Page 102 of The Version You Hide

That would have been around the time my parents cut me off. When news of my leaving had hit the papers. “Why didn’t you guys say anything?”

Jade offers a small shrug. “I guess we figured that if you needed to keep it a secret, it must be a secret worth keeping. That you had your reasons.”

“Wow,” I say, letting out a long breath. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You might want to prepare yourself for the rest of the town though,” she suggests.

“What do you mean?”

“Here,” Cameron says. “See for yourself.” He tosses today’s edition of the Cliff Haven Chronicle at me. The headline screams at me from the front page.

“IT’S A WOMAN’S WORLD. CLAIRE ABBOTT TO REPLACE HER BROTHER AT THE ABBOTT GROUP.”

Below that, there’s an old photo of me and Claire linked arm in arm at a red-carpet event. I think it was some movie premiere we’d been invited to attend. Claire looks elegant in a red floor length gown, a string of chunky diamonds adorning her neckline. I look bored, like I’d rather be anywhere else.

“Shit,” I curse. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”

I scan the article quickly. It appears to be written in a flattering light for Claire, all about the empowerment of women taking on the business world. There are a few lines in there about my so-called incompetency, but I can live with that. I couldn’t have handled it if it had been Claire they were tearing to shreds. Not that she wouldn’t be able to handle it. And I’m sure in the future at some point she will have to. That’s just life. Well, our lives anyway.

“So, Mr. Abbott,” Jade says. “Care to fill us in on the rest of the details? Your sister’s hot, by the way.”

“Jade!” Cameron exclaims.

“Well, she is.” Jade places a hand on her hip defiantly.

Cameron pulls the newspaper out of my hand and glances down again at the photo. He looks up at me, his eyebrows raised, head tilted to the side. “She makes a fair point.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I shake my head. Then I give them the cliff notes of my life before our guests board the boat for today’s tour.

Chapter 31

MACKENZIE

“You okay, Mackenzie.” Liv’s voice cuts through my thoughts and I realise I’ve probably been twirling the same three strands of pasta on my fork for at least a few minutes. I don’t think I’ve heard most of what the two of them have been talking about.

“Yep.” I try to sound as chipper as I can, but it falls flat, only piquing both Liv and Kristen’s concern.

“You sure?” Liv tilts her head to the side. “Because you’ve been about to eat that same forkful of fettuccine for the last five minutes and if you aren’t gonna eat it, I’ll take it off your hands. I don’t know why, but I’m so hungry today.”

“Maybe you’re pregnant.” Kristen’s suggestion is met with Liv’s wide eyes.

“I doubt it,” Liv replies, though she seems to ponder the possibility before shaking her head. “Nah.”

Truthfully, I’ve been sitting here wondering how to broach the subject of my mother and grandmother. These aren’t the kind of things that you just blurt out over a tiny table at a gourmet café overlooking a pristine bay.

Kristen tries to lighten my sombre mood, offering a wink as she says, “She’s probably got a certain surfer slash bar manager on her mind.”

“Oh? Tell me everything,” Liv demands, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of some fresh gossip.

“It’s new,” I begin, not sure how much information I want to divulge.

Putting your heart on the line is a sure way to get it broken, though something tells me Dylan will handle mine with extreme care.

You’re safe with me, Kenz. Always.

“But they are so cute together,” Kristen gushes.

I drop my fork into the bowl and aim an eyeroll her way. “You’ve literally only seen us together one time.”

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