Page 53 of QB Keeper
My eyes go wide, and I look over at Grace, whose expression is mirroring my own. We’re so fucked.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lib,” my mom chides. “You know they’rejust friends. If it were anything more than that, they’d have made the leap years ago.”
I grab a glass of champagne off a tray that’s passing by, throwing it back in one go as they all turn to look at me.
“Eh, you’re right,” Libby replies. “But imagine all the sneaking around they could’ve done if they had. We’d have never even known.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was a mockingtone in their voices. But they couldn’t possibly know my past with Grace, could they? We were so careful that summer, making sure we only hung out where nobody would see us together. If her mom knew, wouldn’t she hate me for disappearing at the exact same time her daughter became inexplicably sad and decided not to go off to California for college? Wouldn’t my mom have shown up at my dorm and dragged me back to Hope Harbor to make things right?
My head is spinning as they share a look and walk off, laughing amongst themselves.
“What the fuck just happened?” Grace whispers, making me shake my head in confusion.
“I have no idea,” I reply.
We don’t have long to dwell on it, because Bill takes his spot behind the podium on stage and taps the microphone. “Can I have your attention for a minute?” he addresses the crowd, making every voice in the large room go quiet to hear what he says next.
“I’ve been in the construction business for twenty-five years. I’ve always done my best to give back to my community, but it never felt like it was truly enough. You took me from a young man with a small startup, to a CEO who now has the means to make a difference in the lives of those who need a little extra help on their journey. This housing project has given over forty families a fresh start, so they can spend more time focusing on what’s really important in life.” He pauses for a moment, and I notice that Grace is no longer standing next to me. I look to my left and right, but she’s nowhere to be seen as he continues.
“I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to the man who headed up this project. It was his first time working on something of this caliber, and I can’t go without giving him the recognition he deserves for it. Cash Hadley, why don’t you come up here and say a few words, son.”
I grit my teeth together at the term of endearment becausethat shithead doesn’t deserve an ounce of the respect he’s being given, even if Bill doesn’t realize what he’s done yet. But considering Grace’s current absence, I’m willing to bet it won’t be long before it’s all out in the open.
The crowd claps as Cash rises from his seat and walks toward the stage, stopping to shake Bill’s hand before moving behind the podium. My hands tighten into fists at my sides, and it takes every bit of self-restraint in my body not to fly up there and beat the shit out of him for using the Valentines the way he did. But I need to let this play out. This is her moment, not mine.
“Thank you,” he says with a fake-as-fuck smile. “I am so grateful to have been a part of this project. Knowing that I was able to oversee the construction of this building that is making such an impact in Hope Harbor, is a very humbling experience. I want to thank the Valentine family for trusting me with this responsibility. Especially my beautiful fiancée, Grace. Come on up, sweetheart.”
My heart sinks to my stomach as she emerges from the group and climbs the stairs to the stage. Bill runs out, handing her a second microphone, looking like he couldn’t be prouder of his daughter. As he walks away, Cash leans in, dropping a kiss to her cheek. I almost lose it right there, because he doesn’t deserve to even breathe the same air as her, let alone fucking touch her. But I can tell by the look on her face that she has everything under control.
She pulls the microphone up to her mouth. “Cash, congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment. The long hours and dedication you’ve put into this project are truly admirable. To show you how proud I am, I put together a little video to celebrate your journey over the last year.”
He looks down at her, confused, but wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her into him. She turns her head as a large projection screen lowers behind them and the lights in the room dim. Everyone watches with bated breath as the videostarts rolling. It’s obviously security camera footage from the corner of an upstairs hallway. Grace comes into the frame for a moment before disappearing into a room. Cash follows, standing in the doorway, his back still visible on the screen. While we can’t see her at all, the sound picks up their conversation perfectly.
“What are you doing, Grace?”
“Packing your shit. We’re done. You can go stay with Sophia.”
“I’m not leaving, and if you tell your dad about any of this, we’ll both get fired and the project will be put on hold because there’s nobody else to head it up. Soph and I are the only ones who would be able to. Do you really want to be the reason all those women and children end up homeless?”
“Are you blackmailing me?”
“That’s hardly blackmail, babe. I’m just telling you what’ll happen if you open that fat fucking mouth of yours.”
The crowd gasps and my jaw clenches so tightly, I’m surprised my teeth don’t break. He’s out of his fucking mind if he thinks he’s going to get away with talking to my girl that way. I’ll fucking kill him.
I try my best to push my emotions down and stay in the present.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the guy who’s put up with your ass for years so I could get in good at your dad’s company. Did you know I applied there while I was still in college so I could get a foot in the door, but my resumé was never even pulled? Why do you think I tried to hook up with you back then? You can’t possibly think I’d have really wanted you when I had my pick of hot college girls at school. I was playing the long game.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to pack everything you need, and you’re going to leave. You’re going to tell everyone we’re taking a break because you’re getting cold feet, but that we still love each other. When the project is over and I have the experience under my belt, Soph and I are starting our ownbusiness, and you can go crying to daddy about how I broke your heart.”
The video fades into another clip from the same camera, where Cash can be seen leading a tall blonde down the hallway, stopping to kiss her against the wall before lifting her up and carrying her into the bedroom and out of view.
The screen goes black, and the lights come back on just in time for that same woman, Sophia, presumably, to run through the crowd and out the doors as everyone watches. When they close behind her, all eyes return to the stage, where Cash stands next to Grace, looking like he’s seen a ghost.
You can hear a pin drop as everybody whispers to one another, all waiting to see what happens next.
