you’re suddenly secretive and more paranoid.”
She flinched. “Secretive?”
Sloane put his arm around her, a warm, solid presence against her side.
“You didn’t tell us you were in an accident.” Anger sparked in her mother’s gaze. “We had to find out on the news. Then SiriX was connected to his…” she inclined her head toward Sloane, “…doping scandal.”
“I didn’t call you because I was fine. The doctors released me. And the media made the connection, not Sloane.” She straightened her spine. “But I think there is a connection. David’s involved with making designer steroids for the man I told you about, Finn. I showed you the picture. He was there in the hospital. Amelia saw him too.”
Her father pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Think, Katie. You never once said anything about David and steroids, not until the accident when you found out the driver was on steroids. You’re making wild leaps and connections that aren’t there.”
“Kat’s not brain damaged or delusional, she’s trying to help you.” Sloane’s voice cut deep into the building tension. “But you’re standing here trying to convince her she’s crazy instead of rushing up to her room to see what’s on her files. So I have to wonder, who’s really afraid of the truth here?”
Anger splashed color across her dad’s cheeks. “Don’t you dare—”
“William.” Her mom cut him off. “We’re all tired and stressed. Let’s get this over with.” She stepped in front of Kat. “After this, Kathryn, you and I are going to talk. This nonsense has gone on long enough. You have Marshall half-believing your delusions. It has to end.”
She stared into the same eyes she saw in the mirror every day. The two them looked alike, and yet they were so different. “When I was little, I wanted so much to be just like you. I watched you get ready for work every morning and dreamed that one day I’d do that too.”
Surprise softened the hard edges of her mom’s face into a prettiness Kat hadn’t seen on her in a long time.
“But I wasn’t like you, Mom. And I don’t know who was more disappointed by that, you or me.” Turning, she headed to her room and realized that last part wasn’t true. Kat had learned to like herself, to like the woman she was striving to be. In large part because of seeing herself through Sloane’s eyes, and she loved him for that gift.
Once in her room, Kat set her laptop on the bed then found the box in her closet. Sloane reached over her head, lifting it down for her. Taking off the lid, she was sucker-punched by nostalgia and old grief. She gently lifted out the music box with the pink heart on the top. Once she eased the lid open, the ballerina popped up. A knot formed in her throat.
Sloane pressed his body against hers. “You okay?”
She touched the figurine. “My grandmother gave me this after my first recital at her dance school. Said I was as pretty as this ballerina.” It had meant so much to Kat since her own parents had been too busy to come watch her childish attempts to dance.
He leaned down, studying the tiny dancer. “She’s pretty.” Straightening, he met her eyes. “But you’re beautiful.”
A sensual tension strung out between them, making her skin pebble in response and nearly causing the air around them to hum with it. Her parents hovered in the doorway, probably feeling the burn of the desire that flowed between her and Sloane. “Thanks. Once everything settles down, I’m going to take this to my condo. Put it in my bedroom.”
Sloane touched her hair, skimming his fingers down the length. “Take the music box home with us tonight. Put it in the bedroom or wherever you want. It’ll be safe there.”
Kat couldn’t look away from his eyes. The idea of putting her special things in his house, the place he hadn’t taken his other plus-ones… She was getting in too deep, living on a hope that what they had together now was strong enough to
She flinched. “Secretive?”
Sloane put his arm around her, a warm, solid presence against her side.
“You didn’t tell us you were in an accident.” Anger sparked in her mother’s gaze. “We had to find out on the news. Then SiriX was connected to his…” she inclined her head toward Sloane, “…doping scandal.”
“I didn’t call you because I was fine. The doctors released me. And the media made the connection, not Sloane.” She straightened her spine. “But I think there is a connection. David’s involved with making designer steroids for the man I told you about, Finn. I showed you the picture. He was there in the hospital. Amelia saw him too.”
Her father pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Think, Katie. You never once said anything about David and steroids, not until the accident when you found out the driver was on steroids. You’re making wild leaps and connections that aren’t there.”
“Kat’s not brain damaged or delusional, she’s trying to help you.” Sloane’s voice cut deep into the building tension. “But you’re standing here trying to convince her she’s crazy instead of rushing up to her room to see what’s on her files. So I have to wonder, who’s really afraid of the truth here?”
Anger splashed color across her dad’s cheeks. “Don’t you dare—”
“William.” Her mom cut him off. “We’re all tired and stressed. Let’s get this over with.” She stepped in front of Kat. “After this, Kathryn, you and I are going to talk. This nonsense has gone on long enough. You have Marshall half-believing your delusions. It has to end.”
She stared into the same eyes she saw in the mirror every day. The two them looked alike, and yet they were so different. “When I was little, I wanted so much to be just like you. I watched you get ready for work every morning and dreamed that one day I’d do that too.”
Surprise softened the hard edges of her mom’s face into a prettiness Kat hadn’t seen on her in a long time.
“But I wasn’t like you, Mom. And I don’t know who was more disappointed by that, you or me.” Turning, she headed to her room and realized that last part wasn’t true. Kat had learned to like herself, to like the woman she was striving to be. In large part because of seeing herself through Sloane’s eyes, and she loved him for that gift.
Once in her room, Kat set her laptop on the bed then found the box in her closet. Sloane reached over her head, lifting it down for her. Taking off the lid, she was sucker-punched by nostalgia and old grief. She gently lifted out the music box with the pink heart on the top. Once she eased the lid open, the ballerina popped up. A knot formed in her throat.
Sloane pressed his body against hers. “You okay?”
She touched the figurine. “My grandmother gave me this after my first recital at her dance school. Said I was as pretty as this ballerina.” It had meant so much to Kat since her own parents had been too busy to come watch her childish attempts to dance.
He leaned down, studying the tiny dancer. “She’s pretty.” Straightening, he met her eyes. “But you’re beautiful.”
A sensual tension strung out between them, making her skin pebble in response and nearly causing the air around them to hum with it. Her parents hovered in the doorway, probably feeling the burn of the desire that flowed between her and Sloane. “Thanks. Once everything settles down, I’m going to take this to my condo. Put it in my bedroom.”
Sloane touched her hair, skimming his fingers down the length. “Take the music box home with us tonight. Put it in the bedroom or wherever you want. It’ll be safe there.”
Kat couldn’t look away from his eyes. The idea of putting her special things in his house, the place he hadn’t taken his other plus-ones… She was getting in too deep, living on a hope that what they had together now was strong enough to
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