Page 78 of From Us, Forever

“Bummer,” I mumbled.

I looked up to see Katy walking toward us with a forlorn smile. “Umm, Evy, do you think I could talk to you alone?”

Alarm twisted my gut in knots as Gabe and Lily exchanged glances with me, but I mustered a small smile and rose to my feet. “Of course, K.”

She nodded gratefully while she led me to the dressing room at the back.

Jay’s eyes landed on me, sporting a frown, but I shrugged, following Katy.

“Umm, I think I need to sit for this.” Katy wrung her fingers as she closed the door and dropped down on the vanity chair. “I’m sorry that happened. It was my fault,” she said softly.

I frowned, propping myself against the wall. “You mean Nathan? How is it your fault? Honestly, nothing even happened, K.”

“The reason he was here, probably. You remember the leak back on tour, right? That I accused you of.” Her throat worked a swallow as she averted her gaze. “That was him. Actually, the leaks had been happening for a while, and I knew in my heart that it was him… but I still blamed you. Because… I didn’t know what to do, Evy. I didn’t want to risk our family breaking apart again.”

Confusion morphed me. “I thought we were through this, K. You already apologized, remember?”

Her eyes flashed to mine. “But that doesn’t make it any better, Evy.” Her lips wobbled, and she choked out a cry. “All the shitty things I said to you, at Emmie’s house, in London, even back then, you didn’t deserve them. I thought that if I…” She hiccuped. “If I tried to protect my family, that if I tried to be this perfect person and make everything better, everything would be fine, but it’s not. Nothing’s fine—at all.”

Sighing, I stepped to her side while she sobbed, mumbling something to herself.

In a way, I felt that this had a lot more to do with what she was letting on, and my heart hurt for her.

“Hey, it’s okay.” I hugged her tight while she cried.

“I didn’t mean any of them, Evy,” she cried. “I didn’t even know what I was talking about. I’m not that person. I swear I’m not that person. I’m just a stupid, stupid girl who doesn’t know any better.”

“Katy.” Concern ticked my heart as I swept away the wisps of blond hair sticking on her face. “Where is all this coming from? You’re the most beautiful, brave, and courageous girl I’ve ever met. Don’t you dare call yourself stupid.”

“No, I’m not. I only pretend to be,” she said in such a low tone that my heart ached.

“Oh, K,” I whispered.

A beat passed and as if nothing had happened, she leaped to her feet and sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hoodie. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry like that. I’ve been such a mess lately.” She laughed it off.

“But K…”

She held out her hand. “It’s okay. I’m fine. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for treating you like shit when you didn’t deserve it. It’s something I’ll never forgive myself for, among other things,” she whispered the last sentence almost as if she was saying it to herself. “But know this, Evy,” she affirmed with conviction, all the remnants of sadness dissipated from her voice. “I know now how wrong I was in the past about you. You’ll always be my best friend, my sister with or without Emmie, and I’m never leaving your life or letting you leave ours.”

“I know, K.” My lips curved into a smile. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She slid a gentle smile my way.

Jay was on me just as we exited the room. “Hey.”

“Hey, back.” I embraced him, and the musky smell of his sweat, laced with his scent, was an aphrodisiac.

“What was that about?” He lifted his chin toward Katy who was having a conversation with Lily and Gabe, while Lan intently stared at her sulking in the corner of the room.

I shook my head, sighing. “What happened with Nathan? Was he in on the leaks?”

“Looks like it.” He let out a low exhale. “The security caught him with bugs that he was planning to plant on us. He evaded them by getting a fake backstage pass. The cops have got him now and are looking into the whole thing. He admitted he’s been spying on us the whole time for Cece.”

“Makes sense,” I mumbled, hugging him tighter. “He did work for them,” I whispered against his chest, relishing in the feel of him as the day’s exhaustion hit me. “But enough of this. I’m really tired and really hungry.”

He chuckled. “Why don’t we go get dinner with everyone? Looks like everybody could use a break. You go sit your pretty ass for a while, and I’ll take care of it, okay?”

“Okay.”

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