The CEO's Secret✔️

13: The Talk

"My bad." She raised both her hands up in surrender before taking the last mouthful of her food.

"Let's go for a walk." He said as he finished up his food too.

"I'm not sure, shouldn't we be getting back soon."

"Katie relax, we have over half an hour before lunch is over." Colin checked his watch as he spoke.

"I was lying, I just don't want to go on a walk with you, it's nothing to do with getting back late." She teased as she stood up from the table then.

"You're just going to have to put up with me." He grinned at her before grabbing her arm, placing money down on the table and bringing her with him out the door.

"I guess I really have no choice." Katie laughed lightly, pretending as if being in his company was a chore.

They walked for a couple of minutes until they reached a park and found a bench to sit down on. Colin got comfortable before turning to look at Katie again.

"Aren't we supposed to be walking?"

"You know Katie, I think you're being too sassy today for your own good." He said before looking out at the view of the park and people passing by.

They talked about small things like the weather for a while until the conversation changed to one about Thanksgiving. Although they never mentioned their meeting at the club.

"So how come you didn't go home for Thanksgiving to your family?" Colin asked, the question of family at been brought up- it made Katie feel nervous as she decided whether to tell the truth or not.

"This is my home." She laughed before wrapping her coat tighter around her, the freezing temperature was becoming too much for her.

"You're originally from Detroit no?" he asked, remembering their conversation from months ago, one of the first few days she had started working for him.

"Yeah I am. But Chicago is my home now." She looked down at her fidgety hands for a moment as she thought about what to say next. Initially, she did not think of telling Colin everything about her family life but then something changed her mind- she remembered the night he had turned up at her apartment and completely opened up to her about many things, family being one of the main ones. She thought about it for a second longer before deciding to tell the truth. "I don't really have much of a family Colin."

He noticed then how she had avoided eye contact for the longest time. She looked at her hands sitting in her lap to the people walking past as she sat there, thinking about how she was going to explain to him in the simplest way possible her family situation.

"Those women you met at my apartment are my friends from the girls' home I used to live in since I was a young girl. I suppose they're my family in a way."

"What happened?" he asked, a look of concern on his face.

"My mom wasn't around much as a kid. She never really took care of me properly and my dad- well I don't really know him either. I was taken into care and that's where I met Leah, Anna and Sam."

"I'm sorry to hear that Katie, I really am." He gulped before placing his hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eye, something she had been avoiding until then.

"It's fine really. But it took me a long time to be able to say that. It was tough going but me and my friends, we're some of the lucky ones. I got a scholarship for college and came to Chicago and the rest ended up making it out okay too. I had to learn it wasn't my fault that my mom and dad were never there. I wasn't the problem and I know that know- that's why I'm able to sit here and talk about it." A sad smile crossed her face that Colin returned, it made him feel strange inside to see her the way she was right there.