Words Left Unsaid (9 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Max

I stand outside the movie theater fifteen minutes before the movie is due to start, waiting for her to arrive. Today’s the first Saturday where my focus hasn’t been work, and it feels weird, like I’m playing hooky or something. I’ve just paid for the tickets when I see her round the corner. She looks gorgeous in a pair of faded jeans and a deep blue sweater. Her long dark hair is swept back into a loose bun. She grins, her eyes sparkling as she approaches me.

“Sorry. I didn’t expect the traffic to be so bad.” She winces.

“It’s all good.” I hold up the tickets.

She grabs the tickets and examines them. “How did you know what we were seeing?”

“Because it’s not like we have any other choice,” I respond, my voice dry. “It’s the only thing playing at seven. Trust me, if I could’ve, I would have gotten tickets to something else.”
Total lie. I’d see anything for this woman.
I eye her seriously. “Now to the most important thing—popcorn or chocolate?”

“Why not both?” She shrugs, a gleam in her eye.

“I like the way you think.” I chuckle. We wait in line for our snacks and then find our seats in the semi-crowded theater. “If you tell anyone I’m seeing this movie, there’ll be repercussions,” I warn her.

She laughs, her eyebrows lifting. “You should’ve told me that earlier,” she teases, her voice light. “I know for a fact Grant can’t wait to slam you for seeing this.”

“Great. Thanks so much for your support,” I groan.

After the movie, I convince her to have a drink with me at a nearby bar. It’s a bad idea, considering how early I have to be up—even on a Sunday, but I can’t let the night end just yet.

For a Saturday night, it’s pretty empty, especially given its location in the center of town. We choose a table and I order a beer while she asks for a wine. She shifts in her seat like she’s nervous about being out with me. I tell a few bad jokes to try and lighten the mood, and it does.

“Nervous about tomorrow?” I ask as our drinks are placed in front of us. I smile at the waitress before turning my attention back to Kiara. The interviews for the teaching positions are being held tomorrow so it doesn’t interfere with school time.

“It’s been four years since I’ve applied for anything, and that job I got by total chance. What do you think?” she asks, her voice dry.

“Fair enough,” I chuckle. “Just be as prepared as you can. You’ll be asked a lot of questions—just answer them honestly.”

“Questions?” The color drains from her face. “Like what?”

“Nothing too hard—just about your experience and how you handle different situations.”

“Oh shit,” she groans. “Now I feel underprepared.”

“Don’t stress, Kiara. You’re going to rock this. Your application was really strong, and there’ll only be four of us interviewing you,” I add.

“Four?” she gasps. “Only four? What the hell? There might as well be a whole damn room,” she laughs. She reaches for her wine and swallows it down.

“It wont be that bad, I promise,” I assure her. “Why don’t I fire a few questions at you so you get a feel for the kind of things they’ll be asking?”

“That would be great,” she grins. “I know the basics, like my name.” I chuckle at her joke. “It’s just trying to work out what they want to hear that I’m scared about.”

“That’s easy. Why do you want the job?”

“I probably shouldn’t say for the money, right?” she jokes. I narrow my eyes at her and she giggles. “I’m kidding,” she assures me, holding up her hands. “I love kids and I love art. Being able to combine the two in a career would be amazing.”

“See, that’s a great answer. Passion for the role is what they want. Why did you originally choose teaching as a career?” he asks.

“Because it’s something I’ve wanted since I was a little girl, but after the accident I thought it wasn’t achievable.”

“Anything’s achievable if you want it hard enough,” I murmur. My eyes catch hers and she blushes.
Am I still talking about the job?
I’m not so sure…

“Kiara.”

Her eyes widen and she freezes, dropping her hand into her lap. I turn around and see a man and a woman standing behind us. This has to be Aiden’s mother because the look she’s shooting at Kiara is one of pure disappointment. Her gaze shifts to me, and her expression hardens.

“Good to see you out having fun,” she says, her attention back on Kiara, her voice cold enough to freeze ice.

My defenses kick in, the urge to protect Kiara overwhelming. Should she be feeling guilty about being out with me? Is that what she wants?

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” she prods, before I can speak.

“Right, sure. This is Max. Max, this is Heather and Jim. Aiden’s parents.” She looks physically sick.

“Nice to meet a
friend
of Kiara’s. We best be going or we’ll miss our movie,” she adds. They don’t wait for a response and I miss my chance to say something. Kiara shakes her head and stands up.

“I better go,” she mumbles, twisting a strand of hair behind her ear. I nod and stand up too, her sudden change in mood completely understandable. We walk outside in silence. I want to say something, but I’m not sure what. Is there any point in trying to turn this date back around? Running into your dying fiancés parents is definitely a mood killer.

God, the fact that I’m calling it a date just shows me how messed up I am.
I’m setting myself up to get hurt, but I can’t do a damn thing to stop it.

By the time we reach her car, she’s lost in thought. I reach for her hand. A small gasp escapes her as she raises her eyes to meet mine.

“Don’t let her get to you, okay?” I quickly say, not giving her a chance to overthink it. “You’re doing nothing wrong. Remember that.”

She smiles, her eyes glistening with the threat of tears.

“I go from guilt for not being with him, to excitement about how much I enjoy your company and I’m just tired…” She shakes her head. “I just wish everything could be easy.”

“Easy’s not always fun,” I say, curling her arm around my waist. She stiffens as I inch closer to her. With my hand raking the back of her hair, I press my lips against hers. For a brief second, she doesn’t respond, but then I feel it. Her lips move against mine with passion and urgency, her taste incredible. I know what I’m doing is wrong and my timing is shocking, but I can’t stop myself. I
need
her.

“I-I have to go.” She pushes me away, her expression shocked. Fumbling with the lock, she escapes into her car and drives off. Cursing, I turn around and kick a stray trash can, sending it flying across the parking lot, narrowly missing a nearby car. I couldn’t have fucked that up more if I tried.

Way too early
.

I shouldn’t have kissed her. Who knows what damage I’ve done?

Fuck
. I kick the stones beneath my feet, annoyed at myself. With one stupid kiss, I’ve probably ruined everything. I walk over to my car and get in, trying to contain my anger. I wish I could say I regretted the kiss, but the truth is it was amazing.

What’s crushing me the most is I might’ve blown my chance to ever be able to do it again.

Chapter Fourteen

Kiara

I’m shaking as I push through the heavy front door that leads to Max’s office. It’s 10:45, and my interview begins in fifteen minutes. I wipe my sweaty palms on the sides of my charcoal pencil skirt and walk up to the reception desk, a smile planted on my face.

“Hi, my name’s Kiara Drummond. I have an interview at eleven?”

“Take a seat, Ms. Drummond. I’ll let them know you’re here.”

I nod and walk over to the row of three chairs, choosing the middle one. Taking a deep breath, I try and push all negative thoughts out of my head. As if worrying about the interview isn’t enough, all I can think about is that damn kiss.

I barely slept last night. After getting home from our ‘date,’ all I could think about was Aiden, and what I’d done. Had I cheated on him? It was the first kiss I’d experienced since the morning of Aiden’s accident over three years ago. For so long I’ve stuck by him, convinced that it was the right thing for me to do. Not only that, nobody had ever come close to making me not want to.

Until last night.

As much as I didn’t instigate that kiss, I wanted it as much as Max did. The chemistry I felt when his lips met mine rivaled any I’ve ever felt, and I feel awful because of it. I was sure Aiden would always be the only man in my life—even after the accident. But now, I don’t know what I want. The thought of moving on and closing that chapter forever feels impossible, but at the same time, I’m not sure I can walk away from another chance at happiness.

Why does everything turn into such a mess with me?

At six this morning, when I was having breakfast, I still had no idea if I would be at this interview. I changed my mind about coming at least ten times, but in the end, desperation won out. I need this job, which means putting my feelings aside and just doing it. I couldn’t even think about how I’d cope if I were actually successful. Seeing Max every single day, combined with the stress of a new job I have no experience working in? My stomach lurches.

The minutes slip by, and with every passing second my nerves double. By the time Max appears at his office door, I’m ready to throw up. He smiles at me. I stand up and walk over to him, letting him lead me into the conference room next door.

“I wasn’t sure if you would show,” he murmurs, his eyes full of concern.

I focus on the tiny twitch of his jaw and smile. I feel bad for ignoring his fifteen phone calls, but I needed space to make this decision.

“I wasn’t either,” I admit. “But I need this, Max.”

“You’ll be fine. Just focus on me.” He says it with such sincerity that I nearly laugh. Does he have no idea how much I like him? If I focus on him I’m likely to forget everything and turn into a rambling mess. We walk inside the room and the mood instantly changes.

“Our next applicant is Kiara Drummond.”

My heart pounds when I see the long table of people waiting expectantly for me. One I recognize as Tilly’s teacher, Ms. Walker. Seeing her doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence after our last engagement. They’re all smiling kindly at me, which calms my nerves a few notches.

“This is the superintendent, Rob Angliss, Thomas Hallick, our school board director, and you know Kelly Walker, our lead teacher,” Max says.

I go along the line and shake hands, smiling at everyone.

“Take a seat, Kiara.”

I take my seat on one side of the table, clasping my hands in my lap. God, can they see how nervous I am? A trickle of sweat runs down the back of my neck and I regret dressing in a full suit. My forearm itches, and I resist the urge to scratch it. Why is it so hot in here?

“Welcome, Kiara.” Max smiles at me. His eyes display warmth and encouragement, which spurs me on. “Why don’t you tell us about yourself?”

Taking a deep breath, I nod.
I can do this.

“Okay, firstly, I’m very excited to be here. I completed my teaching degree back in 2008. Shortly after, I got pregnant with my daughter, which put my teaching plans on hold.”
I’m rambling
. I pause to take a breath and then continue. “I’ve been working as an assistant to the director at Holloworth Art Gallery for the last four years, but now I’m looking to get back into teaching.”

“Did you complete your teaching registration in 2008?” the superintendent, who I think is Rob, asks.

I nod. “Yes. At that stage I thought I would be back to teaching when Tilly was old enough.”

“And what happened?”

“Life happened,” I say.

I place my hands palms down in my lap. My voice shakes, but I know this needs to be said. I’m not after their pity, but I do need them to understand that I’m a strong person who has dealt with a lot. I focus on Max as I speak, studying the way his dark hair catches the soft glow of sunlight streaming though the narrow window above him.

“My fiancé was seriously injured in a car accident, which left him in a coma. He’s been in a coma for the last three years. I was left to care for my daughter alone. The position at the gallery came up and they were very flexible with my needs when it came to my daughter.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your fiancé,” Rob says, his face sympathetic. “Can I ask why the gallery is no longer suitable for you?”

“The previous director was a friend of my fiancé’s family. He understood and was sympathetic to my circumstances. The new director decided they needed to cut down on staff by having full-time positions only.”

“Right.” He nods. “Are you going to have any problems meeting the three days this position requires?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “My daughter is a student at this school. I don’t see any problem in fulfilling my expectations.”

“Good,” Max says, nodding. “Let’s move on. We have a few questions that we would like for you to answer, if that’s okay?”

I nod, smiling brightly. Inside, I’m dying. Scenario-type questions, like the ones Max and I went over last night, scare the hell out of me. For the first few, I stumble through my answers, cringing as I think about how unprofessional I sound. I catch Max’s eye and he nods encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, I refocus and remember what he said to me. They want to hear passion about teaching. Why do I want this? What can I offer that nobody else can?

By the end of the interview, things are going a hell of a lot better.

I’m thankful for all Max’s help. Without his preparations I’m sure I would’ve tanked the whole interview. I stand up, glad it’s over, but not overly confident I’ll be successful. Surely the other applicants have more experience than me? The only thing I have going for me is my relationship with Max.

“Thanks, Kiara, we’ll be in touch.” Max smiles.

I stand up, and he rises with me. I thank the panel and shake their hands, trying to look for a hint in their expressions. I get nothing.

Max stands and follows me out, edging the door closed behind him as we exit the conference room. Leaning over, he whispers just loud enough for me to hear, “You did well. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

I nod, not fully processing what he’s saying. What lasted forty-five minutes felt like hours, but I got through it. I’m both relieved and proud of myself. I think I did well, but whether I did enough to secure the job? Time will tell.

As I’m leaving the parking lot, my phone rings. I frown when I see that it’s Heather. Running into her and Jim last night had been awkward to say the least, especially the way she was looking at Max. I knew exactly what was going on in her mind and it made me angry. Why wasn’t I allowed to go out with a friend? Who did she think she was, jumping to conclusions like that?

She had no idea the emotional battle I’d been fighting with myself over the feelings I have for another man. But maybe she knew me better than I knew myself, because as it turned out, she was right.

The kiss had confused things even more, because now not only was I lying to her about who Max was to me, I was lying to myself.

Sighing, I pull over, silently praying the phone will stop ringing by the time I press answer.
No such luck.

“Hello?”

“Kiara,” she says, her tone clipped. “I was hoping you could come over. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Heather, if this is about last night—”

“No, it’s not that,” she interrupts. “It’s about Aiden.”

I sigh again, wondering how long it will take her to work Max into the conversation. “Okay, I’ll come over now.”

I pull up outside Heather and Jim’s house. I have no idea what she wants to talk to me about. Since the accident, we’ve had a strong difference of opinion when it comes to Aiden. Living like this is not what he would have wanted, but short of dragging everything through court—which I refuse to do, for Tilly’s sake—unless Heather agrees to withhold life support, there’s nothing I can do for him. Could she have finally come to her senses? I shake my head. She’d never agree to let him go with dignity, no matter how bleak the outlook is.

I ring the doorbell and wait, shifting from one foot to the other. Heather opens the door and smiles. She steps forward and hugs me. Her sudden warmth leaves me taken aback.

“Come in, Kiara. Coffee or tea?” she asks, glancing back at me as I follow her through to the living room.

I shift on my feet, glancing around awkwardly, feeling out of place like I always do in their house. It’s spotless and classy without being over the top, but it’s so cold and empty. I can feel the tension every time I enter a room. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t feel welcome here—even more so since the accident.

“A tea would be nice,” I say, wishing she would get to the point.

She nods and calls out to her housekeeper, Millie.

“So, what’s this about? You said you wanted to speak about Aiden?” I press, my anxiety growing. Of all the possibilities running through my mind, none of them are good.

“Yes, sit down.” She gestures.

I take the middle seat on the sofa as she sits in the armchair opposite me.

“I have great news. Aiden is coming home.”

My heart stops.
Did I hear her right?

“Pardon?” I say, my hands clutching the cushion underneath me. My heart begins to pound faster as I try and figure out what this means. He’s awake? “What do you mean he’s coming home? Has he woken up? That’s impossible, the hospital would’ve called me—”

“His condition is the same, Kiara,” Heather cuts in, her expression sympathetic. “I’m sorry if I made you think otherwise. I’ve been liaising with an organization that supports families of coma patients, and the best chance he has of recovering is being at home. With his family.” She pauses, wetting her lips before looking me in the eyes. “We want you and Tilly to come and live with us.”

“What?” I laugh. The idea, to me, is ridiculous. “No, that’s not possible.”

“Think about it, Kiara.”

My anger boils, causing my body to shake. She speaks to me like I’m a child not grasping a simple concept.

“Aiden needs his family around him and Tilly needs her father. You keeping her from him is doing neither of them any good.”

The haze begins to lift as I realize what’s going on.

“This is your way of trying to force Tilly into seeing her father,” I say, the whole picture slowly forming in my head. “I can’t believe you would stoop this low, Heather. Aiden needs to be where he is. Bringing him here is not going to change anything.” I laugh and wave my hand around. “How do you expect to care for him here?”

“I have twenty-four-hour medical staff organized, equipment, permits . . .” she replies, her voice calm. “This isn’t some ‘wacky’ idea I’ve just come up with. This is something I’ve put a lot of thought and consideration into. I’m doing what’s best for my son.”

“If you wanted to do what was best for your son, you’d let him go,” I say quietly.

Her eyes narrow and I can tell I’ve hit a nerve.

“Enough!” she says, standing up, her cold eyes glaring at me. “How dare you suggest that keeping my son alive is something I’m doing for myself? The only reason you want me to stop his treatment is so you can move on with your new
boyfriend
,” she spits.

“I don’t have a boyfriend, Heather. All I’ve ever wanted is what Aiden would want,” I argue, getting to my feet, too. Tears well in my eyes and I fight to hold them back. “I can’t stand the thought of him trapped in that body, unable to communicate, wishing he were dead.”

“I think it’s best if you leave,” Heather says, her face white.

Millie walks in, carrying a tray of tea and cookies. She stops, noticing our argument, and quickly retreats from the room.

“Maybe we can address this when you’ve calmed down.”

“Calmed down?” I laugh. I shake my head and stomp toward the door. “Trust me, this is as calm as I get when it comes to you. What you’re suggesting is not going to happen, Heather. If the only reason you’re relocating Aiden is to get to Tilly, then you’re wasting your time and endangering your son’s life. You realize moving him could be enough to kill him, right?”

I open the door and walk down the path, not looking back. I reach my car, my hands shaking as I try to unlock it. God, how selfish can she be? This is her son’s life she’s messing with, and while we haven’t agreed on much over the last few years,
he
has always been the forefront of her actions.