Page 21 of Hard to Take

“Jay said he can’t come to my speech. Can you?” my mom says by way of a hello.

“When is it?” I straighten my clothes, hurrying as if my mother can see me getting myself off in the bed of a basketball player.

Which she’d hate.

Not that she begrudges my brother his career, but her standards for me are different. She’d want me to end up with some guy who wears a suit to work and has a Roman numeral after his last name.

“An hour. It’s a campaign year, and I have some big contributions pending,” she reminds me.

I don’t want to go, but I agree. It’s easier to go along with Mom, plus meeting people is always worthwhile. If I want to step up my influencer career, I need to network my butt off.

I go change. Pretending I’m not into my roommate is over for the day. I’m off to play a different part.

* * *

The speech is at a beautiful library across town. My mom’s aide shows me to a seat in the second row.

The idea of meeting some new contacts in a low-pressure environment slips out the window when I spot Caroline and Kevin a couple of empty seats down.

“This isn’t my seat,” I tell Mom’s aide, the knot already starting between my shoulders.

She double-checks her iPad. “It is. She specifically requested you sit here.”

Of course she did.

“It’s so nice to see you.” Caroline’s smile is fake syrupy sweetness.

We swap cheek kisses. “Kevin,” I say, trying not to sound as if each syllable is poisoned.

“Brooke.” He says my name in a way that has the hairs on my neck lifting. If Caroline notices, she doesn’t let on.

I settle into my seat, crossing my legs at the ankles to better resist the temptation to kick the chair in front of me. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I moved from Connecticut to be with my fiancé.” There’s no missing the emphasis on the word, especially as she lowers her gaze to her huge diamond ring. “Since we’re engaged, it seemed like time to make the change.” She turns to smile at Kevin, but he’s already talking to someone else.

There’s no reason to feel bad for her. She got the gig I planned on. I wanted to be Elise’s new spokesperson, but Caroline lied and twisted the truth in order to win.

The speech starts, a lecture from a local academic about investments in libraries.

“That photo you showed me of Kevin,” I whisper to Caroline. “The one where Miles…” I wave to my face and her expression darkens.

“When did that happen?” I lower my voice further.

She sniffs. “Forget I mentioned it. When Kevin came to me back then, it was in confidence.”

Someone in the front row turns to censure us. We sit in silence the rest of the speech, and I replay her words in my mind as I sneak covert looks at Kevin and Caroline together, how distracted she looks and how possessive she seems.

Were they together behind my back in college?

The idea occurred to me before, but I always brushed it off.

Maybe Miles knew. Not only about the drugs, but about the cheating.

He was looking out for me as a favor for my brother, but it seemed like an overreach that he hit Kevin.

I think again of the breakfast in the fridge, the effort Miles has gone to in order to help me.

Surely that’s beyond the call of duty for a friend or teammate.

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