Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79328 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“You can’t actually believe that.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Simon, you know me.”
“I thought I did.”
The words landed between us, heavy and unforgiveable. I watched her absorb them, watched the hurt bloom across her features, and felt something twist painfully in my chest. But I couldn’t back down now. Couldn’t let her see how much this was destroying me too.
“Please.” She stepped toward me, her hand reaching out before falling back to her side. “Just listen. I had every intention of being here at ten like we planned, but—”
“But you weren’t here.” I cut her off again, afraid that if I let her finish, my resolve would crumble. Her voice was thick with emotion, her eyes bright with unshed tears, and every instinct I had was screaming at me to stop this, but I couldn’t. “You weren’t here, Raina. You didn’t call. You didn’t text. You just… vanished. And now a deal I’ve been working on for weeks is falling apart because I made the mistake of trusting you.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to claw them back immediately. They were cruel and they hit exactly where I knew they would hurt most.
What the hell is wrong with you?
The voice in my head sounded horrified, and it was right to be. This wasn’t me. This wasn’t who I wanted to be, and especially not with Raina. But the fear had taken over, the old wounds ripped fresh and bleeding, and I couldn’t seem to stop the destruction.
When I finally forced myself to look at her again, Raina’s expression had changed. The hurt was still there, but it had been joined by something else. Something that looked like resignation.
“You know what?” Her voice was quiet, but steady. “Maybe Mr. Hull was right. Maybe I don’t belong in the business world.” Her chin was lifted, her shoulders straight, but I could see the devastation beneath the dignity. “So I quit.”
Two words that felt like a slap to my face, which I undoubtedly fucking deserved for the things I’d said. She turned on her heel and walked away, her head held high, refusing to let me see her break.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, watching her go. My brain screamed at me to move, to go after her, to fix this before it was too late. But my body wouldn’t cooperate, frozen by the dawning realization of what I’d just done.
I’d let fear win.
Fear of being betrayed again. Fear of being made a fool. Fear of trusting someone and having that trust shattered. I’d taken every wound Chuck and Carla had inflicted and projected them onto Raina, who had done nothing but prove herself to me, over and over again.
And now she was gone.
By the time my legs finally moved, Raina was already in her car. I started toward her, my pace quickening to a jog, but she pulled out of the parking space before I could reach her. I watched her taillights disappear around the corner, taking with them the chance for me to make this right.
Instead, I stood alone in the parking lot, sunlight warm on my face, feeling more lost than I’d ever felt in my life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Raina
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
I stood at my office desk shoving my belongings into an empty printer paper box with movements that were jerky and uncoordinated. A ceramic pencil holder shaped like a cat that Wren had given me as a joke. The small succulent I’d been somehow keeping alive and a cardigan I kept draped over my chair for the days when the air conditioning ran too cold.
Silly things. Insignificant things. But my vision blurred as I packed each one, tears I refused to let fall burning behind my eyes.
I’d driven straight here after leaving that parking lot, my only thought to collect my things and get out before Simon returned and I had to face him again. Before I shattered completely in front of the man who had just broken my heart.
Now a deal I’ve been working on for weeks is falling apart because I made the mistake of trusting you.
The words echoed in my head, sharp and cruel, cutting deeper each time I replayed them. I’d known I let him down. Known I’d made a mess of his meeting with Alexander. But I’d expected frustration. Disappointment. Maybe even anger.
I hadn’t expected that.
He hadn’t asked if I was okay. Hadn’t wondered if something might have happened to me. Hadn’t shown even a flicker of concern about why I might have vanished for hours without contact. Instead, he’d gone straight to accusations. Straight to blame.
Are you working for Chuck?
My throat tightened at the memory, a fresh wave of hurt crashing over me. He’d actually looked me in the eye and asked if I was sabotaging him. As if the past weeks had meant nothing. As if every moment we’d shared—every late night, every intimate conversation, every touch that had made my heart race—had been some elaborate performance.