Chapter Two
Hayden
“Kory, what’s going on?”
She repeated on a sob, “You have to leave. You have to go. This isn’t part of the plan. You aren’t part of the plan.”
Without thinking, I went to her and pulled her close. Clutching my wet shirt, she dug her nails to my chest, and I started to panic. This wasn’t like Kory at all. “Did someone hurt you?”
She shook her head.
Ding. Dong.
The melodic chiming of the doorbell startled us. Kory took a step back, whispering as she pulled me further into the foyer, “Hayden, you have to hide. Please. They can’t know about you. It’ll complicate everything.”
The look I’d thought was panic before was nothing compared to this. “What’s going on, Kory?” If someone thought they were going to hurt her, they had another think coming.
“I’ll tell you everything. Just please don’t come out of this closet until I open the door. Please. I’m begging you. If you do, I won’t be able to tell you anything.”
I didn’t respond.
“Hayden, if you ever cared for me, please trust me. I’m begging you.”
The doorbell chimed again. I cupped her face, making sure I could see into her deep blue eyes. “After this we’re talking. No bullshit.”
“Promise.”
She opened the door to the coat closet and pushed me in before slamming it shut again.
I heard rustling, then the door opened, and a blanket was thrown at me. A wet blanket. What the fuck? I dropped it on the ground.
The doorbell rang again. Before the chimes were finished, I heard the door open.
“Mother. Father. What are you doing here?” Kory sounded slightly out of breath.
“Did you not get my email? I said your father and I would come by to welcome you home at eight o’clock. Why are your eyes puffy?”
“I was upstairs watching Steel Magnolias.”
Today? She’d been home longer than today. And I knew she hadn’t been upstairs watching a movie because I’d been watching the house for damn well over thirty minutes.
I strained against the door to hear the conversation, but they walked away. She’s hiding me from her parents? I reached for the doorknob but stopped myself. She’d trusted me to give her the chance to explain. I had to give her that chance. And if I walked out there, she’d never tell me what was going on. Remaining stock-still, I tried to slow my breathing and keep the irritation at bay.
I hated games.
Which was why I refused to get seriously involved with anyone before.
And now I felt like some sort of pawn.
Give her time to explain.
When she first grabbed me, I’d felt how much she missed me. But then she hid me in a closet. It was confusing as fuck.
Back in Alaska, when we would meet up in Ketchikan, we’d agreed to not share too many personal details—her idea, not mine. And as time passed, I shared more about my family. Kory only mentioned her parents casually, but never gave me much detail.
Footsteps came closer. I quieted my breathing. “Kory, do you have the itinerary?” The feminine voice was clipped.
“Yes, Mother.” Kory sounded robotic.
Her mother sighed. “I hope this isn’t how you greet Landon tomorrow.”
Silence.
Who the hell is Landon? I ground my teeth and reached for the doorknob again. Another man. A slow fury began to burn within me. I almost twisted the knob, but I stopped when her mother spoke again. “Don’t forget to study the binder. Your clothes are color coded for the different events. There are pictures with the matching accessory pieces you will wear. Are there any questions?”
“No, Mother. I reviewed it earlier.”
There was another long pause before her mother said, “Kory, we’re doing this for the survival of our family and our future. Your father and I love you dearly. Now get with the program. I spoke to Landon last night. He’s ready to move forward and excited to marry you.”
Marry? Did she lie to me? If she had, I was leaving and never looking back. Hiding in this closet, I was quickly running out of patience.
“Bye, sweetheart. We’re so glad you’re back in town. I’ll see you tomorrow at the bistro. All the details are in the folder. Kiss. Kiss. We love you.”
“Bye, Mother. Father.”
Thank fuck, I thought as the front door opened.
“We love you dearly. But please stop watching movies that make you cry. And use the firming moisturizer. We do not need you looking miserable for your first meeting in preparation for your engagement. Your father and I are counting on you.”
“Yes, Mother. Good-bye, Father.”
“Good-bye, Kory. I’m glad you’re home,” her father said. His words lacked any sort of emotion.
Preparation for your engagement?
The door shut, and I stood stiffly in the closet, waiting for her to open the door. My muscles were tense, and my head swam with possibilities.
Kory had about two seconds to explain if she did, in fact, have someone else in her life. I heard Kory sigh, and the sound of her footsteps grew louder. The door opened, and I blinked against the light.
Without waiting for Kory to say anything, I stepped out into the foyer. “Who the hell is Landon? I need to know what the fuck is going on.”
“Come sit down and I’ll tell you everything.”