Chapter Twenty-Eight
The house was unusually quiet except for the soft hum of the dishwasher and the distant, rhythmic tapping of Kelsey’s thumbs on her phone screen. Everett leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen, watching her.
She was curled into the corner of the couch like she was trying to disappear, hoodie pulled halfway over her head, face half lit by the glow of her screen.
He cleared his throat gently. “Hey.”
She jumped. “Oh. Hey, Dad.”
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She didn’t look up. Just kept tapping on her phone.
Everett walked over, trying not to let the hurt creep in. “You’ve been glued to that phone all afternoon.”
“I’m just texting,” she said too fast. Then, softer: “Friends.”
He nodded, even though her tone had that telltale edge like she was trying hard to sound casual and just missing the mark. After spending the night with Rowan and confessing he loved her, Everett had been buried in work. People were getting frantic with the opening and he was putting out regular fires, but he’d managed to wrestle a quick dinner break. “How was your night at Chelsea’s?”
A smile quickly flashed across her face. “Really great. We had fun watching movies, doing our nails, and I finally had Hawaiian pizza. I like the pineapple!”
He grinned back. “Better you than me. What’d you do this afternoon? Lessons?”
Kelsey shook her head. “Everyone’s practicing for the next surf competition, and Rowan couldn’t meet today.”
He sat down beside her. Not too close. Why was he nervous about giving her great news? “I have something to tell you. Good—not bad. It’s about work.”
She narrowed her gaze with caution.
“I’m close to getting the promotion. I’ll know for sure after the opening but it’s looking good. Figured we’d talk about it now.”
Her brows furrowed. “The one with Purity?”
“Yeah. I’d be leading the worldwide team with a fancy new title of Senior VP of Global Expansion. It’ll be a big deal. A lot of responsibility, but it’s ... it’s what I’ve worked toward for a long time. For us.”
Kelsey didn’t smile. Her expression shuttered like a storm door slamming shut. “So you’d be gone more?”
“No. I mean, maybe. For a little while.” He hesitated. “There’ll be travel, yes, but—”
“You’re taking it, right?”
“If they offer it to me? Yes,” he said carefully. “It’s an incredible opportunity. And I thought you’d be proud of me.”
“Well, I’m not.”
Her voice cracked, and that’s when he saw the sheen in her eyes. His stomach twisted.
“Kelsey . . .”
“I don’t want to go back to New York.”
Her words sliced through the room like broken glass. He blinked. “What?”
“I don’t want to go,” she said again, louder now, her phone pressed against her chest like a shield. “I don’t care about prep school or Purity or your stupid meetings. Ilikeit here. I like the ocean and the surf shop and people who actually talk to me like I’m a person and not a project.”
“Kels, where is this coming from?”
Her mouth wobbled like she wanted to spill something—something big—but she bit her lip and shook her head. “Forget it.”
