Page 14 of Forever King

I follow her and poke my head around the wall to see her pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I know you’re probably wondering what’s going on, right?”

She purposefully takes her time acknowledging what I said, knowing it’s driving me nuts. My sister likes to play these gameswhen the other person is uneasy about something. I don’t know how she has the patience for acting like this, but I hate it.

When she finally does turn to look at me, her expression practically screams that she already knows what I’m up to. Except she doesn’t. She couldn’t. I barely understand what I’m doing, so how could she?

“I’m trying to decide between the idea that you’re having some kind of rendezvous here in my apartment without telling me, or you’re getting cold feet about the impending nuptials.”

I knew she didn’t understand why I was here. That she could think I’d cheat on Ronan or even consider not marrying him is baffling, but Kelly’s mind works differently than mine.

“There is no rendezvous. That’s just silly. As for me getting cold feet, that’s crazy.”

She shrugs and takes a sip of her coffee before setting the mug down on her kitchen counter. “Okay. Then the answer is behind door number three. Feel like telling me? And why aren’t you at work?”

All my bravado from my previous answers disappears in an instant when she mentions my job. My shoulders sag, and I look away, unsure how to answer.

“Okay, so it’s the job. I don’t get it, Kate. You love teaching. It’s all you’ve ever wanted to do. Is Ronan trying to get you to quit so you can pop out some babies like his sister-in-law?”

I barely dignify her swipe at the man I love and roll my eyes before turning to walk back into the living room. She knows Ronan would never ask me to give up something I love. He’s not that kind of man.

As I plop down on her sofa, she follows me and sits down in a chair on the other side of the coffee table. After studying my face for a few seconds, she says, “I’m not sure I hit the nail on the head with that one, but you didn’t say no, so there’s the possibility.”

Rolling my eyes for a second time at her nonsensical idea, I answer, “Don’t talk about Ronan like he’s a bad guy. He loves me. He’d never ask me to walk away from teaching. He knows I’ve dreamed of being a teacher all my life.”

“And yet, here you are on a fine Monday morning not at your teaching job with all those little angels and demons you call students. So what’s going on, Kate? I’m going to assume Ronan doesn’t know there’s a problem, or you’d be at your place avoiding work and not sitting in my living room. Am I right on that, at least?”

I hate when my sister is like this. She’s so smart and so clever, and I feel like anything I say will sound stupid.

“Well? I realize you don’t owe me chapter and verse about what’s going on, but you at least should give me some idea about why you’re hiding out in my apartment instead of being at work.”

Frustrated, I blow the air out of my lungs and try to find the words to explain why I’m here. The problem is I don’t know why. At least not in any way that makes sense.

“I can’t go back to the city yet.”

Not exactly much of an explanation, I know. I just don’t know what to say.

Of course, Kelly won’t let me get away with such a non-answer. “Why? Did something happen at work? It wouldn’t surprise me. Private schools always have that one kid who’s nothing but trouble but their parents are loaded, so nobody wants to get rid of them.”

I stare at her for a few seconds and shake my head. “Your dislike of wealthy people is odd, to say the least, considering we didn’t grow up poor. Our father is a plastic surgeon. To many people, our family was loaded, you know.”

She waves away my comment before taking a sip of coffee from her New York Yankees mug. “We may have been loaded,but not loaded loaded. Not loaded like your future husband’s family loaded. So what happened at school? Did you get put on unpaid leave for something? I certainly hope your administration isn’t going to chicken out and side with the kid. You’re a fine teacher, Kate. They should know that by now. You’ve been there long enough.”

“It’s not a school thing,” I say in a voice barely above a whisper while I avoid her gaze.

“Good. So what is it?” she asks, clearly growing impatient with my stalling.

I wish I could tell her. I do. I just don’t know what’s wrong.

We sit silently for a long time until she walks over to the sofa and sits down next to me. Touching my arm, she says in a far less militant tone than before, “What’s going on, Kate? This isn’t like you.”

Something in those words or maybe in the way she says them makes my emotions unravel, and I start crying. Burying my face in my hands, I say between the sobs, “I don’t know. I just can’t go back to the city after what happened last Tuesday night.”

“The night you met with all your bridesmaids? What did you do? Did you get drunk or something and someone from school saw you?”

I shake my head at how silly that sounds. “I’m not really someone who drinks a lot. Certainly not enough to make a fool out of myself. You know me.”

“Yeah, I think I do, which is why I can’t understand why you’re hiding out in my apartment instead of going to work.”

Quietly, I say the words I’ve repeated in my head so many times since last week. “I was mugged. A man grabbed me on my way back to school after I ran an errand to the travel agent. He didn’t hurt me. All he did was take my wallet. He didn’t even take my purse, so I don’t know why it’s bothering me so much. It’s silly.”