Beauty Hurts by Rowan Hanlon

Author:Rowan Hanlon [Hanlon, Rowan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reverberator
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Country House

Head down and with a look of determination on her face, Kael stepped off the elevator and walked past the receptionist area and headed to Celeste’s office. She didn’t even notice when Victoria fell in step with her.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked and grabbed her arm.

Kael stopped walking and stared at her and shrugged. “I came to apologize to Celeste. And that’s all I’m going to do, too. And I’m out. I’m going to get another job. I feel really bad about all this.”

“Well,” she said. “She isn’t here.”

Kael’s heart sunk. She just wanted to get this over with once and for all. “Where is she?”

“At her country house,” Liza said.

Kael and Victoria hadn’t noticed her coming down the hall. They stared at her until she stopped in front of them.

“That’s where she goes when she’s down about something,” Liza said.

Kael groaned. She knew what she was “down” about and she felt somehow responsible. If only she could learn to keep her big mouth shut. But how was she supposed to do that when someone was attacking her so viciously? She had to fight back as it was not in her nature to simply lie down and roll over. Her father was like that and that’s what made him a good cop. It was in her blood.

“I told you to stay away from her,” Liza said.

“I know,” Kael said. “But she had it coming! She said some pretty harsh stuff to me.”

“Learn to take it, Kael,” she replied.

Kael couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Whatever,” she said with a sigh and looked Liza’s latest crazy outfit over—black pants and a bright green caftan and the usual mounds of jewelry—before saying, “Well, what do I do now?”

“Leave well enough alone,” Liza replied.

“That’s what everyone says,” Kael said.

“And that’s what you should do,” Liza told her.

“But I feel so bad,” Kael groaned. “I just want to make amends and close this chapter of my life. I have to have that closure or it will eat at me.”

“Let it eat and it will soon go away,” Liza said.

“Are you seriously saying this to me?” Kael asked.

“I am,” she said. “Learn to live with it. Leave her alone.”

And with that, she exited down the hall without another word. Kael turned to Victoria, who almost cracked up, then stopped herself, then gave into it.

“What is it?” Kael asked, smiling.

“Is it just me or does anyone else see the irony in the way Liza dresses?” she asked. “She is the person behind fashion; she moves it! And she looks like she just rolled out of bed and grabbed whatever!”

“Bless her heart,” Kael said, laughing a little.

“Yeah,” Victoria replied and laughed a little, too, then turned back to Kael. “Anyway, you wanna grab some lunch?”

Kael checked her watch. It was just after eleven. “No, I’m going to go. I need to get this done so I can move on with my life.”

“As your friend and drinking buddy, I highly advise against that.”

“Oh, come on,” Kael said.

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