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I nodded my head. "Maybe. Maybe I should have listened to you from the start."
"That's my girl. Break up with them, Scarlet. Maybe after that your dad can get his job back. The folks here don't like what's happening with you and those tabloids. It's not good for your reputation either. Think about what others will say when you try to get a job. They'll think of you as a mistress. It's not a very good image to carry around, sweetheart."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I’ve just… maybe I got kind of sucked in."
"Have they done anything to you?"
Other than tying me up and filming me, after violently taking me from behind? "No, Mom, nothing to worry about."
"You tell me if they ever break your heart or anything. Momma's got your back. I'll fly over there and make sure they get the worst beating of their lives."
I chuckled. That would be a sight to see—my mother bashing up the twins, possibly with her two-inch heels. "Thanks. That would be lovely."
"I want you to be safe, hun. Don't live life so recklessly."
"I know." She sounded so naggy, but a little bit of nag from my mother didn't hurt. It comforted me, slightly, and reminded me of home.
"And don't overwork yourself, or drink too much coffee. How many times must I say that the stuff is bad for you?"
She knew me too well. I had at least three cups a day. "I'm not drinking a lot."
"Don't lie to your mother. Oh, your dad's pulling up in the driveway. I better hang up the call before he comes. He said he intends to give you a good yelling."
I felt incredibly guilty about my dad losing his job. "Will you guys be okay, like, financially?"
"We're old, Scarlet. We've got savings. Our house is fully paid. It's not very nice to get fired, and we'll have to be more careful with our money, but we're fine."
"That's good."
"Well, goodbye, darling. Call me more often when you have the time. We miss you."
"Yes, Mom."
"Love you, pumpkin."
I smiled. Maybe it was time to plan a trip back to my hometown. "I love you, too."
We both hung up the call.
I set the phone onto the table and opened up a Word document—I knew what I had to do.
***
Holding a white envelope in my hand, I knocked on the door.
"Come in," a twin said.
It took me a lot of resolve to do this. I typed the letter in a hurry, not giving myself any time to back out. And now I wanted to.
It's the right thing to do.
Slowly, I opened the cold metal door, reeling all my courage to face the twins. How would they react to this?
Riley smiled. "Hey, are you feeling better?"
"I have something to give you," I said, my voice cracking. I raised the white envelope and he snatched it from my hands.
His face fell when he saw what was written on it. "Letter of resignation? You're resigning?"
I didn't want to look up at them, not when something sharp was coiling around my heart. "My dad got fired from his job because of us."
"How does that even happen? You're making excuses." His voice was a mixture of anger and confusion.
"He did. And I don't want to continue this anymore, not if it affects my family."
"We'll get him a new job."
Ryan placed his finger on my chin to raise my head, so I looked right at his delectable, chiseled face. "You don't have to leave us."
I backed away as I swiped his arm aside. "We've had enough fun. I don't want our sexual relationship to hurt my family."
Riley placed the envelope on his desk. "If you want to leave, fine. It'll take two weeks to process." He sat on his desk and turned his head aside. Look at me, I thought. I didn't want to be rejected again by men I put too much faith in. Not by the two most wonderful men I'd ever met.
I placed a fist to my heart, trying to control how hard it throbbed against my ribcage. "Can we shorten the resignation process?" I couldn't bear looking at them any longer.
Riley scowled. "Is that what we've meant to you all this time? Just another sexual endeavor?"
I gasped softly. "I thought that's how it was supposed to be like from the start." Having Riley say it aloud chilled my chest.
"I'm disappointed," he said with a sullen face. "I thought we meant more to you. Two weeks is the minimum I need to process your resignation. TTA international is coming soon; we need you. We can't afford to let you resign so quickly." He emphasized the word need, and the emotional part of me hoped he didn't mean that in a company context.
I darted my eyes to a corner. "Of course you mean more to me," I choked out.
Ryan cupped my cheeks with his hands. "Can you honestly tell me you don't want to stay?" He forced me to look into his green eyes again. They danced over my features, embodying something alluring. Not now. I couldn't fall prey to them now.
