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But now, after their night together, Patrick wanted nothing more than to be with Emma. He didn’t know what that would look like, but he knew he wanted it. Images of them on dates, falling asleep in each other’s arms, and making breakfast together on weekends flashed through his mind. It all sounded wonderful.
Then, another wave of concern flowed through him and washed away all his happy images. Emma wasn’t here. She’d slipped out without saying goodbye. As much as Patrick knew what he wanted, he didn’t know what was on Emma’s mind. It was yet another reason to get to work as soon as possible so that he could speak with her. As soon as they talked, everything would be cleared up. It had to be.
It had to be.
Patrick returned to his bedroom, where he found some clothes for the day. He hurried through a shower, grabbed a granola bar, and was on his way to the office within a few minutes. He was later than he usually would be, but it shouldn’t matter. He’d still beat most of his employees, except maybe Emma herself.
He hailed a cab outside his apartment and pulled out his phone. He usually spent his cab rides checking up on emails and preparing for the day ahead, but today he felt too jumpy from Emma’s disappearance. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work until he talked to her.
Instead, he browsed through social media, something he rarely did. His feed was full of pictures of childhood friends with their significant others — some even had a chubby-cheeked child or two in tow. Family was something that had never really interested Patrick, but today, after his night with Emma, it was a strangely appealing thought.
Whoa, slow down. Patrick hadn’t even spoken with Emma about their relationship. Maybe she wasn’t on the same page; she had run out this morning. He had no way of knowing what she was thinking, not yet. And the fact that she’d disappeared seemed like a bad sign.
Still, it felt like a big moment. This was the first time he’d really considered the possibility of having a family of his own — and the first time that hadn’t sounded like such a disaster. There was a lot he still didn’t know about Emma, but the idea of getting to know her better sounded wonderful.
When the taxi finally arrived outside of the office, Patrick caught himself looking around, just in case Emma had happened to arrive at the same time he did. There was no sign of her, though, so he rode the elevator up to his office alone. When he reached his floor, he went to Emma’s office first. A few of her coworkers were already in, but her desk was still empty. She must have gone home after she left his apartment and not come in to the office yet.
Patrick went to his own office and settled in at his desk. Then he reached for his phone again, just in case he’d missed a message from Emma. Nothing.
He had better try to work until she came in.
Opening his laptop, he began looking through the emails he’d received since leaving work last night. There was all the usual administration stuff, some spam, a few email chains that he didn’t need to respond to personally… and something from Emma. His stomach lurched at the sight of her name, then dropped completely when he saw the subject line.
Emma Reynolds Resignation
Those three words burned their shape into Patrick’s mind. Emma was resigning? Over email and without telling him anything? This could not be a good sign, especially not combined with her fleeing his apartment early this morning.
Patrick opened the email, hoping against hope that he might have somehow misunderstood something. But there it was, in plain black and white against his computer screen.
Dear Owen,
I am hereby giving my resignation, effective immediately. I can only apologize for the lack of notice. I have enjoyed my work here, and I am sorry to leave.
Sincerely yours,
Emma Reynolds
There was no denying it. Emma was gone. Worse, the email hadn’t even been sent to Patrick directly. He was just cc’d on an email meant for Owen, Emma’s boss.
Patrick had ruined everything when he’d made a move last night. Now, he didn’t even have a chance to explain or to talk to her. If they could just talk…
He picked up his phone again and dialed Emma’s number. Instead of ringing, though, an automated message came over the line.
“The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected.”
Patrick hung up, a mix of frustration and worry swirling in his chest. This couldn’t be real. Emma wouldn’t really have walked out of his life without talking to him. It didn’t make sense.
Or maybe it did. Emma had always been private. Maybe opening up to him last night had been too much for her to bear. If only he could see her one more time and reassure her that all was well. This had to be nothing more than a misunderstanding.
Patrick hardly got any work done the rest of the morning. He tried to call Emma a few more times and then tried to reach her by email. He only had access to her work email, though, which she probably wasn’t checking anymore. Finally, his worry increasing, he looked Emma Reynolds up online. She must have some social media, which would hopefully let him reach her.
Yet, strangely, there was nothing. Emma Reynolds had almost no internet presence beyond a LinkedIn profile showing her employment history. Patrick sent her a message on there, but something told him that he wouldn’t hear from her.
Despite everything, despite the strong feelings Patrick couldn’t get rid of, Emma Reynolds was gone from his life. He didn’t know what else he could do.
His only hope was that, after a few days, she would decide to reach out to him. There was nothing else he could do in the meantime but wait.
CHAPTER 15
