I felt the blood drain from my body. “You didn’t –”
“Never,” he rushed to answer. “I just said you were going through some things, and I was worried about you, too.”
“Why didn’t you talk to me?”
“I tried, but you didn’t want to hear it.”
“I’d of –”
“You’d what? Tell me to mind my own damn business and worry about who
I was fucking?” Thomas used the words I had thrown at him when I first met Peter.
“Oh, Thomas, I’ve been such a bitch.” Throwing my arms around him, I
hugged him tight. “I don’t deserve you.”
“You’re wrong. You deserve the world, Cat, but enough about you.” Thomas
pulled back and clapped his hands together. “I have FAN…TAS…TIC news.”
I couldn’t help but get sucked into his excitement. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.” I took a long draw off the yummy mocha he brought, coaxing the caffeine to start working immediately.
“Well, you know how I have been working as an intern at Nitro,” he crowed.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, the front page of the New York Times alerted everyone,” I answered sharply.
“Shush, you.” Taking a deep, dramatic breath, he blurted out. “They have offered me a paying job.”
“But, you have to finish school,” I cried.
“That is the best part. They are paying me to finish, and if I decide to go for
my master’s, that will be paid for!”
“What will you be doing?”
“A little of everything. My attention to detail makes me a brilliant copy editor, but Julian promised I could get a crack at book editing. He liked my input on J.M. Northup’s next bestseller.” Thomas puffed up with pride.
“Everything is coming together, T. I am so proud of you,” I gushed.
Thomas’ hard work had paid off, and he had the job he dreamed of already.
Now, I had to prove it to myself. I was out of the rabbit hole and ready to begin my new life.
Breaking Caitlyn
Eleven
To begin my new life, I enrolled in summer school. Summer passed
quickly with the invigorating courses on Shakespeare and Women’s
Literature. By the time the summer was over, I had pushed my
previous pain deep inside me. I felt physically and mentally strong.
My social life focused on Thomas and his latest crush, Jacob Anderson. We
spent weekends driving up Coast Highway and shopping at local markets we found along the way. I would not allow myself to date anyone. I was afraid I would fall back into my old habit of taking any scrap thrown at me.
With my head on straight, I proved myself worthy of an internship at Nitro.
Under Thomas’ tutelage, I was able to move from assistant copy editor to copy
editor. I was overjoyed to know my dream job was lined up for when I graduated
in the next few months. My life was mapped out, and I was the driver of my destiny. At least, I thought I was.
For Thomas’ twenty-second birthday, Jacob planned a surprise beach party and
“hired” my mother to organize the event. With my mother’s help, and their endless secret meetings at our house to work out the details, they organized the
perfect party. The only task I was given was to keep Thomas busy until it was time to bring him there.
The day of the party, I convinced Thomas to go shopping, saying I needed a
