Page 41 of One Little Kiss

“Did you know who I was in the airport?” he almost hisses.

My shoulders slump. I’m so tired. Too tired to fight this beast of a beautiful man. “Not until we landed in Mexico,” I finally admit. This has him pausing mid-step to stare at me. For the first time, I notice he’s in costume. Not just any costume either. He’s dressed as Peter Pan.

I must be delirious.

“Peter? I thought you were more of a Robin Hood.”

Colton almost smirks. Almost.

“I read the children bedtime stories tonight. I-I had a hard time getting in here unnoticed, so we thought a disguise would work. My brothers took it a bit too far,” he mutters.

“I’m sorry, you what?”

He shakes his head and drags me around my desk, gently nudging me into the seat, but he doesn’t give me much space.

“I have so many questions for you, Winnie. Too many. But first, what the fuck is going on with you? Are you sick? I know this is a dick thing to say, but you look like hell. When’s the last time you slept or ate?”

I’m too tired to find my indignation at his shitty comments. Instead, I cast my eyes downward. “What do you want, Mr. Westbrook? I have work to do and no energy to waste.”

“That. That’s what I want. Why do you look like you’ve lost your puppy and your best friend? Why do you look like you haven’t slept in months or eaten for longer than that? I know it’s not my place, but fuck, Winnie. Why did you ghost me?”

The hurt is written on his face. I can hear it in his tone. And I hate myself because I know I’m about to do it again. If the tabloids hold even a sliver of truth, he’ll be back out partying in no time. I’ve tried not to look, but his face is plastered all over social media and in magazines at every check-out counter. He has a bevy of women at his disposal, so whatever game he’s playing with me for his own amusement is going to stop.

“I’m not interested in belonging to your harem, Mr. Westbrook. Whatever it is you’ve done to be assigned to me, I’m sure it can be resolved quickly. Just give me your supervisor’s name, or whatever court-ordered form you need filled out, and I’ll get it to the right people.”

“What I did? You think someone is forcing me to be here?” he growls. “Did you learn nothing about me in Miami? Nothing at all?”

“I learned what I always learn, Mr. Westbrook. People show you what they want you to see.”

“I’m here because I wanted to see you, Winnie,” he yells, causing me to flinch.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in.” I yell, then immediately wish I hadn’t.

Dennis stands chagrined, and my stomach attempts a revolt. How much shit can a girl take in one lifetime?

“Do you have a minute, Winnie? I’d like to know what happened to your mom.”

“Fuck.” It slips past my defenses. So much for professionalism.

“Now’s not a good time,” Colton spits.

“I’m sorry,” I say to them both. “I-I’m not feeling well. You’ll have to excuse me.”

Grabbing my purse, I do the only thing I can do. I run straight to the nurse’s station. “Ginny, I’m so sorry. I must have caught a stomach bug,” I tell her, reaching for a hospital mask. “I don’t think I can keep anything down. I’m going to head home.”

“Oh, dear. Are you all right? What can I do for you?” Ginny is another friend of my mother’s, and I appreciate her concern.

“I’m okay, thank you, though. I’ll call tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll be fine by my shift.”

Sensing eyes on me, I glance over my shoulder just in time to see Colton make a beeline for me. Rounding the nurses’ station, I use the employee key card to slip into a locked side door.

My hands shake as I enter the parking garage. My chest aches with emotions that try to drown me. I really can’t afford the night off, but I also know I cannot see Colton or Dennis again without losing myself completely in dreams that will never come true.

I can’t hide from them forever, but sometimes a girl just needs to bow her head and let the tears come. There are times to be strong, and there are times you can only be strong after you’ve completely fallen apart. I need to break, and then I’ll rebuild.

CHAPTER12