The Billionaire's Housekeeper (Betsy Jones Book 1) - Unedited

Chapter 24 - The Billionaire's Housekeeper

The rich scent of coffee surrounded Betsy like a comforting embrace as she settled into a stiff wooden chair at the back of the cafe. After darting a glance around to ensure no one was looking her way, she tugged the blue knitted hat from the top of her head. Her curls sprung free, falling around her face in a static halo as she quickly ducked behind one of the menus.

British weather had been her saviour. The dreary miserable weather had given her a perfect excuse to don a hat and hide her face behind a patterned scarf. It was the only way to slip past the paparazzi. After her photos had been splashed over the internet, people were suddenly interested in her. They had been interested in her before as Nick's latest fling but Betsy couldn't understand the sudden obsessive fascination they had with her.

The menu was yanked sharply from her hands. The blonde gasped, her eyes widening in alarm.

"Hey, it's just me." Claire soothed, dropping the menu on to the table. A frown formed between her brows as she stared down at her little sister. "You look like a mess and not in a good way either."

Betsy rolled her eyes, her hands fussing with her hair. "You try being hounded by men with cameras and we'll see how you fare."

Her sister stretched out her hand. Instinctively Betsy reached out took the offered comfort.

"How are you holding up? I've tried to visit a few times but there was a barricade of news vehicles in front of the property." Claire asked, her eyes focused wholly on her younger sister.

Despite how strong she had tried to appear for Nick, Betsy's shoulder slumped under her sister's gaze. With her sister, she knew she didn't have to hide how she truly felt. The blonde knew Nick already felt guilty over the photographs, she didn't want him hurting any more than he was.

"Honestly? I'm tired. So tired. I've been on edge for weeks now, waiting for something else to happen." With her free hand, Betsy rubbed at her bloodshot eyes and sighed. "I've been so worried about what else is going to appear out there. They have my name and it's only a matter of time before they find out about the rest of my life."

Claire fiddled with her bag, the top of a pink envelope sticking out through the open zipper. "You knew this was a possibility when you agreed to date him. You knew they would try to find out everything about you."

Betsy leant forwards, resting her head on the table as she let out a low groan. "I know." She grumbled as grains of sugar from the tacky table stuck to her forehead. "It's not me I'm worried about. I'm worried about you and the kids. I'm worried they'll find out about Peter and my divorce. They're private things and I don't want them to become just another bit of gossip."

"And that's all that's worrying you." Claire asked, prodding Betsy's head with her free hand.

On reflex, as her mind fell into that dark place, Betsy's fingers tightened around Claire's. She lifted her head, not even caring about what was stuck to her face, as she whispered. "No. It's not. I'm worried about everything." She swallowed loudly, her eyes blinking rapidly as she fought tears. "I want to be strong and say I am fine..."

"But you're not?"

Betsy shook her head. "I'm nowhere near fine. It makes me feel sick to my stomach that all of those people have seen my body. They've seen parts of me that I still struggle to look at. It makes me feel exposed in ways I have never felt before and I don't know how to deal with that."

Claire reached out hear hand, tucking her sister's frizzy curls behind her ear. "It's okay not to be strong all the time. It's alright not to be okay."