‘Adam!’ Kitty shouted, turning on her heel to follow him out. By the time she made it to the hallway he was halfway out the door. She ran after him in her sweater and her slippers, out of the door and onto the porch, down the stairs and onto the snow-covered lawn. ‘Adam, wait.’
‘Leave me alone.’ His strides were long and determined. ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’
‘Adam, please, let me explain. I’m so sorry.’ She had to run to catch up with him. The snow was gathering inside her slippers, the chill air wrapping its wintry fingers around her skin. It only took a moment for the shivers to wrack her body. She reached out for his arm, trying to slow him down, but he shrugged her off.
‘Get off,’ he told her. ‘Go back to the house, I don’t want you here.’
She stopped running, her feet sinking into the snow as she stood, watching him walk away. She wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to stop herself from shaking, but it was futile. As he walked to the treeline, she saw him become smaller and smaller, until his distant figure was swallowed up by the forest. And then she was alone, all alone, in a stranger’s backyard, in a strange land, wondering what the hell she should do next.
29
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now
– Julius Caesar
Kitty walked through the open front door, her whole body shaking. Silently, she wiped away the tears falling down her cheeks. Everett and Mia were standing in the hallway, staring at her as she walked inside. Her feet were like ice, her sheepskin slippers sodden and cold. Even kicking them off did nothing to warm her skin.
‘I should find Jonas,’ she said, not able to meet their eyes.
‘No you don’t.’ Everett put a hand on her shoulder, halting her escape. ‘My parents have taken him upstairs. We need to talk.’
What a terrible thing for a child to witness, especially on Christmas Day. She wanted to talk to Jonas, tell him it wasn’t his fault. That his uncle was angry, but he didn’t mean it.
None of them did.
‘We think you should leave, Kitty. I’ve asked Drake to pack your things. He should be down in a few minutes.’ Mia was wringing her hands together, her eyes downcast.
‘What?’ Kitty was incredulous. ‘You want me to leave now? But it’s Christmas Day. Where will I go?’
‘Drake will drive you to the airport. There’s a flight back to LA today. You should just about make it.’
She opened her mouth to protest, but really, what was there to protest about? She messed everything up. She’d failed Adam, she’d failed Jonas, and she’d failed her boss. Nobody wanted her here, that much was clear.
‘Can I at least say goodbye to Jonas?’ she asked. Her voice felt as rough as sandpaper.
‘I don’t think that’s wise. He’s upset enough as it is, you don’t want to make things worse.’ Everett shook his head.
She thought of Adam, stalking back to his cabin, all alone. ‘What about your brother? Who’s going to tell him?’
‘Adam’s a big boy, he can look after himself. I’m more worried about Jonas,’ Mia said. ‘We trusted you, and you betrayed us.’
‘I’m sorry…’
Everett sighed. ‘If you’re really sorry, you’ll leave quietly and without a fuss.’
He was right, she knew he was. She might not have caused this, but her presence had somehow made it ten times worse. And upstairs a little boy was sobbing, because his Christmas was completely ruined.
His wasn’t the only heart that was breaking, either.
‘OK,’ she agreed, ‘I’ll go. But please tell Jonas I said goodbye.’
‘Very well.’ Everett nodded his head. She had no idea if he would, or if he was just humouring her.
Drake came walking down the stairs, carrying her suitcases in either hand. ‘Shall I take these straight out to the car?’ He was asking Everett, not her.
Kitty felt her face heat up at the thought of Drake packing her things. A mixture of embarrassment and indignation washed through her. She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. She was already standing on precarious ground, she didn’t dare make things worse.
‘Yes, take the Escalade,’ Everett agreed. ‘You need to get a move on, the plane’s due to leave in a few hours.’