Page 41 of Bad Influence
“Killian is always strikingly handsome,” Eve says quietly. “In that kind of dangerous way where you don’t know if he’s going to be nice or toxic.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Eve. We’re not going there.”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re engaged anymore.”
I look at her, shocked. I haven’t told her I was engaged and as far as I know, neither has Killian. More importantly, how does she know I’mnotengaged anymore?
She pours her drink into a glass and settles next to me.
“I saw the wedding card on Killian’s fridge the other day. It’s too much of a coincidence that he knows two Caroline’s from California,” she says.
That makes sense.
“But how do you know I’m not engaged?” I ask.
She gives me a look. “No woman leaves unexpectedly months before her wedding, without a wedding ring, if she’s still planning on getting married. You also haven’t mentioned your fiancé once since you’ve been here.”
I look at where Killian and Lilith are talking. They’ve been joined by the same man Killian was talking to before.
“Do you think he knows?”
If he does, why hasn’t he said anything?
“Killian’s a smart man, but a man nonetheless. At most, he might think you have cold feet.” Eve pauses, looking at me in thought. “Why don’t you want him to know?”
“I’m not ready for him to say I told you so,” I reply honestly. “I don’t know how much you know, but our families are extremely pretentious to the point where they’ll put their reputation in society above their child’s happiness. Killian left, but I couldn’t.”
Not even when he asked me to.
I still think about that night and every time I do, I tell myself I was an idiot for not leaving with him when he asked. Every time, I remind myself that’s my perspective looking back from where I am now. Back then? I was only twenty-two and maybe there was still some optimism left in me that my parents could accept me. More fool me, I guess.
“He knew I was going to regret this decision,” I tell Eve. “And he’s right. And he’s going to gloat.”
“He won’t,” Eve insists.
“Trust me, this is the one time it will make sense for him to gloat.”
Eve starts to reply when a group of people come through the door and draw her attention away. I’m thankful for it because this isn’t something I want to discuss. I move away from the kitchen and towards the windows.
Someone’s opened one and I stand in front of me, breathing in the cool May air. It’s hot in the apartment with so many people here.
I brush my hair back, trying to cool my neck. I should have worn my hair up.
“Suffocating, isn’t it?”
I turn, and find the same man I’ve seen talking to Killian standing next to me. He’s about the same height as Killian, and dressed in all black like him. Are they part of a club or something? His brown hair is neatly styled and he’s wearing glasses.
“The party, I mean,” he clarifies. “Maybe the company?” He points at himself.
“I don’t know the company well enough to tell you whether it’s suffocating or not,” I quip.
He grins boyishly. “I’m Wes Callahan.”
I look down at his proffered hand.
“Caroline Sinclair,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Caroline. How are you liking New York?”
