“The bad news: I couldn’t find food. Good news: I pilfered a bottle of Dom Pérignon from the VIP bar.” He held up the contraband as he walked into the box and closed the door behind him. “Finish that glass and we can get this party started.”
I handed him my empty glass. My stomach burned but the effects of the champagne muted my hunger a little. Maybe I’d regret this later, but a piece of my past had been returned to me and I wouldn’t overthink it.
I smiled at him wondering if I looked as foggy as I felt.
“You seem more relaxed,” he said.
He popped the cork from the bottle. It fizzed over and I clapped.
“I’m just happy to see you again. Look what I found,” I whispered and leaned in with a grin.
His gaze moved to my hand and the note I held up. He patted his pocket. “You found that.”
I nodded and waited to speak until the room stopped moving.
“You’re not mad?” he asked hesitantly.
“No. I love your notes.” I wanted to tell him how much they had meant to me, how it helped to think that he was out there somewhere rooting for me. I bit back the words; I knew the champagne was loosening my tongue and I didn’t want to come on too strong. “I missed them. I missed you.”
He grabbed my hand with the note and squeezed. “I missed you too.” He tried to take the note back, but I pulled away.
“Nope. I want to keep it. I still have all the other ones.”
“You do?” His smile faltered for a moment before sliding back in place. Maybe my intensity had freaked him out after all. I slid the note into my pants pocket, letting it go for now.
“Tell me about your life these last few years.” I changed the subject putting on a relaxed tone.
“Busy.” He grinned as he stood and grabbed my glass to refill it.
“I messaged you online. After … camp.”
“You did?” He held up the glass to the soft lights in the walls to check the level then poured a little more.
“Yeah. Just a few times. I knew you were romping all over the world, making it big. But I thought maybe you’d want to catch up.”
There was so much left unsaid after camp. Maybe getting closure on that time of my life was more important than I’d realized, because his reappearance felt like hope.
He sat in the chair across from me and spun us so that our knees almost touched. “My assistant might have thought it was spam. He helps manage all that. It’s been a whirlwind since graduation.”
“I’m sure. You’re so successful now. I’m not mad. I’d just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you.” I shrugged. I’d gotten over being mad and upset. A lot of people disappeared from my life after I lost my scholarship. I had gained the SWS. They were true friends. I’d traded up and I had no regrets. Except for Roddy. His sudden disappearance had hurt the most after everything we had gone through. Then again, grief hits everyone differently; he had coped as best as he could.
He leaned forward and rubbed a thumb over my cheek. “If I had known you’d reached out to me …” His gaze dropped to my lips. “I thought of you a lot. I regret not finding you sooner.”
Though it was crazy, it really felt like he was about to kiss me. I brought the glass to my mouth and took a long sip of champagne.
“But I’m here now. We’re together again and that’s all that matters.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled at me. “You’re so beautiful.”
I shook my head and studied my hands in my lap. It wasn’t that I wasn’t flattered; I just didn’t know what to say. I had little control over my appearance, which was totally subjective. Exterior beauty was never a good indication of the quality of content inside.
“Tell me about you,” I said, hoping he’d go with the subject change. “Where do you even live now?”
“Oh boy, where do I start? I lived in LA for a while. Too fake.” He grimaced. “Then New York. Too jaded. Then I traveled for work. Now, I use my folks’ house as my permanent address to keep it simple.”
“Are you going to be here in Knoxville for a while?”
He held up his glass. “I’m starting to think it would be nice.”
I sucked in my bottom lip. The little bit of champagne hit me suddenly, and I was ready to call it a night.
“I should probably get going. This has been so great—catching up. But I have an early morning.” I tried to stand but I moved too fast and got a head rush. I sat back down to steady myself. “Can I have some water?”
“Of course. But let’s not wrap this up just yet. We’ve hardly talked.”
“Yeah.” I shook my head. “No. I mean that sounds good, but I think I need to go find my parents. They’d love to meet you. I told them all about you every time I got back from camp.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. They’re probably wonderful. Of course, how could they not be? Look at their daughter.”
“Yeah, they’re great.” I smiled. He said everything just right. “Roddy, can I have some water?” I thought I had already asked but maybe I hadn’t. “I don’t feel great.”
“You always did have a sensitive constitution. Remember that one time we stole peach schnapps from the camp counselors and snuck out to the lake at midnight? That was a great night.”
“We had some great times.” I smiled even though the thought of that lake only added to my nausea. “Water. Please.” I knew my voice sounded firmer than I meant it too.
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
“Can you find my parents too? I’d like to go home.”
He chuckled. “Sure, lightweight.”
I had my head back and eyes closed before he was even out of the room. I just needed the room to stop spinning. I heard the door open and his steps recede. I must’ve fallen asleep because it seemed like he was back in the room only a second later. The door opened and shut softly.
“Did you find my parents?” My voice sounded slurred even to my own ears. I was a lightweight. I shouldn’t have drank at all. I knew better than that. Why did I let myself get talked into doing things I knew I would regret for the sake of other people’s comfort? My eyes wanted to stay closed.
Roddy didn’t answer. I startled when arms wrapped around me; one under my neck and the other behind my knees. He scooped me up with no problem.
“I can walk. I’m fine.” I nuzzled into his shoulder, putting no feeling behind the words. My cheek brushed the starchy fabric of his suit coat. The flexed muscles were tense with the effort to hold me. Talk about a real-life glow-up.
It was nice to have Roddy back in my life. I hadn’t been looking for change, but maybe I wouldn’t have to feel so alone having somebody who knew the dark truth of what happened at camp. I stopped trying to fight the drowsiness, and let the darkness take over.
The last thing I heard was, “Kim,” in a deep rumble. My real name. I didn’t even realize how much I’d missed hearing that name until it was whispered in my ear.
Chapter 7
Pull your shoulders back; you are not a hunchback.