Page 19 of Double or Nothing

My mother soothes my hair. “He made it?”

I nod.

“I’m sure you’ll both make it,” she tells me. “He’ll come back for you, Kat. That boy, he loves you. So, if he has to go now to make this happen, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’ll come back for you.”

Except, I don’t want him to.

Of course, I don’t tell her that. Instead, I sit up in the bed and take her hands in mine. “Thanks, Mom. Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”

“Honey, I’m okay. You have to quit hovering over me like this. I’m sure there will be a time when I need you to, but right now – I’m okay.”

I know she wants to think that. I know she doesn’t want to think about the inevitable. She tries to hide the deterioration that I know she feels. I can see it, though. The light going out of her eyes, the slow steps she takes when she used to run marathons. The weakness in the way she grips my hand, even now.

So even though she shakes her head at me, I help her to her feet and walk her back to her room. I tuck her in much like she used to do to me. Her eyes drift shut the minute her head hits the pillow.

“I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

And he expected me to what? Just leave her like this?

By the time I return to my room, the sadness subsides and is replaced with anger. So much anger. I resist the urge I feel to punch or throw something, not wanting to wake my mother. And because the only thing that I really want to punch – is him.

Sutton Cole is not the guy that I thought he was.

Not by a long shot.

Chapter 12

Sutton

With our bags at our feet, Mac and I both stand, staring at the chartered plane that sits before us.

“Is this a dream?” I ask him.

“It better not be,” he replies. “If it is, don’t fucking wake me up.”

“I assure you both, this is no dream,” Dante’s voice says from behind us. “This is just the beginning.”

I smile broadly at him, thrilled to be having my dream come true. But I would be lying if I said my eyes didn’t drift past him to the doorway, hoping that maybe, just maybe, Kat changed her mind.

Or at least, quit hating me enough to come say good-bye.

I feel Mac’s hand on my shoulder. “She’s not coming, man.”

His words make a sick feeling settle in the pit of my stomach. I know he’s right. I’m just thankful that he doesn’t know why. If he knew what I did. If he knew the ultimatum I gave her – he wouldn’t be coming with me either.

That’s why I don’t tell him. I leave it at we’re over. It’s all anyone really needs to know anyway. I mean, what else is there to say?

“The minute we step on that plane, we never speak of her again. Understood?”

“Sut…”

“Don’t Sut, me. We never speak of Kathryn Keller again.”

Mac nods, begrudgingly.

We follow Dante onto the plane. Settling into the plush leather seat, I close my eyes and smile.

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