I try to reach back to at least lock the stall door to keep the woman from seeing me, but I can’t without moving away from the toilet, and my stomach isn’t finished emptying yet.
That’s when I feel his arms on me. He’s holding back my
hair as he slowly rubs my back.
“It’s okay, princess.”
I want to fight him off, but I’m too weak to do that. I vomit again and again, to my disgust. I can’t believe he is in here, taking care of me like a real boyfriend would. But we aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. We aren’t even friends. We are nothing.
When I finally finish, I just feel like collapsing, but Killian holds me up.
“Come on, princess. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
He helps me stand and leads me to the sink. I watch as he turns on the warm water and puts a paper towel under the water before wiping my face.
He doesn’t say anything. He just intently stares at me. There isn’t disappointment on his face. There is just nothing. It’s like he is doing a business transaction. That’s what I am. I don’t have to be stupid to know what my grandfather was about to say. He was going to tell me that Killian agreed to marry me. I’m not ready to hear those words from him. If he says them and I hear them, then it’s over. I have nothing left to fight for. My destiny has already been decided, but I’m not ready to know what my future entails yet.
“I want to go home,” I say.
He nods. “I sent your grandfather home. I told him I’d make sure you got home okay. I told him you would talk to him tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” I whisper.
I follow Killian out of the restroom. A woman, who was just about to enter, stares wildly at Killian. She’s probably thinking we just hooked up in the restroom. I see Killian smirk at her, and my cheeks blush.
I make it out of the restaurant without stumbling, but Killian scoops me up.
“I can walk,” I protest while hating and loving being in his arms. I hate the confusion he brings out in me.
“I know, princess, but you shouldn’t have to.”
I don’t fight him. I just let him carry me into the casino. I let him carry me, despite the stares we get on the casino floor. I don’t care. Let them think what they want about me. My life is over anyway.
To my surprise though, Killian doesn’t take me to my room. He takes me to his. I don’t protest. I’m too tired to do anything else. And we have some shit we need to work out anyway.
He lays me on his bed that is just like the one in mine. He leaves and quickly comes back with some water, aspirin, and the hotel’s cookies. He hands them all to me. He doesn’t have to speak to get me to take them. I know they will make me feel better.
“You shouldn’t drink so much.”
“No shit,” I say before swallowing the pills.
He smiles. “You’re cute when you curse.”
“I learned from you.” I sigh. “What do you want, Killian? Why am I here?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Why did you agree to go out with him?”
I sigh. “Why not? I know what happened between us last night was just a one-time thing. And I just thought, if I could prove that I am capable of finding a man on my own, one who is good for the company, then my grandfather would give me more time to be more involved in the decision. I just thought I could do better than you.”
I study his face to see if my words hurt him, but they don’t. “And you were out with that brunette at the bar anyway.”
A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “That was my sister.”
“Oh.” I take a deep breath. “Why did you agree to marry me?”
“Because I want to be CEO. And I’ve realized that it is the only way I will ever get that.”
I sit up too fast, and the dizziness that ensues makes me grab my head. He grabs ahold of me and forces me to lie back in bed.