Page 18 of One Night in Glasgow (The Scottish Billionaires #15)
CHAPTER ELEVEN
BETH
I trudged down the street, my temples throbbing in a dull, merciless rhythm. The thought of the lunch I’d promised Kinna made my stomach churn, but I’d already ignored twelve of her texts. I couldn’t avoid her forever. But first, I needed something to quiet the screaming in my head.
My reflection in the market window was a stranger—haunted, hollow-eyed.
Guilt was a luxury I couldn’t afford. Who the hell cared if I was buying vodka before noon?
I’d already torched everything else in my life.
The cheerful jingle of the shop’s bell was a grating insult.
I made a beeline for the alcohol, grabbing a bottle of cheap vodka.
Numbing the ache in my chest was the only goal.
As I moved to the checkout, the familiar paranoia crept in, the cashier’s gaze feeling heavy and judgmental.
I handed over a handful of crumpled bills, cash I’d had to practically beg for.
After waking up broke and emotionally shattered, I’d made one desperate, humiliating call.
Not to Kinna. I couldn’t bear her pity. I’d called the taxi dispatch, Brenda, the dispatcher who’d gushed about being a fan, had been a surprising lifeline.
After I’d broken down on the phone, she’d met me on her lunch break and, bless her kind, misguided heart, pressed a couple hundred pounds into my hand.
“Just to see you through, love,” she’d said.
It was both the kindest and most shameful money I’d ever held.
I stuffed the vodka into my tote bag just as I spotted Kinna approaching through the glass door. Shit. Panic clawed at my throat as I pushed the door open, nearly colliding with her.
“Beth!” she exclaimed, her relief quickly replaced by concern as her eyes swept over my disheveled state. “You look… Beth, what’s happened?”
“Don’t,” I snapped, my voice harsher than I intended as she glanced at the clinking bottle in my bag. “Don’t you dare judge me. You have no idea.”
“I’m not judging, I’m worried,” she said, her expression pained. We walked in silence to the café next door.
I slumped into a chair, the cheerful chatter feeling like nails on a chalkboard. “Vodka martini,” I shot at the server before he could even ask. “And the chicken Caesar salad.”
Kinna ordered a latte and a sandwich, then turned her attention back to me. “I’m glad you finally showed up. I’ve been stressing over you like crazy.”
I shrugged, picking at a loose thread on my sleeve. “Yeah, well, things have been... complicated.” The floodgates opened before I could stop them. “My life’s a fucking disaster, Kinna. The scandal, getting kicked out of Bright Futures, my parents cutting me off... it’s all gone to hell.”
Kinna reached across the table, squeezing my hand. “Yeah, sometimes life sucks. You just happened to get a big ol’ bucket of shit dumped on you right now. ”
I laughed bitterly, pulling my hand away as the server returned with our drinks. I took a long, burning sip of my martini. “Yeah, well, welcome to the Beth MacLeod shit show. Front row seats.”
Kinna’s eyes flickered to my drink, then back to my face. “How are you managing... financially? With your parents cutting you off...”
My cheeks burned with shame. “I, uh... I’m managing.” I didn’t mention Brenda’s loan. Or that I’d already pawned a pair of my grandmother’s earrings.
“What about rent?” she pressed gently. “How are you going to manage?”
I snorted, downing a big gulp of my martini. “Oh, you know, I figured I’d just drink myself into oblivion and end up homeless on the street. Mum would probably be thrilled about that.”
Kinna’s face fell, but she quickly tried to lighten the mood. “Well, you could always go live with Stewart...”
I nearly choked. “Jesus, Kinna. I’d rather be homeless.”
“I was just kidding,” she said, her eyes serious again. “You know... my couch is always open if you need it, Beth.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Thanks, Kinna,” I managed, my voice thick. “Really. But I... I think I’m gonna stay in my flat until they physically drag me out. Stubborn pride, or whatever.”
“I get it,” she said. “Just... promise me you’ll call if you need anything.”
My phone buzzed on the table. The caller ID made my stomach twist. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered. “It’s Mr. Douglas, my parents’ lawyer.”
“You better take it,” Kinna urged .
I drew in a heavy breath and answered, my voice tight with irritation. “Mr. Douglas.”
“Elisabeth, my dear,” his calm voice was a stark contrast to my internal chaos. “I have a proposition for you. It concerns a fresh start. An opportunity has arisen for you to spend the next six months in New York, with all arrangements handled.”
“New York?” I nearly choked on my drink. “Mr. Douglas, that’s a lovely thought, but in case you haven’t heard the family gossip, I’m completely broke.”
“I am aware of your parents’ recent decisions regarding you,” he said carefully. “Which is why this offer is fully sponsored. Your apartment, your living expenses, and an internship position at the Hillsdale Foundation have all been arranged. The position is a requirement of the arrangement.”
My mind was reeling. “Hold on. This is another trick of my parents, isn’t it? This is another way of shipping me off to some rehab facility?”
“On the contrary, Elisabeth. This is a genuine internship. Your mother is vehemently opposed to this plan. She still insists on the six-month stay in Switzerland. This offer comes from another…source.”
“Another source?”
“Let’s just say, not everyone in your family believes a high-security wellness clinic is the answer for a spirited young woman who has made a few mistakes,” he said, his tone kind.
“A benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, feels a change of scenery and a sense of purpose is a far better remedy. I am merely facilitating their wishes.”
My breath hitched. Someone else? Who? “But… what about a visa? I can’t just work in the States, even as an intern.”
“An astute question,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “I took the liberty of submitting the preliminary paperwork for the appropriate visa last week, sponsored by Hillsdale. It should be approved shortly. All the practical details have been seen to.”
The level of planning was staggering. This wasn’t just an idea; it was a fully formed escape route. A part of me, the part that was broke, humiliated, and terrified, wanted to scream yes. But my pride balked.
“Mr. Douglas, I… I don’t know what to say. That’s incredibly generous,” I said, my voice wavering. “But I think I can handle things here.”
“Are you sure, Elisabeth?” he asked gently. “Your parents’ alternative offer of six months in rehab still stands, of course. This is another option. A chance. Think of it as an investment in your future.”
After I ended the call, I relayed the entire, insane conversation to Kinna.
“Beth, are you out of your bloody mind?” she exclaimed. “You have to take this! It’s a golden ticket!”
“It feels like running away,” I mumbled.
“It’s not running away!” she insisted, her voice fierce. “It’s a strategic retreat! Your life here is a mess. You’re broke, you just got fired, and you’re drinking vodka for lunch. This isn’t just a trip, Beth. It’s an escape route from a six-month prison sentence in Switzerland!”
Her words stung, but she was right. Also, the thought of being on the same continent as Sean sent a tiny, treacherous flutter through me.
As Kinna kept making her case, her logic dismantling my prideful defenses, I felt a strange new feeling bubble up through the despair. Fear, yes, but also… excitement.
I grasped Kinna’s hand tightly. “Come with me,” I pleaded, my voice filled with a vulnerability I rarely allowed myself to show. “Please, Kinna. I don’t think I can do this alone.”
Kinna’s face softened, and for a flash, I thought she might agree. But then she shook her head gently, her expression full of genuine regret. “Oh, Beth, I wish I could. You know I would in a heartbeat. But I can’t just leave my job for six months. I just can’t.”
I sank back in my chair, feeling the last bit of air deflate from my lungs. “Yeah, I understand,” I mumbled, trying to hide my disappointment. “It was a stupid idea, anyway.”
“Hey, none of that,” Kinna said firmly, her voice snapping me back to attention.
“It wasn’t stupid. And you won’t be alone.
We will video chat every single day, so much you’ll get sick of my face.
And I’ll come visit as soon as I can get some time off, I swear.
” She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement now.
“Plus, think of all the new people you’ll meet!
The possibilities! Maybe you’ll even meet a guy, huh?
One of those sexy New York businessmen in a fine suit? ”
I couldn’t stop a small, watery chuckle from spilling out.
“Oh, please, Kinna. The last thing I need is another man complicating my life.” I took a sip of my martini, a bit of my old spark returning.
“Unless he owns a yacht and has a profound appreciation for a woman’s need for space.
And silence. A very, very quiet family would be a plus. ”
Kinna grinned, seeing the shift in me. “Now that’s the spirit! A man with a yacht and no opinions. The dream!”
We both laughed, and for the first time since I heard about Colter, the crushing weight on my chest seemed to lift, just a fraction.
I looked at Kinna, at her hopeful, encouraging face, and then thought about New York.
The sheer, terrifying, anonymous freedom of it.
It was scary, yes, but the alternative was so much worse.
The alternative was letting my parents win, letting them mold me into someone I wasn’t.
“Alright,” I said, my voice suddenly clear and steady. “Fuck it. I’ll do it.”
Kinna blinked. “Do what?”
“New York,” I said, a thrill running through me. “I’m taking the offer. I’m going to New York.”
Kinna let out a whoop of joy so loud the couple at the next table turned to stare. “YES! Oh my god, Beth, that’s brilliant!” She vibrated with excitement. “Let’s start planning! What will you pack? What part of Brooklyn is the apartment in? We need to Google it right now!”
Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself grinning back at her, a genuine, wide grin. The fear was still there, a cold knot in my stomach, but now it was mixed with something else. Something wild and hopeful.
“Shit. Gotta go.” Kinna looked at her watch and sighed, realizing her lunch hour was long over. “Promise me you’ll call Mr. Douglas back as soon as I leave?”
“I promise,” I said.
“Good.” She gave my hand one last squeeze. “Go be brilliant, Beth. Show them all.”
As Kinna left, I remained at the table, but the vodka bottle in my bag no longer felt like a necessity. It felt like the past. I pulled out my phone, my fingers hovering over Mr. Douglas’s number.
My life in Glasgow was over. My parents had seen to that. But maybe my life in New York was just about to begin. The question wasn’t if I had the courage anymore.
I knew I did.