Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Skye

A t Christie's... the night I met Finn. I'm positive it's her. Her hair is shorter now, her face thinner, her cheekbones more pronounced, but for sure she's the woman who was talking to that sleazebag—that revolting pig, who put his hands all over me. And ironically connected me to Finn—my knight in shining armor who came to my rescue. A shiver shimmies down my spine. This is all too uncanny. All too much.

"Scarlet, what do you need to talk to me about?" asks Finn, hurtling me back to the present. Blinking hard, I stammer.

"Maddie's curriculum."

"Can it wait for later?"

"Of course, it can," snaps Kayla. "Your show at the Zander Gallery is way more important." She tosses her enormous bag onto the couch and then smooths her lustrous hair with her left hand.

My heart skips a beat. My eyes grow wide. For the first time I see it. A humongous pear-shaped diamond on her ring finger. At least three glittering carats, it practically blinds me. She catches me staring at it and holds up her hand so it's in my face.

"Oh, Phineas forgot to tell you . . . "

Smirking, she pauses as bile ascends up my chest. No! Please God, no!

"I'm also his fiancée. We're getting married in a few months."

Her words are like bullets to my heart. Little black spots dance behind my eyes. Sweat beads cluster on my chest as I feel the color leaving my face.

"Scarlet, are you all right?" Finn's concerned voice drifts into my ears, but I can't get words out past my constricting throat. On my next strangled breath, I feel my knees buckle, the world going dark. Just as I begin to spiral to the floor like a limp strand of spaghetti, Finn leaps up from the couch and catches me, lifting me into his strong arms.

"Scarlet, can you hear me?"

I blink my eyes several times, then open them slowly. Worry etched on his face, my forever hero holds me intensely in his gaze. My head resting against his taut chest, the thud of his heart brings me back to consciousness. I nod weakly.

"You fainted. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Puh-lease. The wilting flower is such a drama queen," snips Kayla, lowering herself onto the couch next to her bag.

"Yes," I reply to Finn, recovering. "I'm sorry. I think I'm just a little overwhelmed." That's an understatement. I'm devastated. Nauseated. Sick to my stomach. The news of Finn's impending marriage to his despicable manager has sucked the air out of me.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No. I think I just need to rest."

"Do you need me to help you to the guesthouse?"

I shake my head. "I think I can make it there on my own."

"You're sure?"

I nod. On my next faint heartbeat, Finn gently sets me down. Still nauseous, I wobble on my legs. Wrapping his arm around me, he steadies me.

"Hey, why don't you sit down while I get you some water?" I notice that the two bottles that were on the coffee table earlier are no longer there.

Nodding, I let him escort me to a chair. Thank goodness, I'm not sitting next to Kayla. And thank goodness, she ignores me, opening the binder Finn left on the couch.

"I'll be right back." Finn hurries off, leaving me alone with his fiancée. The strong, cloying scent of her floral cologne wafts in the air. It assaults my nostrils and trickles to my lungs, nauseating me further.

My eyes stay fixed on her as she reaches into her bag and withdraws a slick silver pen. Clicking it, she marks up one of the binder pages, then looks up at me. Her snake-like eyes fixate on the fine white line that trails down my face, from my right eyebrow to my temple. The permanent reminder of that fateful night I can't remember. The night that stole my husband from me. And almost my life.

She snickers. "Since I can't remember your name, maybe I should call you Scarface."

I swallow back the hurt, tears thickening in my throat.

The snark-meister twirls her pen, then points it at me like a poison dart. "You owe me an apology."

Still battling tears, I narrow my eyes at her. "Excuse me?"

She sneers. "Seriously? When you heard I was marrying Phineas, a congratulations was in order."

My breath hitches; my blood heats. I need to get away from this witch!

I feel myself about to hyperventilate. My chest tightens; my pulse quickens; my breaths grow rapid. Just in time, Finn returns with a bottled water. He twists off the cap and hands it to me. I thank him. Lifting it to my lips, I gulp it down, not realizing how parched I was. The cool beverage quenches my thirst and calms me.

"How do you feel?" Finn asks as I set the almost depleted bottle down on the coffee table.

"Better, thanks."

"Good. I'll show you to the guesthouse."

Kayla looks up from what she's reading. "Seriously, darling, she's a teacher. She's supposed to be smart. Don't you think she can find the guesthouse all by her itty bitty self?"

Ignoring her, Finn helps me to my feet. His touch zaps me like a bolt of lightning. The electricity palpable. It obliterates the toxicity.

"Thanks," I murmur, every hair standing on end, my skin prickling.

His hand moves to my lower back. "C'mon."

Kayla shoots Finn a dirty look. "You need to stop procrastinating. We have a lot of ground to cover." Then, she looks at me dismissively. "I suppose I'll go fix myself a Bellini in the meantime."

"Fine." Finn stabs the word at her as she stands.

She, in turn, stabs a kiss on his cheek, one watchful eye on me, waiting for me to react.

Mine. She doesn't have to say it for me to hear the heart-piercing word.

I want to spit the word back at her. But in my weakened, nauseated, still-in-shock state, I don't have the wherewithal. I force myself not to show any emotion, focusing on holding back tears. And not throwing up.

Finn leads the way out. I drag my feet as if I'm wading through mud.

Kayla's tart voice trails us. "Darling, please make it snappy. We've also got wedding plans to go over."

Suddenly, the floor turns to quicksand and I'm sinking fast.