Kissed (23 page)

“I really didn’t bring anything appropriate to wear.” Gabe’s voice was quiet. “I wasn’t planning—”

“Nonsense. I’m sure we can find you something at a nearby shop.” My mother’s smile was cool.

My father was wandering toward the living room area again, staring at the TV and changing over to a local newscast, clearly oblivious to what we were discussing at this point, much less the agonizing tension between my mother and Gabe.

“Not tonight. Gabe and I have some things to discuss. It’s just not a good night for us.”

My mom smiled at Gabe. “Your upcoming departure from Chicago, no doubt.”

I slammed my fist on the table. “Goddamn it, Mom!” I yelled before I could control my fury.

Gabe jumped where she stood, gasping, and my mother looked at me, her expression aghast.

But at just that moment, my dad turned toward the table, his mouth open, his eyes wide. For a moment I thought it was shock at my sudden outburst. Hell, I half expected him to lay into me for speaking so harshly to my mother. But then my focus shifted past him to the television, where the very same picture I’d been shown in D.C. was on the screen. It was Gabe and David, side by side at The Peninsula, his arm wrapped lovingly around her waist as they talked to someone. The headline read, Chairman Edgerton Photographed with Prostitute.

Bang number six.

“Dear God,” my father muttered as his attention shifted to Gabe.

My breath left me in a rush, and I reached out to grip the top of the dining room chair sitting in front of me. When I glanced at Gabe, her hand was covering her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at the television screen.

“We bring you a late-breaking exclusive from District 43 today, where political hopeful David Edgerton has just found himself in the midst of a sex scandal. Sources close to the chairman report that Edgerton has been involved with a prostitute for the past couple of months. Images just obtained by KLTV reportedly show the chairman at the recent benefit for performing arts held at The Peninsula hotel alongside the woman he’s alleged to be involved with.

“Sources report the woman in these photographs is St. Mary’s University senior and president of Delta Sigma Epsilon, Gabrielle Kitrick.”

“Oh my God,” Gabe choked out, and then she walked away from us toward my bedroom.

“Chairman Edgerton was seen by many as a strong contender in next year’s senatorial election. Many believed Edgerton had the votes to upset incumbent Bill Rienhardt…”

I turned from the table, following Gabe. When my mom clasped my arm, I stopped still.

“Let go of me.” My lips were pulled back in a snarl, and my mother straightened her shoulders as she released my arm.

I entered my bedroom and shut the door behind me. Gabe was kneeling on the ground, trying desperately to pick up her textbooks, which had clearly spilled from her bag. Her fingers were trembling, and she couldn’t seem to get her hands to function.

I knelt down next to her, reaching for her hands. I held mine over hers, trying to calm her down, and it worked for a moment. She stopped fighting with the bag, and she started to cry. But then, just as quickly as her panic had quieted, fury took over. She shook my hands angrily off hers, and she threw her book bag across the room, screaming through gritted teeth as she did.

“Gabe—”

She shoved me hard, throwing me off balance as I fell, landing on my ass.

“Did you do this?” she yelled, her lips snarling ferociously. “Did you do this to me? Did you?” She was starting to sob out the words, even as she still yelled them. “Did you? Did you?” she shrieked as she hit me on the side of the arm. But her shoulders were starting to shake as the sobs took over again.

“Gabe, I wouldn’t do this to you. You know this wasn’t me. The men I work for did this to discredit David.” I reached for her, but she shoved me away again, and I held my hands up.

She sat on the floor, her chest heaving as she stared at the carpet between us. I could see the gears turning in her mind. Her brain was spinning right now, and she didn’t know up from down. She was falling apart.

“I can’t be here.” She suddenly pushed up from the ground. “You knew,” she said almost absently as she looked around for her purse. She grabbed it off the back of my desk chair where I’d hung it. “You knew.” Her eyes were moving around wildly, bouncing from one thing to another as her brain tried to wrap around what had happened. “You did.” She finally stopped long enough to look at me.

I was pushing myself up from the floor, and I froze in place the moment I was on my feet.

“You said things had gotten complicated with David, so you knew something was going to happen. You said…” She shook her head. “Did you know they were going to do
this
? Did you know they had that picture?” She pointed toward the living room. Her eyes were huge saucers of panic.

“I…” My mouth tried to work. It trembled, it twitched, and I opened it and closed it, struggling to find the right words. I’d never been at such a loss.

She shook her head in exasperation as she glared at me. “Did you?” she asked incredulously.

I nodded.

“Oh my God.” She clapped her hand over her mouth. “You
did
know.”

I shook my head. “No. I mean, yes. They showed me the picture, but it was only earlier this week—”

“It doesn’t matter.” She shook her head, shoving my hands away from her again as she walked toward the door. “I’m just a casual fuck for you anyway.” And then she made a beeline down the hallway toward the front door.

“That’s
not
true!” I yelled after her, and then I followed. “Please don’t go. Please…”

She ignored me, even as I pled with her to stay.

“Keegan,” my mother called after me.

“Mom, not now!” I snapped.

“Keegan,” she said louder. “You need to let her go. God willing she’ll get out of this building without being recognized. The last thing you need is to be associated with…with…” My mother was eyeing Gabe venomously, even as Gabe reached for the doorknob.

Gabe stopped, turning back and brushing the tears from her cheeks. “With what?” she asked my mom. “Say it!” she demanded.

My mom remained silent, staring viciously back at Gabe, knowing she didn’t need to say a thing to make clear what she thought of Gabe.

“Hooker?” Gabe asked. “Slut? Prostitute?” Gabe’s lips pulled up in a disturbing smile, even as more tears ran down her cheeks. “How about a good old-fashioned whore? Huh?” She stared at my mom. “At least I’m not a bitch.” Gabe lifted her chin defiantly.

“Now listen here, young lady.” My dad stepped up beside my mother.

Gabe scoffed, yanking open the door angrily and storming out.

I followed, narrowly missing getting my fingers slammed in the door as she yanked it shut behind her.

“Gabe,” I called after her.

She didn’t slow until she’d reached the elevators. Then she had no choice but to deal with me. She slammed her hand on the button, standing back and waiting.

“Damn it, Gabe. Please, listen to me.” My hands were clasped together as I begged her. “I didn’t do this. My bosses did. They—”

She cut me off. “Stop!” She was choking back the tears when she spoke, and she finally looked at me. “You said it yourself. They know about me because of you. It’s
you
. Don’t you get that? Meeting you…knowing you…becoming involved with you…just destroyed me.” She shrugged in defeat. “I’m pretty sure I knew that was going to happen.” And then she looked at the ground, shaking her head.

I froze, and my mouth dropped open as I stared at her. My eyelids fluttered as I tried to focus, and I just stood there like an ass, saying nothing for entirely too long. “Yeah,” I finally admitted, but my voice was so quiet I wasn’t sure she even heard me.

“I want you to stay away from me.” She stared at me, and when the elevator doors opened, she stepped in and dropped her purse to set at her feet.

The doors started to close, and for half a second, I contemplated ignoring her demand, putting my arm out, stepping in with her, pleading with her, anything at all to stop this. But then I met her eyes. They were blank, and as the doors closed, she shifted her focus to the ground, refusing to look at me.

Bang.

I stood at the elevator for far longer than it likely took her to descend, exit the building, and hail a taxi. I just stood there.

She was right. This was my fault. In some way this entire disaster had somehow been set off because of me. My relationship with Gabe wasn’t the only domino run set up, and the moment we’d started, another run had begun—a run that tipped over into my job duties, bumping them into the Malcolms, who, in turn, hit David. A perfectly destructive run that was always going to happen thanks to what I’d started with Gabe.

I staggered back to the condo, and before I entered, I took a deep breath. I pushed the door open, my jaw tight and my anger a tightly wound rubber band ready to snap. I was all sorts of furious right now.

When I entered the kitchen, my parents were standing at the table.

“Well, I’m glad to see you let her go. Keegan, you have to be mindful of your reputation.”

I let her spew her toxic bullshit, glaring at her coldly.

“You may not be as visible as Chairman Edgerton.” My father sneered as he said the name. “But that does not mean you can afford to be so careless with your image.”

They both looked at me, waiting for a reaction. I couldn’t imagine what reaction they were expecting, certainly not the one I intended to give them.

“Get out,” I said quietly as I stared at the top of the dining room table.

My father gaped at me. “Excuse me?” his voice bellowed out.

I glanced up to see my mom’s hand on his arm, her way of calming him when she thought he was getting too worked up. “Son, we only worry…”

I nodded, my lips pursing for a moment in mock consideration. “Yes, you do. You always have. Sadly, you’ve never actually worried about the right things. Just once I wish your concern could have been for something that truly mattered to me, like…my happiness, my peace of mind, my wants, my wishes, my interests, my…” I shook my head. “Gabe. Because, while you spend your time thinking about all those things that don’t truly matter”—my voice was breaking over the words—“I’m going to be thinking about her and all the damage I’m responsible for. I mean it. I want you out.”

I walked toward the door, and when I reached it, I stood there patiently waiting for them to follow. They eventually did. My mom was pulling her coat on as she walked, and my father was helping her into it. They weren’t looking at me. They were ignoring me completely actually, and when they reached the door, I pulled it open for them. The moment they walked through, I shut it behind them.

I walked to my bedroom, and I stood at the windows for a long time staring out. I finally sank to the floor, sitting in the exact place I’d made love to Gabe the morning before. Hell, I’d had her twice on this floor. What I hadn’t had was anywhere close to enough of her. I no longer actually thought there was enough with us.

I let my forehead sink to the glass, and I closed my eyes as the cool hard surface touched my skin. She’d been nothing but a beautiful little toy the first time I’d met her. I hadn’t stopped for even one moment to consider that there might be something beneath the pretty surface. I’d used her like a prop, a tool, a toy, a thing I could play with and benefit from. It was no wonder her world had fallen apart on her when she’d made the decision to subject herself to men like me.

I was as much a threat to her as anyone. She’d told me that once. She’d been right. I simply hadn’t listened.

Chapter 16

Gabrielle

KEEGAN
started calling me within minutes of my climbing onto the bus. I ignored my phone, letting it vibrate in my hand over and over, and I stared out the window. I was a mess, and the only thing I could think to be thankful for at the moment was the fact I’d not worn mascara or eyeliner. Of course I hadn’t. I was pretending to be something other than a whore today, and the only time I ever cared to wear makeup was when I was working. Shame on me.

The lady sitting next to me handed me a tissue, smiling sweetly at me. I thanked her, trying to smile, but tears just ended up falling instead. I looked back out the window. I waited for the tears to pass and the constant waves of emotion to settle down, and I called Jessa.

“Whatup, shithead.”

My lips flinched. It was as close to a smile as I could get, but even the sound of Jessa’s oh-so-familiar attitude made my throat constrict again and more tears well up in my eyes.

“Hey, kiddo. Is there any way you can pick me up? I’m on my way back from Chicago, and I need to run home and get some clothes, but I was thinking maybe I could come home for the weekend.”

Jessa snorted. “You said you were spending the weekend with Keegan, so wha’d shit dick do to screw it up this time?”

I sniffed my nose. “I just really want to come home.” I bit into my thumbnail, my lips already trembling again. “I’ll talk to you about it when I see you.”

Jessa was quiet for a moment. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll leave now. I should get there about the same time as you. I’ll just meet you at the house.”

“Great. Thanks.” I disconnected after that and settled back in my seat, resting the side of my head against the back of the seat and angling my face toward the window. I closed my eyes.

“You’ve always been so good with her.” My mom’s voice was weak, but her lips were still pulled up in a smile. “I know you’ll look after her. You always have.” Her hand clasped on mine, her grip just as weak as her voice was. “Just don’t forget to take care of yourself too.” She nodded.

I nodded too.

I sucked in a quick, panicked breath as I sat bolt upright. I looked around, confused for a moment as I tried to wake up. My phone was vibrating in my hand. I looked down, and my heart raced when I saw Keegan’s name pop up.

But I didn’t answer.

“Are you all right?” I turned toward the woman who’d given me a tissue earlier. I was still clutching it in my hands even now.