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“What? No, absolutely not. I didn’t fire Lacey.”
Now Vanessa looks surprised. “Oh.” Her cheeks flush. “But...”
"But what?"
"Aidan..." She swallows, her throat moving noticeably. "My firm was informed yesterday afternoon that we won’t be issuing checks in her name anymore.” She pauses, observing my reaction. “Jessie said Lacey quit.”
Quit? Lacey quit without telling me?
"I...I had no idea," I stammer, a wave of panic rising. "She didn’t say anything to me."
Vanessa’s expression softens. "I'm sorry, Aidan. I didn’t mean to upset you."
"It's not your fault," I say, rubbing my face. “I just...I refuse to believe she would do that without talking to me first."
"Maybe she didn’t feel comfortable coming to you," Vanessa suggests gently.
That realization hits hard.
It’s like the night of the gala. The phone call in the grand hall.
Despite everything, maybe Lacey doesn’t trust me enough to tell me something this big.
My job, my reputation—everything I’ve built—and she kept me in the dark.
I exhale deeply. "Thanks, Vanessa. But I need to go sort this out."
I nod and head for the door, piecing together what just unfolded.
Stepping out, the Seattle rain matches my mood, falling harder. I pull up my hood and head home, determined to fix what I should've long ago.
How did I miss the signs? How could I have been so oblivious to Lacey’s feelings?
The rain intensifies, a fitting backdrop to my tumultuous thoughts as I make my way, ready to confront the situation head-on.
Chapter Twenty-Five
LACEY
Waking up in Aidan's bed is like waking up in a different dimension. As I open my eyes, I'm cocooned in the softness of his sheets, his cologne lingering in the air.
The sunlight peeks through the curtains, and for a brief moment, I forget the life-altering decision I made yesterday.
Quitting my job and leaving parts of my old life behind because Aidan has a way of upending everything.
He makes me forget all my good, practical reasons for... well, everything.
I remember standing on the balcony, trying to tell him. The words were right there, but they vanished the moment he looked at me with those "I can take on the world for you" eyes.
And just like that, my courage slipped away.
Because I'm hopelessly, completely crazy about him.
Sighing, I grab my phone. It's buzzing with notifications, but first, I text my dad.
"Heading over later, need some dad advice and maybe some of your terrible jokes." He's been my constant, my rock.
My relationship with my mom has always been a rollercoaster, but with Papi? He's always been there, his dad jokes and endless patience a balm.
