Page 177 of By His Vow
“Long time no see,” I mutter as I get comfortable.
“Time makes the heart grow stronger, don’t you think, KC?” She winks, and I finally crack.
“Fuck. It’s good to see you,” I groan as I sink lower in the seat and tug at my tie, the facade of the hard-ass businessman shattering with every second that passes.
“So…” she starts. “You’re engaged, huh? I wasn’t expecting to see that when I woke up this morning.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, rubbing my hands up and down my thighs in the hope of ridding the unease that’s running rampant through me from seeing Tatum with another man.
I feel her eyes on me. My skin prickles with awareness, but I refuse to look at her, too terrified of what she’ll see in my eyes.
It’s been a very long time since we knew each other intimately, but still, she still has the ability to see more than anyone else.
“Just spit it out, Aubrey,” I hiss as Lewis pulls away from the curb. I haven’t told him where to go; I can only assume that he’s following orders from the woman sitting beside me.
There aren’t many out there who would try to take control when it comes to me. But Aubrey Kendrick is one of them.
“You’re on edge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you anything but completely sure of yourself.”
“Gloat away. It doesn’t happen very often,” I mutter, hating that she’s witness to this right now.
But equally, aside from my brothers, or now Tatum, Aubrey is the only one I trust enough to see me when I’m not at my strongest.
“Me? Gloat?” She gasps, pressing her hand to her chest. “I would never.”
“Pfft. Where are we going?”
“Good question,” she says, tapping her bottom lip in thought.
Suddenly, she scoots forward and speaks to Lewis.
If I cared, I could listen and learn our destination. But I don’t.
My head is still back in Tatum’s office.
“Okay, sorted,” she says, sitting back beside me. “So, Tatum Warner. Your best friend’s little sister. How and when did all this come about?”
I glare at her.
“Why don’t you tell me? It seems that you already know all the details.”
For a lot of years, I had no idea how Aubrey seemed to know everything. She’d find me in places I’d never expect. She’d walk up to me like she was expecting to see me while I stared at her in shock. It was fucking weird.
But then one day she decided to trust me with the truth, and everything started to make sense. Why she was hanging around with the corrupt businessmen my father associated with. Why she seemed to be dating men at least double her age when I knew for a fact that she didn’t have any interest in them.
“What?” she asks innocently. “I would be a really shitty friend if I weren’t keeping tabs on what’s going down in your life.”
“Some might consider it being a normal friend, Aubs,” I counter.
She scoffs and waves me off. “I’m not going to lie, there was a moment when I thought hell had frozen over. I mean, the great Kingston Callahan getting married. But then, I did some more digging.”
“Aubs,” I warn. “I thought I told you not to do that shit.”
“What? Sometimes I just can’t get over my curiosity. Especially when it involves my favorite billionaire,” she mocks.
“I need alcohol for this,” I mutter under my breath, knowing full well that she won’t miss it. Aubrey misses nothing.
“Well, lucky for you, we’re heading to the perfect place.”