Page 7 of Kiss Me Kate

“Well, she’s legal. I guess I can thank the Lord for small mercies.”

“The Gentrys are well-known for their good looks and…well, you know all about that. And Cyrus is a god among men. Anne must have turned into a knockout.” Suzette's voice trails off as she ponders her next words, her gaze narrowing. “And if I recall, Anne was always a bit of a bully. They had to pay my cousin extra to babysit her. Maybe she forced him to propose. Guys likeCalvin love that kind of thing. They need a firm hand, direction, and a swift slap on the ass.” She chuckles as I recoil in disgust.

I’d rather not imagine my goofy brother as a sexual being. The mere thought revolts me.

"I can't handle thinking about this right now. Calvin is tying the knot, and I'm sure my parents are ecstatic. The last time I saw him, my poor dad was afraid that he'd never get Calvin to leave the nest. I just hope this girl knows what she's getting into because in a month, she'll be dealing with all of it full time.” I motion for the server to bring us the bill and then glance at my watch. Suzette immediately leans in, curious about my actions.

"What's the hurry, Katie?" Suzette asks, smirking as her gaze searches mine for answers.

I try to come up with a reasonable excuse but I know she’ll see through my lie. As we sit and wait for the bill, I feel the tension building with each click of her stiletto heels against the floor.

"I thought we could grab a quick meal before heading back," she says with a smile as she hands the server a twenty-dollar bill and tells her to keep the change.

I let out a frustrated sigh, not wanting to answer her questions and too ashamed to admit the truth. “I need to grill my mother about these upcoming nuptials and plan how to evade the festivities. I’m not ready to go home and certainly don’t want to attend a Gentry family wedding.He’llbe there.”

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing. It’s been three years and men don’t go that long without looking for booty elsewhere. You know he’ll be there. Maybe you should take a date.” Suzette twists the figurative knife, causing it to dig deep into my heart.

I’m accustomed to her cynicism. After years of dating cheaters, she’s only seen the worst in men. But she didn’t know my Silas—not the way I did.

“Of course, he’ll be there. Mama told me he and Cyrus are running their grandfather’s ranch. They must be closer than ever.” The thought crossed my mind as soon as Calvin shared the news of his engagement. I’ve taken great pains to avoid Hilltop and all its reminders. But there’s no escaping something like this. My parents would have a conniption fit if I missed my brother’s wedding.

“I’m not worried about Silas.” I blatantly lie, trying hard to conceal the turmoil within. Silas Gentry has stolen my peace for far too long. I know for a fact he’s still unmarried—thanks to my friend and spy Leah, who continues to live in Hilltop and remains good friends with Silas’s cousin, Cotton. But I refuse to admit how much I long to see him again.

He should see how great I turned out and what precisely he gave up. At least that’s what my therapist tells me.

“You can call your mom later. Right now, we need to focus on finding the perfect dress.” Suzette grabs her purse and throws it over her shoulder with determination. “You deserve to look stunning, and we'll have to find it before you go home because Hilltop's fashion is lacking.” She winks at me mischievously. “We need something that will make Silas regret ruining things on prom night.”

"Please don't remind me," I whisper, my body tensing at the memory. It’s a day that still haunts me. The pain is still fresh, raw, as if it happened just yesterday. I try to push the memories away, but they flood back in waves. I should have listened to him, swallowed my pride and heard him out. But instead, I shut him out completely. And deep down, I regret it more than anything.

That night, we had been so intimate, so connected. It was the most passionate night of my life, and yet, in the end, it meant nothing because I let my head stay lost in the clouds for too long.

She gives me a sympathetic smile and wraps her arm around me in a side hug. "Please forgive me—I can't help myself sometimes. My mother always warned me that my mouth would get me into trouble one day. If you’d like, I’ll go to the wedding with you.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh while I slip my sunglasses onto the bridge of my nose. “You just want to see Cyrus. I think you’re finally old enough to date him.”

She chuckles and holds the door open, allowing me to step onto the sidewalk first. “The man spent four years in prison. You know I have a thing for bad boys.”

I shake my head and hand over my valet ticket to the attendant waiting by the curb. “Cyrus was always innocent. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It took four years for him to be pardoned, but it finally happened. He's not as terrible as you may think.”

Suzette playfully shrugs and offers a coquettish grin. “Even better. Maybe it’s time to turn over a new leaf.”

Chapter 8

Kate

Returning to Hilltop was a catastrophic mistake. The weight of it settles deep in my gut like an earthquake, shaking me to my core. This isn't a leisurely vacation to Miami, New York, or Cabo. But I can't afford a luxury trip to any of those destinations. I’ve avoided home for the past two and a half years, even finding a way to stay in Austin the last two Christmases. But time was up, and my father threatened to cut off my extra spending money if I didn’t suck it up and get my behind home. So here I am, back in Hilltop, the one place filled with family, comfort and devastating heartbreak.

After enduring a three-hour car ride, I finally arrived home. Nothing’s changed but everything feels different. Despite calls and pop-ins by friends and family urging me into town, I’ve barricaded myself inside the house, terrified of running into Silas. I should have trusted my instincts and stayed in Austin for the summer and promised to come for Calvin’s wedding. It would have forced me to scrimp and miss a few social activities, but it wouldn’t have placed me in this awkward position of impersonating a hermit.

"Why don't you join your aunt and I at her cabin, pumpkin?” My mom barges into my room and heads straight for my closet, tossing out swimsuits, shorts, and a baggy t-shirt with "Hilltop Coyotes" written on it. “You've been cooped up here long enough. How often do we get such beautiful weather? Your Aunt Jane keeps saying it's like Southern California out there and now that your uncle and the boys have gone back to work, we can have it all to ourselves—just us girls."

“I’m not in the mood, Mama.” I grab the shirt and run my fingers over the frayed edges, worn letters, and the number eleven printed on the back. It used to be my favorite— Silas's practice jersey when he was Hilltop High’s starting quarterback. But it's been years since I've worn it, and I deliberately left it behind when I moved to Austin, hoping to forget about him and all the little things that made me fall in love with him. And if I remember correctly, I almost burned it in my dad's barbecue pit right after I cut Silas out of my life.

I hold up the burgundy shirt and breathe in the faint scent of Silas’s cologne. My skin tingles with old emotions I wish I could bury. He was my first love, and I fear no one can replace him. Maybe my friends are right; I need to move on and give the guys at school a chance. But I can’t. The mere thought makes my skin crawl.

“Have a nice time with Aunt Jane. Besides, you know I burn easily, and Leah wants to see later today, and I think it may rain later.” As I rattle off my rehearsed excuses, Mama's face contorts into a deep frown, causing her usually bright eyes to narrow and nearly disappear.

“For heaven’s sake, Katie, you’ll have to see Silas Gentry sooner or later. You can’t hide all summer and you can’t hold on to your grudge forever. He wanted to do right by you, and you took it as a rejection. Besides, your brother confessed he put that bee in Silas’s bonnet, and you sealed it by giving the poor boyan ultimatum.” My mom exaggerates as she pleads Silas’s case. She’s always had a soft spot for him. Ever since he saved her champion beagle, Miss Honey, from an oncoming car when he was twelve, she’s thought the world of him.

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