AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-One
Ivanished into myoffice again. As soon as the door swung shut behind me, tears of frustration and disbelief tried to force their way out.
I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t fall apart. They weren’t worth that.
It took far too long to collect myself, and then I sent Kingston and Owen a message.Excited about tonight. Thankfully bitterness didn’t carry across texts.Can we meet at one of your hotel rooms?
Kingston’s answer came in seconds later.Mine. Miss you. See you then.
I clenched my fist so tightly my nails dug into my palm, and summoned more calm.
Miss you too. See you then. I could pretend to care as well as they could. At least for the next couple of hours.
I wrapped up work a little early, to get ready. It was tempting to wear something I could hide in. The baggier the better.
They didn’t get to see me shrink away, though. I would never again hide from someone trying to humiliate me.
I dressed in one of my more flattering shirts. Something that gave me nice cleavage. Took the attention away from the trouble spots.
Fat. You mean the fat. Call it what it is.
I wouldn’t fall into that pit. Not tonight. I couldn’t afford to.
Doesn’t matter what you wear. They don’t care. This was all a joke for them. You’re a joke.
No. I forced the taunting aside.
On the drive to their hotel, I kept the music loud enough to drown out my thoughts. It took more will than I had to climb from the car, take the elevator to their floor, and walk down the hall to Kingston’s room.
I forced myself to breathe when I knocked.
Kingston opened the door with the biggest, sweetest smile ever, and the careful wall I’d been building all day almost shattered. He stepped aside to let me in, and the instant the door closed behind us, he spun me to face him.
I planted a palm on his chest, and shoved him back, stepping farther into the room to find that Owen was there too. Perfect. I could sever both ties at once.
“What’s wrong?” Kingston looked hurt.
Good. Fuck him. Or not. Never again, in fact. “Are you familiar with zoning laws in this city?” I was still cool. Calm. Ice.
“Shit.” Owen’s exclamation almost undid me. “You were supposed to tell her.”
I focused a deadly sweet smile on him. “Tell me what?”
“Depends on what you know.” If Kingston was trying to sound flippant, he failed.
I was glaring by the time I turned his way. “It shouldn’t. You should have told me from the start. But that would ruin the fun, wouldn’t it? Sorry, let me back up. Did you know the zoning on my building is being challenged?” I felt no satisfaction when Kingston winced. “I talked to Ramsey Miller today. He stopped by to tell me in person, because the two of you are such great friends, that the hearing to decide if they’d kick me out of my house or not had been moved up to two days from now. At your request, just like the original filing was.”
