Free High Stakes (The Kingdom Book 2) by Nikki Groom Page A

letting on.
    “Do you want to go check on her, or shall I?” Dana asks.
    “I think maybe we should just give her a minute, she’ll come out in her own time. You know Lottie, she’ll talk when she’s ready. She can’t stay quiet for long.”
    Dana and I chat for a few minutes before realizing that Lottie still hasn’t come back with the Prosecco, and for her to avoid us this long really means something is up.
    “I’m going to go check on Lottie. This is unusual for her,” I say, before making my way back through the balcony doors. As I step through the doorway, I let my eyes adjust from the bright sunlight to the cool, shadowed room.
    “Lottie …” I call. No answer. She’s not in the kitchen area or the lounge, but her bag is still where she slung it on the back of the couch, and her shoes are left in the middle of the lounge rug in true Lottie, haphazard style. If Lottie could spend her life barefoot, she would. She’s constantly torn between her love of heels and the freedom of letting her feet breathe. If you saw this girl’s shoe collection, you’d think she was crazy.
    “Lottie … Where are you?”
    I pad through the bedroom and stop at the closed bathroom door.
    “Lottie?” I say, quieter this time.
    “I’ll be out in a minute,” she calls back. Her voice sounds different and I’m sure I hear her sniffle.
    “Babe, is something wrong?”
    No answer.
    I push down the handle slowly and crack the door open. Lottie is sitting on the edge of the tub, with her elbows on her knees, and her head bowed. She has handfuls of tissues and when she looks up at me she has mascara streaks running down her face.
    “Oh my god. Lottie, what is it? What’s happened?”
    I rush forward and hold on to her shoulders, making her look up in my direction.
    “Nothing,” she says trying to stand and brush me off. “I’m just a bit hormonal is all.”
    “I call bullshit, Lotts. Tell me or I won’t let you leave this bathroom.” I stand in front of her indignantly with my arms crossed.
    “Ari. I’m not in the mood for playing, okay?”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “No. I’m not playing. I won’t let you leave until you tell me what the problem is. You would do exactly the same if it were me, right?”
    She shrugs her shoulders then drops them dejectedly.
    “Right. So … What happened? It’s obviously something that happened at work. Did you get fired for throwing the drink over your customer?”
    “No … Well, not exactly for that.”
    “What, so you did get fired?”
    “Yes,” she squeaks through a sob that catches in her throat. Tears spring from her eyes and she can’t stop them. This is not my fierce, strong friend. I could count the number of times I’ve seen Lottie cry on one hand.
    I pull her into me, wrapping my arms tightly around her hunched shoulders and cradling her head into my shoulder.
    “Are you upset about getting fired or is there something you’re not telling me?”
    “I can’t tell you …”
    I push her shoulders away and push up her chin with my index finger.
    “Lottie. You are my best friend. You can tell me anything … and everything.” I feel like a hypocrite saying this to her as I should have told her about Jonny and everything that was happening at the time, but I couldn’t bring myself to voice it aloud. At the time, I didn’t know if it would have helped or made things worse, and I was in so deep that I couldn’t see a way out so it seemed best that she knew as little as possible. She would have felt so helpless, just like I do now, knowing there’s something hurting my best friend and she doesn’t know how to tell me.
    “Please tell me, Lotts …” I whisper.
    “I can’t. Spike will go postal. It’s stupid anyway …”
    “Well, maybe just tell me first then we can work out what to do, together.”
    She sucks in a huge breath, trying to compose herself and steady her uneven breaths.
    “My boss was pissed that I ruined the customer’s nice pants, and caused