Page 58 of Fake Engaged to the Enemy

Katherina looks over her shoulder at Ginny. She leans in closer to me. “I need to talk to you. Privately.”

“Of course. Ginny, I need to step out for a bit,” I call, gathering my things.

“Have fun,” Ginny calls vaguely.

There’s a café with an outdoor patio nearby, so I take Katherina over there. I scan for Grandma’s car. When I don’t see it, I glance at Katherina’s shoes. They’re covered in dust.

“You didn’t walk into town, did you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.

“Grandma’s at the store. I asked if I could walk over here and see you,” she answers, giving me a semi-disgusted look.

I repress a sigh of relief. And the urge to point out that Katherina jumped on a bus out to Sandburrow without telling June.

I order a couple sodas and we sit in a corner outside, away from everyone else.

“What’s up?” I ask her.

Katherina swirls her straw in the plastic cup. “Mom called me.”

I tense, though I try not to show it. If her conversations with June are anything like mine, it’ll really explain why she’s upset.

“What did you talk about?” I ask cautiously.

Has June decided that Katherina is going back to the city?

Katherina gulps in a deep breath. “She’s getting married.”

Married?

My jaw drops.

It hasn’t been that long since I caught her and Crimson together.

And now they’re getting married?

Several unflattering words pop into my mouth. I have to clamp my mouth shut to prevent them from popping out.

“Mom wants me to ask you to be her maid of honor,” Katherina continues, her shoulders hunching further. “She told me that there’s nobody else she could see standing with her on her big day. And she wants me to ask my dad to walk her down the aisle.”

There are other words I’d like to say about that.

“I’m sorry that she put that on you,” I say, careful to keep my tone even. “I’ll talk to her about it.”

The last thing I’m going to do is let June put Katherina in the middle of our awful relationship.

“If you want, I can talk to your dad, too,” I add.

Katherina shrugs. “I just don’t want any of this to be happening. I just… it’s so stupid!”

I know these feelings far too well.

My heart aches for Katherina. I reach across the table and gently pat her hand. “It’s hard. And it’s even worse when you’re mad at someone you love. I know. You’re allowed to be angry, Kitty. You’re allowed to have whatever feelings you have.”

She looks up, chewing the inside of her cheek. “But she’s my mom.”

“She is. That doesn’t mean she isn’t hurting you.”

“She doesn’t mean to.”

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