Page 66 of One Little Kiss

Winnie chokes on a sob but forces her words out through a cloud of emotion. “I love you, too, Wessy.”

“We’re going to be okay, Win.”

She stares at me, and I can see her brain working, taking in everything I’ve said. Eventually, she nods in silence and pulls away. Slipping her hand into her shirt, she pulls out the credit card.

“I’ll hang onto this, but I won’t use it, Colton.”

So fucking stubborn.

“Okay. Thank you.”

“I have to get ready for work. Are you going to dinner soon?”

“Yup. I figured I’d get him to use the potty, then pack up whatever he needs and go. I think Rylan is going to meet us there.”

An emotion I can’t read flashes across her face, but it’s gone too quickly for me to decipher what it means. Winnie pats Weston’s hand, then my arm, and turns to head toward her room.

I’m in a battle of wills with this woman, but there will only be one winner. Me.

CHAPTER21

WINNIE

I’m standing in my office that I share with the other family liaison coordinators with my back to the door when a voice I never wanted to hear again calls out as shrill as ever.

“Knock, knock.”

My hands ball into fists as I turn to find my frenemy standing in the doorway, all fake smiles to match her fake tits.

“Claire.” Her name hisses through my teeth.

“Oh, come on. You’re not still mad at me, are you?” She juts out her bottom lip in a pout that makes me want to throw something.

“You slept with my boyfriend. That’s not something you justget over. What do you want?”

Claire is a pediatric nurse, which always baffled me. She’s terrible with kids. Wes especially. How she’s able to keep her job is beyond me.

“I switched shifts with someone so I could have the weekend off.” She waltzes into my office like she belongs there. “I went by your place yesterday, but it looked empty. Did you move?”

Of course she would peek in the windows. It suddenly occurs to me why she’s here. Claire hates nothing more than being left out of things, and the way this town gossips, she has to know I’m staying with Colton.

“That’s not really any of your concern, Claire. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

She scoffs, but doesn’t move out of my way. “Come on, Win. I broke up with Travis for you. What else do you want?”

“I don’t know, maybe not to sleep with him in the first place?” I feel my body tensing and I grasp my wrist, but Colton’s worried face comes to mind, and I release it.

“I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Really, I am. I miss you, Winnie.”

This is Claire’s MO. We’ve gone around this toxic frenemy rollercoaster way too many times, and I’ve finally hit my limit. Maybe Colton is giving me some confidence back, or maybe I’m finally not so exhausted that I can see her for who she really is. A user. I’d bet money she isn’t here for me. This has to do with my sudden connection to the Westbrooks.

“You’re two years too late for an apology, Claire. If you cared about me at all, you would have been around when my mom was sick. What’s this really about?”

“I do miss you,” she huffs. “I just thought maybe we could go out. Catch up. Maybe we could double date sometime?”

And there it is.

“You’re not using me to get to the Westbrooks.” Grabbing the files I need, I push past her.