Page 34 of The Mark (The Players 2)

Laney

While I dressed,Harry programmed my phone. “I’m adding my number, Ty’s, and Drew’s. I think we should get Kate’s too. We want to have all of our bases covered.” He picked up his phone from the bed and tapped on the screen. “Okay, sent Ty a text so we can both have Kate’s number.” A second later his phone chimed. “That was fast. Must be he was already thinking about it.” Another chime sounded. “So, it looks like they are keeping Drew at the hospital tonight. When he’s coherent, they’ll try to talk him into checking himself into a rehab. After his inevitable refusal, because he somehow doesn’t see this as a problem, we’ll pickhimup.”

I wandered over to him and turned around. “Can you zip me please?” Peeking over my shoulder, I watched for a reaction. I swear his hands shook slightly as he reached out to pull it up. “Thank you,” I murmured as hefinished.

“I wonder if he’ll be out tomorrow.” Harry rubbedhisface.

“My guess? They’ll want to keep him an extra twenty-four hours. We’ll see.” I shrugged as if it were no big deal, but everything was suddenly the biggest deal. “Now, I know this seems like a terrible time to even consider such a thing, but is there any chance I can interest you in food? I’m no less hungry.” I chuckled. “Okay, I was for alittlebit.”

“Yeah, let’s get food and never mention it again.” He stood and wrapped me in his arms. “I’m so sorry abouteverything.”

“Again, don’t be. If you’re going to survive this, if we’re going to manage this, then we can’t blame ourselves for anything that isn’t truly our fault.” I frowned up at him. “Alcoholics and addicts are really good at the blame game. Oh, and they’ll blame everyone and everything but themselves.” I pressed my head against his chest and listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart, reveling in its soothing effect. I could’ve stayed like that for a long time, but we were interrupted by a knock on the door. I glanced up. “Did you order room service? Or is this about mydress?”

Harry shook his head. “No, I didn’t even get to call the desk yet. Ty interrupted.” He carefully released me. “Wait here.” Then he strode over to the door, peeked out the peephole, and sighed. “It’s Kate.” He opened the door and smiled. “Correction. It’s Kate and a tray.” He chuckled. “Let me help youwiththat.”

“Well, the hotel is in worse shape than I imagined if you have to start working double duty,” I teased as Harry set the food on the coffeetable.

She laughed sadly, “You have no idea.” Then she glided over to remove the lids. “Ty told me you love a good ribeye Oscar,” Kate murmured to Harry. Then she took a deep breath and raised the other lid. “And I hope mac and cheese is still your go to comfort food. I had Chef give it an adult spin by adding lobster.” She shrugged and bit her lip while she awaited myreaction.

My shoulders drooped. “You remembered.” Apparently, that was all I neededtosay.

Kate rushed over to me and wrapped her arms around me. At first, I didn’t want to reciprocate, and I certainly didn’t want to be reminded of my pathetic and disappointing past. I’d worked so hard to overcome it. Ah, but she murmured in my ear, low so Harry couldn’t possibly hear. “I’m sorry we lost touch. I was hurting and shut down. I didn’t have anything left for anyone else.” She took a step back but held my hands. Her sorrow was evident. “I came here, the one place where my parents didn’t want me to grow up. And I was an insta-adult, taking care of my father and helping out at the hotel. I threw myself into all of this so I didn’t have a second to think about everything I was missing out on. I let go of all of my friends from school, from my past because no one knew what to say and accepting pity wasn’t mystyle.”

Then I said something I never expected to say to her. “Kate, it’s okay. I get it.” I swallowed hard. “No one else could possibly understand what we were goingthrough.”

“But you called and I never responded, never returned your call. Time just…got away from me. The funeral, moving home, and all the adjustments. After I settled in and felt ready to feel anything, I told myself it was too late to reach out.” Kate hiccupped as she tried to hold back a sob. “I should’ve been a betterfriend.”

I bit my lip. From the corner of my eye, I saw Harry lean against the wall, watching us quietly. For the first time, in a really long time, my life could be bigger than just me. I could stop punishing myself. Inhaling deeply, I realized I hadn’t overcome everything yet. “You know, we should let the past go. We could be friendsnow.” I blinked back the hot, salty tears prickling my eyes. “I don’t really have any, mostly because I’m really good at keeping peopleatbay.”

“Ah, we have that in common.” Kate nodded. “I’d like your friendship so much.” Then she reached out again with open arms and this time, I hugged her back. I needed it as much as she did. We stood there for several seconds, sniffling and clinging to each other. She pulled back first. “I’ll let you two eat. I just…I wanted to get all of that off my chest.” She raced toward the door, but Istoppedher.

“Kate, there’s way too much food for two people. Won’t you join us? Mr. George is at the hospital anyway, right?” Ishrugged.

Tilting her head, she considered my words. “Okay, I’ll stay. And you’ll start calling him Ty.” She grinned. “OrTyler.”

“Ty will be fine.” Then I threw an arm around her and walked her to the couch before settling in on thefloor.

She laughed, pushed the coffee table out more and sat with me. “I haven’t done this in far too long.” Then she pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and placed a call. “Yes, I’m going to need chocolate cake, cheesecake, and a bottle of Moscato sent to Mr. Harry Spencer’s room. Three glasses. Thank you.” She set the phone on thetable.

I wasn’t really paying attention to my own actions as I began to nibble on the mac and cheese. A few minutes later, however, I realized both Harry and Kate were staring at me, smiling. “Oh, Lord. I was humming again,wasn’tI?”

“I love your voice. I can’t believe you’re an accountant,” Harrymurmured.

“She used to star in every single musical the school performed,” Kate announcedproudly.

I was completely taken aback. “How’d you know? We only roomed together for threeweeks.”

“Yes, three weeks during senior year. We’d both been at the school long before that. I knew who you were.” Kate quickly turned to Harry. “You should hear her sing in the shower. She’samazing.”

“Oh, I did. Yesterday. Show tunes and Disney movies.” He grinned. “I’ve been completely enthralled with her ever since.” Harry reached out and cuppedmyface.

“Then wait until you see her dance. I wish I had her balance, herpoise…”

“It’s only on the dance floor,” I mumbled. “Nerves get in the way in real life.” My cheeks colored fromembarrassment.

Kate tapped her teeth with a fork. “I noticed, but I wondered why that is. The stage neverbotheredyou.”

“That’s because I wasn’t me. I completely threw myself into being someone else.” Suddenly, I pretended to be incredibly interested in the lobster mac and cheese. This conversation was completelyunnerving.

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