Settling the Score (The Summer Games #1) - R.S. Grey Page 0,81
was exactly what I’d done.
I’d avoided him for the rest of dinner, all but ignoring his questions, even when they were specifically directed at me. He’d joined me when I stood to leave, offering to walk me out, but I’d avoided his hand and shook my head. He was so beautiful there, tall and commanding. He wanted to walk me out and I couldn’t let him. I had to walk away without so much as a promise.
As soon as my seatbelt was buckled into place, I reached for my phone in my clutch and started typing a text for him.
Andie: I’m sorry I pulled away from you as I was leaving. This isn’t going to make sense, but Caroline is a fucking crazy person. She cornered me in the bathroom and threatened to expose us if I didn’t stay away from you.
“So did you think the dinner—”
I cut Kinsley off. “Hold on.”
I could only concentrate on one thing at a time.
Andie: I thought she was bluffing, but she has a photo of you and me from Mascarada on her phone. That’s the picture she showed me when I got back to the table.
My fingers were flying over the keyboard; I had to let him know about everything as quickly as possible.
“Jesus, who are you texting?” Kinsley asked.
I tilted my phone screen so she could read what I’d already sent, and then I continued typing.
Andie: Do not trust her. She doesn’t want you to break off the betrothal and I think she’s prepared to go to extreme lengths to keep you. Please believe me. I know she seems meek and innocent, but she’s not, Freddie. She’s insane.
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She did that?!” Kinsley shouted, grabbing the phone out of my hand and scrolling up to reread the messages. “How could you keep quiet through all this?”
I inhaled a breath, feeling better now that two people knew about Caroline. “Because Caroline and Sophie were both sitting at that table.”
“So for the last hour you just had to sit on this?”
“Why do you think I was so quiet?”
She shook her head. “No, no. This isn’t right, Andie.”
“I’m going to figure it out.”
My phone buzzed in her hand and she handed it back to me.
Freddie: I believe you. Of course I believe you. I’m so sorry, Andie. I can’t call now. I’m in a car with her. I’ll ring after I drop her off at her hotel.
My blood boiled at the idea of them sitting in the back of a car together. Why did he have to drive her home? Couldn’t she just slither back to whatever hellhole had spawned her on her own?
Kinsley and I made it back to our condo and I stormed into my room. It was 9:00 PM, and we had a game at 8:00 AM the next morning. Freddie’s first race was just as early and instead of focusing and getting in the zone, we were dealing with Crazy Caroline. It wasn’t fair.
I threw my clutch across my room and yanked off my cocktail dress. It still had remnants of Caroline’s perfume on it and I knew washing it wouldn’t help. I kicked it aside and glanced up to Kinsley. She’d followed me into the room and called Becca in to join us.
I stepped into the shower and quickly worked at washing away Caroline’s vile touch. By the time I’d dried off and tugged on sweats, Kinsley had filled Becca in on everything that had gone down during dinner. They sat side by side on my bed, watching me pace in small circles.
“I can’t believe I missed it. I was Skyping with Penn, but I would have definitely gone had I known this Jerry Springer shit was going to go down.”
I leveled her with a narrowed gaze. “This isn’t funny, Becca.”
Her eyes widened. “No, I know. I’m sorry Andie. I just wish I had been there to help.”
“Do you think she’ll expose that photo?” Kinsley asked, turning to me with sad eyes.
I raked my hands through my damp hair and reached for my phone. Freddie still hadn’t called me and I was starting to get worried. The dinner had ended a while ago and he should have already dropped her off by then.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. It’s a standoff. I’ve fired first by telling Freddie what happened, so if he confronts her…there’s no telling what she’ll do.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Freddie
I READ ANDIE’S text messages just as our car pulled away from the media dinner.