Kate paced her hotel room. She couldn’t go down there. Not now. Not after last night. Why on earth had she agreed to seeing him? She should just go home early. But then Ansley would probably tear her a new one for not seeing this through.
Her hands balled into fists, and her pace quickened. This wasn’t up to Ansley. She didn’t know what Kate was going through. If their situations were flipped, Ansley would probably already be halfway home to Maine by now.
She stopped in her tracks and stared at her phone on the edge of the side table. Chances were slim she’d be able to have a full conversation with Ansley if she tried calling. But at this point, she didn’t care if she had to dial her friend’s number a dozen times to get the point across.
Kate strode across the room and snatched the phone off the table. Ansley answered on the first ring.
“Finally! Are you going to tell me more about whose number you used to send that photo? Please tell me it was that guy you almost kissed. You kissed him, right?”
“I’m coming home.”
“Wait. What?” Ansley let out a laugh. “Does this have something to do with the guy?”
Kate collapsed onto the edge of her bed. “Of course it has something to do with the guy.” Her voice rose in pitch. “I can’t stay here anymore. I wasn’t ready, and we both knew it.”
“Whoa, slow down, Kate. What happened?”
“I fell for him, okay? Hard and fast, and it shouldn’t have even happened.” She’d been an idiot. The first rule of getting over an ex was not falling for someone new. And yet, here she was with a scar on her heart that hadn’t healed yet before she’d slashed a fresh one.
Ansley let out a soft chuckle, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. “Well, we sort of knew it could happen, right? You had almost kissed him.”
“I did kiss him.” Kate grimaced. This was so much worse now that she was telling Ansley.
Her friend let out a slow whistle. “How was it?”
“Ansley!”
“What?” Her voice was genuinely curious, but the intrigue practically dripped from her one-word question.
“He’s dating someone. Someone else. That’s what.”
For the first time during this conversation, Ansley didn’t seem to have a snarky comeback. “Are you sure? I mean, it could have been a friend or a family member.”
“Of course I’m sure. I saw a message from her on his phone. Some woman named Rebecca.” She let out a sharp laugh. “What do you think ‘I can’t wait for our date’ means?” Pain sliced through her chest, making it hard to breathe. Saying the woman’s name left a sour taste in her mouth. “He’s just like Theo.” Her voice broke.
“Kate, sweetie, I’m sure he’s not—”
“Why do I keep falling for the wrong guys?” She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “I need you to help me get a flight out of here today. I don’t even care that I won’t get my money back. It’s not worth it anymore.” Kate jumped from her place on the bed and paced the room again. “I thought he was different. I mean, I really thought there could be something between us, Ansley. I feel so stupid. That’s why I need to come home. I can’t see him again. I just… can’t.” The last word came out in a painful whisper.
“Are you sure? What if you tried avoiding him? You could find someone else to hang with and make sure you’re not alone with him. Or…” It seemed even Ansley had figured out Kate’s options were limited.
Kate shook her head. “I have to leave. If I’m forced to see him again, I don’t think my heart would be able to take it. I might do something really stupid.”
“Like what?”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Kate slowed her steps. “I could allow myself to fall back into bad habits. I might rationalize that he’s choosing me over this other girl. But we both know that rarely works out for anyone.”
“Okay,” Ansley murmured.
“Okay, what?” Kate rubbed the back of her neck.
“I’ll call the airline and see what I can do.”
Kate straightened, hope blooming in her chest. “Really?”
“Of course. I love you, Katy Girl. When I get the itinerary, I’ll email it to you.”
Biting back the emotion in her throat, Kate allowed a tear to slip down her cheek. “Love you too, Ansley.”
“Chin up, sweetie. Things will get better.”
Kate nodded. “I know…” Her voice broke. “I’ll see you soon.”
She hung up the phone and glanced around her hotel room. It wouldn’t take much to pack up. The only thing holding her up was her prospective schedule. The flight could leave in a few hours or later that evening. Heck, it could leave first thing in the morning, and she didn’t want to pack everything up only to have to go digging for something she needed.
Carefully, she settled back onto the edge of her bed, then she lay down and stared at the ceiling. Salty tears slid from the corners of her eyes and into her hairline. This was the right decision. The financial loss would hurt, but not as much as the pain caused by yet another dishonest man.
In a few years, maybe she would open her heart and try again.