Page 67 of Promises We Meant to Keep

“Seems to be that way.” Elia glanced over the seat toward the kids. “We’ll be back in the next ten minutes.”

“Good timing then,” Kamryn answered.

“Seems that way.” Elia faced the window again.

Kamryn held her phone tightly in her hand and relaxed as much as she could for the next ten minutes. As soon as they were back on Windermere property, she was going to have to dive straight back into work. And she’d have to find time to talk with Elia later.

She wished they had their ownwhisk timethat night—just the two of them. Maybe then they could each figure out what the other needed.

twenty-four

“You got a minute?” Elia asked as she knocked on Kamryn’s door. Mrs. Caldera hadn’t been in when she’d shown up—not that Elia had intentionally waited until the lunch hour before coming to see Kamryn, knowing full well that she wouldn’t be joining the rest of the school for lunch.

“For you?” Kamryn asked, looking up from her computer and grinning broadly. “Always.”

That warmed Elia even though the last few days had been tenuous at best. Ever since they’d returned from the Speech meet, Elia had kept her distance. She’d purposely not met up with Kamryn alone, finding only time when they could be seen by others to talk. It was one way of avoiding, that was for certain, but it was also a way of protecting.

But now they needed to talk. Seriously. About everything that Elia had avoided the last few days while she got her head on straight and figured out what her next steps were going to be. And she’d taken advantage of as much time as she thought she could manage.

Elia left the door open, still wanting to be able to be seen if any questions were asked. She stood in front of Kamryn’s desk,arms crossed, and she once again debated where to even start. She should have prepared better for this.

“I wanted to apologize, for my recent behavior,” Elia said, her voice clear and strong. It probably came off as aggressive. Surely someone would accuse her of that.

“What exactly are you apologizing for?”

“Being distant,” Elia said on a sigh. She couldn’t go into this like an attack. It wouldn’t end well for anyone if she did. Sliding into one of the chairs facing Kamryn’s desk, Elia crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, then leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “I haven’t been myself lately.”

“I’ll say…” Kamryn answered, glancing toward the open door. “Do you want me to shut that?”

“No.” Elia straightened up. “We need the space.”

“We do?” Kamryn furrowed her brow, and Elia knew she was being confusing. But she wasn’t doing it on purpose. At least, she didn’t mean to be.

“I need it,” Elia corrected. “There are a lot of things I’m working through right now. Well, one thing I’m working through, but it can have ripple effects that I don’t want to have too much of an impact.”

“You’re talking in riddles, Elia.” Kamryn sighed heavily. “What is this even about? Us? The school? Speech team?”

“All of it.” Elia ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s about all of it and none of it. I can’t promise that it’ll make sense at any point. But I really think that we might need to put a pause on us.”

“A pause,” Kamryn repeated, no doubt trying to process exactly what Elia was saying. And Elia should give her the time to do that. She’d been thinking about this nonstop for days now, ever since she’d run into Yara, and she needed to give Kamryn that same time to draw her own conclusions.

“Is that really what you want?” Kamryn asked, so sincere in her question.

Elia nearly broke then. It would be so easy to open up and tell Kamryn everything, but Abagail had advised against it. Not because they shouldn’t share but because it was safer this way—for everyone involved. But with all of that, Elia knew exactly how to answer Kamryn’s question.

“No.”

“Lucky finding you two here,” Yara said from the doorway.

Elia instantly tensed. Her spine went ramrod straight. She clenched her jaw, the ache already starting, and she couldn’t force herself to look toward Kamryn. She couldn’t see Kamryn’s reaction to what she knew was coming.

“Yara,” Kamryn said, straightening up before she stood. She walked forward and extended her hand toward Yara in a greeting.

Elia envied her ability to put on that mask, but with all the history between her and Yara, it was going to be impossible for her. And it would come off as so fake that Yara would smell it miles away. But she was regretting leaving the door open now. How much had Yara heard before she’d announced her arrival?

Had she heard and understood Elia’s confession?

“I know I’m early for tonight, but I wanted to get a head start on going through some of the files.” Yara clutched something to her chest. “Do you mind if I use the conference room?”

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