07

« Well, » Sidney finally said after a long stretch of tense silence. « That was… excessive. »

« I know, right ? » I said with an exhausted sigh. « Can’t believe she wanted to keep all those things. I really should’ve asked her to give everything back—the jewelry, the designer stuff, the boob job. Well, maybe not that—« 

« I was talking about you, » Sidney interjected, shaking his head at me. « I get it. Stellan is a good guy. A great guy. A rich one who’s actually not a dick. But whatever’s going on between them is their business. You repo’d Rachel of Stellan’s most expensive gifts and threatened her with stalking, arson, physical assault, exile and social annihilation. »

I took a deep breath, avoiding Sidney’s gaze for however long I could get away with it. « I can be very thorough. »

Sidney raised a brow at me. « Kady, come on. Don’t bullshit me. »

« What ? » I demanded. « Besides, what’s with the whole whatever’s-between-them-is-their-business spiel ? You have your nose on everyone’s business in this city you might as well write a gossip column too. Which reminds me, when you send this one in for a write up, can you please make sure Rachel is splendidly shredded in it ? Don’t hold back. I’ve got you even if you didn’t tell me that Rachel was dicking around with Bobby fucking Castillano. »

« I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure. Rachel always cozies up to rich people, especially guys she can wrap around her finger, » Sid explained, rolling his eyes. « Now stop dodging ! »

« Fine ! I feel responsible, okay ? » I blew out a breath and sank back into my seat. « I introduced them at my birthday last year, remember ? By the end of the night, Rachel was straddled on his lap at my fucking gazebo. I practically pushed him to go with her. »

« Sure but they were full-grown adults at the time, Kady, and perfectly capable of making their own decisions no matter which way you encouraged them, » Sidney explained. « And as you pointed out, Stellan is extremely intelligent. He knew what he was getting into with Rachel. »

« I see intelligent people in bad relationships all the time, » I countered. « Intelligence doesn’t mean immunity and definitely not when the head thinking is the one Rachel’s got her fangs in. You know, when she’s doing the throat floss. »

Sidney groaned. « You have a point but still… If Stellan wanted the stuff back, there’s a legal route he can take. You didn’t have to practically rob Rachel pointblank on his behalf. »

« Maybe I didn’t have to but I wanted to, » I said stubbornly. « I feel guilty and you know guilt is one of the things I absolutely refuse to feel for anyone or anything. »

I let out a long, liberating exhale and slumped back into my seat, lifting the engagement ring to study it closely. « I still remember Stellan’s face when he came to talk to me at their engagement party. He doesn’t talk to me much—probably because he doesn’t like me—but he came up to me anyway and thanked me for introducing him to Rachel. He had a big smile on. You know the one. It’s the one that lights up his whole face and makes his eyes crinkle in the corners. You can see it even with his glasses on. »

« No, I don’t, but clearly you do, » Sidney muttered under his breath but I ignored him. My mind was already trailing back to that night four months ago, when I’d been ready to bolt out of that party in my six-inch hooker heels because they didn’t have enough alcohol to get me as drunk as I needed to be to last through the night.

Despite Rachel’s efforts to make him dress up more often, Stellan had been sporting his usual style—dark jeans, a white shirt and a tweedy-looking-blazer. He suited up when the occasion called for it but Stellan was never flashy or obnoxiously vain despite his wealth. The man always looked so dang approachable even for people he didn’t like, me included.

« I’m glad you made it, » he’d told me, his voice so warm and friendly I almost believed him. « I insisted that Rachel abduct you if necessary because you needed to be here tonight. This whole thing would’ve never happened if it hadn’t been for you. We owe you a lot. »

Then why the fuck didn’t you just leave me alone ? was what I’d really wanted to say but didn’t. Instead, I’d smiled and lied through my teeth about how great it was and all, and that I wished them well. I’d mostly meant it when I wished them well even if some part of me somewhat resented it. It was good to see them happy together but I hated them just a little bit for it. That’s not just me, right ?

« Anyway, that’s why I had to do it, » I told Sid as my memories of that night receded in my brain, back into the lockbox I usually avoided opening. « I probably should return all these things to him tonight though before Rachel calls the police and they come searching and I still have all of them. I wouldn’t put it past her to try. »

« You’re probably the last person he wants to see at the moment considering he has a wedding to cancel and all that, » Sidney advised. « Maybe give it until tomorrow. Just send him a text or something to say you have them so he at least knows. »

« That’s probably a better idea. » I took out my phone and opened a blank message template. I hesitated, not knowing what to say. I only had his number because he’d texted me once when he was organizing a surprise birthday party for Rachel. « It gives me time to cool off. »

Sidney snorted. « Kady, you’re not the one who just got jilted here. You’re merely a spectator. If anyone needs to cool off, it’d be him. »

« I can’t imagine him angry, » I said. « Even at someone who deserves it ten times over. »

[Hey, it’s Kady. I know it’s a bad time but I need to give a few things back to you.]

My thumb hovered over the send button. It was a cold open but I didn’t know the protocol in approaching someone who just got dumped, especially when I had a hand in his fate.

[Hey, it’s Kady. Just found out that bitch played you all kinds of low. I’ve fucked her up some but I’ve still got time so don’t you worry. Anyhoo, I have all the fancy stuff you gave her. The only thing she gets to keep is the fear of God I put in her heart.]

Ugh. Show a little class, woman.

[Hey, it’s Kady. I’ve heard the unfortunate news and you have my sincerest regrets. I have some things from Rachel that should be returned to you. Let me know when you can spare me a few minutes especially in these trying times.]

Double ugh. Just no. You’re not a Hallmark card.

[Hey, it’s Kady. I need to see you tonight. Let me know when you have a minute. Thanks.]

And before I could think about it twice, I hit Send.

Then I smacked myself on the forehead for forgetting to mention why I needed to see him. Just went and made it sound like a demand.

Whatever.

I didn’t expect a reply anyway.

If I were Stellan, my phone would likely be smashed into pieces already. Not because I’d be heartbroken. More like I’d be hella pissed. And unable to kill the person to blame.

So I tossed my phone back into my little clutch and tried hard not to keep checking it every thirty seconds. And exactly ninety seconds later, the highball I’d just gulped down backed up in my throat and nearly came through my nose.

[Stellan : At my shop right now. I’ll send Winslow to pick you up.]

Winslow was Stellan’s all-skills, all-modes guy. Driver, bodyguard, right-hand, etc. According to Rachel, he was there when you needed him, invisible when you didn’t.

[No need. I can get there fine.]

[Stellan : I don’t like it.]

[Makes no difference to me.]

Actually, it did a little and that was one of the things that warded me off from the moment we met. I have and will continue to live my life without worrying about making some guy happy. The only time I ever had the slightest hint of that urge was the night I met Stellan.

[Stellan : Maybe we should meet up another time.]

It was definitely a better idea because maybe then neither of us would be too drunk or wired from having the world turned upside down in the last twenty-four hours but I couldn’t find it in me to pull back.

I was a maniac looking to crash and burn.

[Now is just fine.]

It took an excruciating three minutes before he replied.

[Stellan : Alright. I’ll send you the directions.]

I knew where the shop was but I waited for him to send me the location anyway. Rachel had mentioned it before. It was some kind of reconstructed warehouse at the outskirts of the city. She kept calling it his ‘man cave’ except it didn’t have a ton of TVs or a pool table and a bar. It was filled with ‘tech junk’ as she called it. She’d always hallelujahed whenever he’d hole up in there—and apparently he could for days—because it meant ‘me time’ for her. She’d moved in with him like a month after they started dating, getting those claws in as deep and as quickly as possible.