Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 74882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
I kiss her in desperation, overcome with the realization I’m going to lose her forever.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready,” I admit in a whisper.
“I understand your pain,” she murmurs back. “I’m so sorry. But you will climb back out of this hole. And when you do, I’ll be waiting for you.”
She pulls back and I already regret my words. My actions. My stupidity.
“Sher…”
“You’re going to be late,” she tells me in her no-nonsense tone. “You better go now.”
I stare at her long and hard because I know when I return, she’ll be gone.
She’ll leave because I begged her to.
She’ll leave because she loves me.
With an ache in my chest, I walk out my front door and don’t look back.
Chapter 25
Sheridan
Two weeks later…
I check my phone for only the tenth time today.
Nothing from Camilo.
God, I am so lovesick. It’s pathetic.
He told me to go. So I left. I just assumed he’d be back for me by now. I’m not the only one who was deep into the thing that was us. He was right there with me.
So why isn’t he here now?
“Miss Reid,” Helen says from my open office door. “The conference room is set up for your meeting.”
“Thank you. Will you be sitting in and taking notes?”
She frowns and nods, eyeing me like I have three heads. “It’s my job.”
“Oh, good. You take way better notes than me.”
“Is everything okay?” she asks, fidgeting. “You’ve been…different…ever since you came back.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No,” she rushes out. “Not bad. Just…”
“Weak?”
“I was going to say nice.”
I flinch at her words. “Nice? I’m not nice?”
Her cheeks flame crimson. “I, uh, that’s not what I meant.”
“No,” I say with a sigh. “I get it. I can be a bit of a monster. You can speak candidly.”
Helen crosses the room and sits in the seat on the other side of my desk. “You’re not a monster, you’re just intensely focused and particular. Lately it seems as if you care about those around you, not just yourself or your dad.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve always been a bitch,” I mutter. “I have no excuse.”
She smiles. “There were other jobs out there. If I didn’t like it, I could have left.”
“I’d have doubled your salary to make you stay,” I tease.
Her laugh is foreign. It’s then I realize I’ve never heard it. I don’t know much about Helen except she’s been my assistant for three years. That’s it. I know nothing else.
“Are you married?”
The smile falls away and she nods. “An odd question, but yes.” She wiggles her wedding ring at me. A simple gold band.
“Children?”
“Morgan and Evan,” she says slowly. “They come in sometimes to take me to lunch.”
I’m drawing blanks, which makes me feel horrible.
“Oh. Are they small?”
“Morgan is sixteen. Evan is almost eighteen. What’s with all the questions?”
“I’m a horrible person.”
“No, you’re not,” she assures me. “You’re just busy.”
“It’s no excuse.” I swallow hard and glance around my massive office. It’s stark white and decorated in splashes of rose gold. I love how bright and cheery it is even if I’m always the exact opposite. “When I went to Daddy’s wedding, things changed.”
“So I can tell.”
“I’m different and I don’t know how to get back to me.”
“Do you want to get back to the old you?”
“Not really. I don’t think I liked her much. It’s hard navigating this new path.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you. You’re Sheridan Reid. A business powerhouse. Those two men down the hall can’t hold a candle to your fierceness.”
I smile thinking about Daddy and David. They’re great businessmen, but I’ve always strived to be even better.
“Morgan admires you.”
I wince. “How? I’ve never spoken to her.”
“No, but she’s an observant teenager. She sees what you’ve done for me all these years.”
“I’ve done stuff for you?”
She laughs again and I decide I really like her laugh. “Honey, yes. Maybe they don’t seem like much to you, but they mean everything to me. Like whenever you go out of town and let me work from home those days.”
People work remotely from home all the time. No big deal.
“Or when you gave me your old Lexus.”
“I didn’t need it anymore and the dealership would have tried to scam me on the trade.” I shrug. “It was old. And you’re my friend.”
She blinks in confusion. “I am?”
“You and Mark both,” I tell her.
“We’re your and your father’s assistants. Your employees.”
“We’re not friends?”
Her features soften and she smiles. “Of course we are. I can’t speak for Mark, but I know I’d like to be a better friend to you.”
“I made friends in Mexico.” A smile tugs at my lips. “They forced me.”
“Sounds like good friends.”
“The best.”
“Is that why you’re warming up to me and reaching out?” Helen asks.
“I’m finally seeing what’s around me rather than what’s out in front of me. I’ve been so goal focused, I haven’t done much of stopping to smell the roses.”