“Working on it,” Baz groaned, squinting to see her.Light was evil.
“What a day, huh?”She stepped out of her heels.He pulled his knees to his chest, and Aya dropped onto the free cushion.
The sound of the sitcom’s laugh tracks made for a grotesque contrast to the heaviness in the air.
He awaited the inevitable ass kick, the reality check that Baz had screwed up so spectacularly, he’d be better off quitting to retain some dignity.
The farm idea sounded more appealing by the second.Somewhere so remote, no one would ever stumble upon him.Just him and his sheep, no cancer patients to let down.No Sami to put in danger.
“I brought you basbousa.Sugar will help.”She opened the box, revealing four square pieces of syrup-soaked cake neatly arranged next to each other.Kindness, when Baz had screwed up?He drew a deep breath.No use; the tears flooded his eyes.
“Go ahead.Yell at me.”
“I’m sure you’re already beating yourself up more than I ever could.It’s time we both cut you some slack.”
He didn’t deserve slack.Or basbousa.He deserved a smack to the back of his head for losing his focus.
“Why am I so stupid?”His voice came out shaky.
“Been asking myself that.The only answer I can come up with is that you found something that matters to you more than your career.Someone.”
“Thatisstupid.”And worse, it was true.He would have quit on the spot and run after Sami if Aya hadn’t held him back.Hell, he should have.If she had handled the hearing, it would have gone better.She was infallible, cool-headed, smart.
Baz was an impostor.
“Not really.And I bet you’ve learned to never confront your secret boyfriend in public minutes before having to argue a case again, so there’s that.”
She was right about that, because he’d never have either ever again.Some people were meant to be alone, and he was one of them.Some people were meant to break records and be remembered as one of the greats, most weren’t.Turned out, he didn’t have what it took to make the cut.
“I messed it all up.”
“I guess we’re no longer concerned about him lying to you?”
She just assumed he was talking about Sami?Hewas, but when had Aya stopped thinking of him as a workaholic who only cared about his promotion?When had Baz stopped being one?He should have stuck to what he knew.
Still, Baz shook his head.He shouldn’t have doubted Sami in the first place.“I don’t know what his deal with Ian is, but it’s not good, Aya.Ian openly threatened to ruin his life with I don’t even know what!And Sami looked so scared.All because of me.”
Aya blinked.“Okay, putting that bombshell aside for a moment.You didn’t threaten him, Ian did.”
“Only because he caught us making up!It’s my fault.”
“Do you have any reason to believe what you saw today isn’t their normal relationship?”
Well, no, but that didn’t negate the fact that being discovered was on Baz’s head.
“I want to help him, but I don’t know how without making it worse again.I don’t even know what’s going on between them.”
“Clearly his relationship to Ian is much more complicated than you could have possibly known.”
“Does that make it better?”
“Maybe.He knew you don’t know what’s at stake for him.If he feels the same way about you as you do about him, he’ll come around.”
“He said he doesn’t want me.”
“You said you hate him.Things change.Youhave changed.The Baz from a year ago would have never compromised a case by pining over a guy.”
Baz huffed.Yeah, he was pathetic.
