Since she had the audacity to cheat on me with half a city, I suppose there isn’t much I’d put past her.
She’s peering up at me expectantly, like she can’t fathom any reason in the world why Iwouldn’twant to talk. It’s infuriating, and I need to get out of here before I do something that would get me fired.
When she gestures again at the empty chair, I blurt out, “I can’t, I’m busy.” And then I turn and bolt back to the safety of the kitchen before she can argue.
I wordlessly nudge Sam out of the way at the stove, ignoring his confused look as I get back to work. I try my best to stay focused, but my mind is spinning. And I’m obviously irritable, because I have to apologize more than once to the staff when I snap at them for no reason.
Seeing Christy shook me up enough that I forget about making Riley promise to have dinner. And when a server tells me she’s in the dining room, I panic. I can’t go back out there. I always want to see Riley, butnow I can’t, because the last woman on Earth I ever wanted to see again is probably still at a table waiting for me.
Fucking Christy.
Leave it to her to wait until I’m happy, then come here and try to fuck up my life a second time.
Maybe if I stay hiding in here long enough, she’ll get bored and leave. It’s doubtful, but I can at least hope.
I ask the server to apologize to Riley, and to let her know I’m busy and won’t be able to see her until after the kitchen closes. And I hate that. I want to send her a text so she knows what’s really going on. But I don’t know what I should say. It’s probably better if I wait to explain it in person.
“Shit!” I yell, jerking my hand away from the hot stovetop. I burned myself like a freaking amateur because I wasn’t paying enough attention to what I was doing.
I shake out my finger and order myself to get a grip. This is fine. Christy can’t make me talk to her if I don’t want to. And I sure as hell don’t want to.
She can wait out there all damn night, for all I care.
Whatever.
I’m not going to let her get to me.
I’m fucking not.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ADDISON
Bythetimethedinner service is over and the kitchen is cleaned up, I’m dying to find Riley. I can’t let her think I blew her off. Granted, I was working, so I doubt she’ll think that, but I want her to feel like a priority to me. Because she is. She should’ve taken priority over hiding from Christy earlier, but I truly can’t afford to have a confrontation with my ex in the dining room.
I’m still cautious as I leave the kitchen. I already asked a server to make sure the dining room was empty, so I leave that way, rather than go through the front lobby. Then I sneak down the hall and exit out the back doors.
I plan to call Riley and find out where she is, but I don’t need to. I find her as soon as I step outside, which feels like a mini miracle in this moment. “Hey, I’ve got to get out of here,” I tell her. “Can you come back to my house with me to talk?”
“Um, sure.” She rises from the wicker rocking chair and furrows her brow. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Yes, something is very wrong as long as my damn ex is still around. I can’t assume she left already, so I move closer to Riley and motion toward the back steps. “Please, let’s just go. I’ll explain in the car.”
She chews her bottom lip, still looking concerned. Then she nods and starts walking. I hurry after her, but we aren’t fast enough
Before we reach the steps, the voice I don’t want to hear calls out, “Addison! There you are!”
Shit. No.
When I turn around it’s with extreme reluctance, and I take a step away from Riley, wanting to shield her from whatever this is going to be. Crossing my arms tightly across my chest, I say, “Seriously, what do you want, Christy? Just leave me alone.”
Doing the opposite, of course, she comes right over to me. “I told you I want to talk.”
“Well, I don’t. Not now, and not ever again. So you might as well go back to Chicago.”
“That’s not going to happen until you talk to me.” Her tone highlights how accustomed she is to getting her way.
The porch creaks, and I can sense Riley moving in closer to me. I’m about five seconds away from losing it and cussing Christy out, but I don’t want Riley to see me like that, so I do my best to keep it together.
