Page 30 of Kiss Me Forever

“I know Duke’s sister’s hurting, but what a bitch. And I don’t use that word lightly. She has no right to take her pain out on you. You’re hurting just as much.”

I wiped away tears, angry they were coming again. “I don’t know what I did to make her think I deserve that. But she is hurting. And I guess we weren’t friends. I thought we were, but we weren’t. And that just adds a whole other layer of betrayal and brutality to this grief thing. I want to be angry that he’s gone, but that seems selfish.”

“It’s not selfish to have feelings. And you’re allowed to be angry that the life you thought you were going to have is gone.”

I looked at Aly then, knowing she was saying the same words my family had said before, but it was still hard to believe them.

“The vitriol in her words. I just don’t understand. And she thought that—” I shook my head. “Well, she thought that I was with Reece, and she lashed out.”

“Ah. He kissed you, so maybe you think that part of what she said was right? But she’s wrong. Even if you and Reece just had sex in the middle of the break room, it isn’t any of her business.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh. “I’m pretty sure that’s nobody’s business other than the fact that I shouldn’t be having sex at work. And I’m not. At all. Not with Reece. It was just a kiss.”

“Your voice got quite high-pitched just then,” Aly said dryly.

I rolled my eyes, feeling slightly lighter and yet still panicked. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with Chelsea, or what I’m supposed to do about Duke’s family.”

“Nothing. If that’s how they’re going to treat you, and, come on, if his parents haven’t reached out either, then that’s on them. You do nothing, and you find a way to move on. Maybe not with Reece, but maybe not not him.”

“It’s kind of hard to cut away all parts of a life I thought I was going to have.”

“Brooklyn,” Aly whispered.

I shook my head and lifted my chin. “I know. I know. I really am okay. Which sounds trite in a way, but I am. I want to be happy. I want to find this new Brooklyn and not cry every time I think about Duke’s family. But we’re working with a major group that the family happens to run. And not only is it a good project for the community, it’s going to bring in a lot of money.”

Aly’s eyes widened. “Oh. I didn’t realize you were talking about Chelsea Rochester.”

I froze, ice sliding down my spine. “You know the family?”

Aly pressed her lips together and nodded. “I know of the Rochesters. I’m not in that circle, and I don’t want to be, but I know of them. The committee however, they do good work. They’re not going to let personal matters get in the way of things. If they did, the circles of old money would never get anything done,” she added dryly. “Anyway, let’s go look at that list of yours. And you can tell me all about this kiss and if you want it to happen again.”

She changed the subject quickly, and I understood, some things were off-limits. But the fact that Aly seemed to know the world of the Rochesters, and all the old money that came with it, was indeed interesting.

“Can I ask one thing?” I whispered.

“Maybe. But there are some things I don’t want to talk about. Okay?”

“As somebody who has certain subjects she never wants to discuss anymore, I understand. But, if you know the Rochesters, do you know the Longs?”

Aly’s eyes widened. “Yes. Not well, but I do.”

“As in Bella Long. Reece’s daughter.”

“Oh.” Aly shook her head. “I don’t know Bella, but I know her grandparents. That poor girl.”

I reached out and squeezed Aly’s arm. “What do you mean by that? Is she okay?”

“I just mean about losing her mother. And Reece is her father? I guess I have been out of that world for a long time now.”

I went on to explain everything in detail from the time Bella had shown up at the office until now. “I don’t know how it will all work out. What I do know however is that there is a little girl in the middle of all of this, and if Reece is the man that I know, he’s going to do all that he can to protect his daughter.”

“Now I have even more questions.”

“Brooklyn!”

I turned, heart racing at the familiar voice, as the subject of our conversation ran towards us. She’d pulled her hair back in a tall ponytail and smiled brightly. Bella skipped towards us and waved, and I looked up to see Reece walking briskly behind her, an odd expression on his face that I couldn’t read.

I hadn’t seen him since he’d walked back into the office after kissing me. He hadn’t been there when I’d returned. In fact, only Lexington was there as Dash had taken the committee to do what they needed to do, and Reece had gone to the project site.