I mean, who knows what women want.”
“I know she’s worried about the agency and her mom, but shit, she can’t sweep this thing under the rug forever; it’s going to come out eventually.”
“These things always do. If not by Kaylee, then someone else.”
“What sucks is that I thought we were on the same page. She made this big deal about loving meeting my family, being there for me…
”
“So she wanted to be there for you but not let you be there for her.”
“Exactly.” I stand from the bench, frustrated that talking to Turner isn’t helping, only showing me this doesn’t make any sense. I take my gaze past the fence, over the hills in the distance. I think about how many questions she asked me, wanting to get to know me, and though she answered my questions, she always turned things back to me.
“And this guy’s her stepdad?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, no wonder she quit modeling.”
I snap my head to him. “What?”
“If my stepdad was a skeez, I wouldn’t want to be around him either.”
“Shit.” I close my eyes, drop my chin, realization settling over me.
“What are you thinking?”
The wheels are spinning in my head, running back all the things Kaylee said to me. I could be wrong, but it made sense now, and all I want to do was get to her. As adrenaline shoots through my system, my pulse pounds in my head, leaving me anxious. “I’m sorry, T. I can’t say anything until I know for sure.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I need to talk to Kaylee. I really appreciate this, man. You’re a great friend.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
I jog to the back door, waving over my head. “I’ll text you…”
In my car, I send an urgent text that hopefully will ensure I can see Kaylee. Without waiting for a response, I drive toward her house. Halfway there a response comes. She’s here.
When I arrive, I knock lightly, afraid if Kaylee knows it’s me, she might not let me in. She’d shut me out before, and I won’t let that happen again.
Koko opens the door, headphones dangling from her neck, and gives me a nod. “Hello, Justice. I’m glad you’re here.”
“You are?” I step in and wait.
“Yes, Kaylee’s very upset.”
“Where is she?”
She gestures with her head, and I follow her to a closed bedroom door. “Thank you,” I whisper.
With a soft grin, she nods, putting her headphones over her ears before going into another room and shutting the door.
I knock.
“What do you need, Koko?”
The fact that just hearing her voice through a closed door affects me so profoundly tells me a lot. I’d do anything for Kaylee. Even risking her being pissed at me coming over unannounced. “It’s me.”
There’s a short pause. “Justice?” Her voice sounds closer this time. “Is this your idea of space?” Now she’s standing right next to the door, her tone annoyed.
“I changed my mind. I never agreed to that, anyway. You didn’t give me a chance.”
Silence.
“I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
Silence.
“Come on, Kay…”
“Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you. Okay? But I can’t talk to you about this. At least not now.”
“Okay.” I sit down on the floor, my back against the wall. “I’ll wait.”
I fully intend to sit here all night if needed, but after a few minutes, the door opens a foot. “Dammit, Justice. Why? Why do you even care?”
I stand and push up right against the opening of the door. We lock eyes, and I can tell she’s been crying. My heart can’t take it, but I have to put her feelings first. “Let me in and I’ll tell you.”
Keeping her gaze on me she relents, opening the door all the way before turning her back to me and walking over to her window.
I enter, closing the door behind me. “Thank you.”
“You shouldn’t be thanking me,” she says with her back to me. “You’re trapped in a mess.”
“You’re right.”
Obviously thrown by that, she turns her head in my direction, her lips parted, her gaze narrowed. “The door’s right there.”
I take a few steps closer. “That’s not what I mean.”
She lets out a soft, resigned sigh, and I close the distance between us. I take her hands and turn her to me. “I said that because…I’m in this with you, and there’s no other way about it. I couldn’t not be if I tried.”
Shaking her head, she says, “But why?”
Instinctively, I smile. It seems out of place for the situation, but it mirrors what’s in my head and my heart. “Because I love you, Kay.”
Her eyes turn to glass before me, and she lets out a small burst of air.
I brush her cheek with the back of my hand. “You might think it’s too soon, but it’s not for me. I think I started falling for you even when you pretended to hate me.”
She opens her mouth, but I stop her with my lips. “Yes, you were pretending.”
“Justice…”
“You don’t have to say anything. I just had to tell you. To explain. If you hurt, I hurt. If you’re mad, I’m fucking pissed. It’s done and there’s nothing we can do about that.” I lean over and brush a kiss across her cheek, catching the solitary tear sliding down it. “So you see, I’m here for you. With you. You just have to trust me, let me in. Can you do that?”
“Justice—” She folds herself into me, her arms around my waist, her head hitting my chest with a force. “This whole thing is all my fault.”
I give her a moment before I pull back and look at her, pain filling her face. Taking her by the hand, I say, “Come on. Let’s sit so you can tell me.”
We sit on the bed next to each other, Kaylee turning her body toward me with her knee bent. “You saw it yourself. What he did to Mina. That was my fault,” she says softly.
“Hey, you tried. You talked to Mina. You can’t force her—”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I should have stopped Archie a long time ago. It’s because of me…because I never spoke up…” She dropped her chin, seemingly unable to look into my eyes. It was obvious guilt weighed her down.
Lifting her chin, I bring her gaze to my narrowed eyes. “Kay, please, tell me what exactly you’re talking about.”
“Archie did the same thing to me…and I never said a word.”
I take one of her hands in both of mine. “I’m sorry. When did this happen?”
“A few years back.” She takes a deep breath and sighs it out. “I told you I was sixteen when my father died. My mom and I really leaned on Archie. He was my dad’s best friend and promised him to take care of us. Eventually, I went to college but kept modeling because the agency meant so much to my mom. It wasn’t until they announced they were getting married that I knew they’d been dating. Then at the wedding…” She pauses and looks away.
“God, it happened at the wedding?”
“Well, the reception after. He was drunk. He begged me not to say anything. Said that he was so nervous about the wedding that he hadn’t eaten all day, and in that moment, I looked so much like my mother when they were in college together.” She shakes her head. “Apparently, he was in love with her back then too, but she chose my dad.”
I rub her back, unsure what to say about all this. It’s crazy. “So you didn’t tell Gretchen?”
“I couldn’t. How could I tell my mother the husband she married only moments ago was trying to stick his tongue down my throat? It would have crushed her and humiliated her so, I kept silent. I convinced myself it was a foolish one-time slip. I was young and devastated and scared. So I went to school, kept my distance from them, and tried to figure out what to do. Maybe I was in denial. He seemed to make her happy, at least for a while, but then a few months ago, I got a call from Carly. She said she was getting bad vibes from Archie, and he was making her feel uncomfortable and pressing the limits of her personal space. I started thinking if he was doing that to her, he must be doing it to other girls too. I didn’t want to be in the middle of it, so I convinced her to talk to my mother, but she refused, saying that she was worried that it would affect her career. She ended up leaving the agency.
“When that happened, I tried to bring it up with my mother, and she went o
ff about how women these days are ultra-sensitive, and how I better be careful with accusations because it could ruin a lot of careers and be the end of the agency.”
“This is why women don’t come forward. Damn. We can’t let Archie get away with this.”
She stands then, crossing the room, her brows knitted. “God, what is wrong with me?”
“What?”
“I’m part of the problem.”
“You’re not responsible for what Archie did. Plus, what were you nineteen, twenty when this happened?”
“That’s no excuse. And it’s definitely not an excuse now. Don’t you get it? I’m a hypocrite and a fraud. I quit the agency because I didn’t want to be an object. I wanted to make a difference. I’ve written about female empowerment, taking charge of your life, and not letting anyone choose your path or violate your rights, and yet, in the midst of this new world of speaking out, I kept my damn mouth shut.”
“It’s not too late. As someone who’s made a lot of mistakes in life, I can tell you what matters most is not what you’ve done, but what you’re doing now. So, what are you going to do?”
“I have to tell my mom.”
Chapter 22
Kaylee
Given she’d just gotten back from Madrid, I knew my mother would be swamped and preoccupied. There was no way I could wait on this, though. My nerves are so frazzled, my stomach so distressed that I might end up in the hospital if I don’t get this out.
Glenda told me Archie would be out of the office after lunch until the end of the day, so I waited for him to leave, then entered the building. I’m prepared for my mom to hate me for not telling her; I just hope with time she will forgive me. I won’t make excuses because they don’t matter now, but we were both a wreck when my dad died. The agency and Archie seemed to be the only things to pull her from the depths of despair, and I couldn’t bring myself to take them both from her in one fell swoop. Now, I don’t have a choice.
When I walk into her office and shut the door behind me, our eyes lock. Maybe it’s my guilty conscience, but there is something knowing lurking beneath the surface of her gaze.
Beautiful Bridges (Bridges Brothers Book 3) Page 18
