“Avery’s diner. Since you’re local, I assume you know it.”
“I do.”
“Eleven fifteen? Should give you time to get over there.”
“Eleven fifteen it is.” I nod, turning without another word.
“See you then, London,” he calls to my back and even though it feels rude not to turn and say something back, I continue on without doing so.
I don’t want to seem too eager or excited; might give the poor guy the wrong impression.
I am not in a good place in my life. The last thing I should be doing is dragging someone else into the hot mess that is my existence. But I am short in the friend department, and one can always use more friends, right?
At least that’s the justification I give myself for accepting Travis’s invitation. Even if I am a little smitten with him after that interaction, and well, all the others we’ve had. There’s just something so easy about him. Truth be told, I’m envious of it. The ease and genuineness of his smile. When was the last time I smiled and it felt even remotely real? That I laughed and it didn’t feel forced. That I actually enjoyed myself, truly and thoroughly.
I used to be that person—happy, carefree, driven. Now, I’m nothing more than a shell of that girl. My outer layer cracked and shed away like a second skin that I no longer fit into.
I shake off the thought. Self-pity will get me nowhere. And while I may have no idea what the future holds for me, at least I have a future. Not everyone is so lucky.
With that thought at the forefront of my mind, I push my way inside the office, every fiber in my body zinging to life when I see Penn sitting at his desk, his fingers moving across his keyboard so quickly that for a brief moment, I wonder if he’s even typing anything at all, or if he’s just pretending to.
Then again, given the way his forehead furrows in concentration and he doesn’t immediately look up when I enter, I guess perhaps my first observation was incorrect.
I take the opportunity while he’s distracted to slip around my desk, quietly taking a seat so as to draw as little attention to myself as possible.
I haven’t seen Penn since our fight last week. He’s done a really good job of avoiding me and honestly, I’m grateful. I don’t want to face him any more than he wants to face me. And while I don’t regret a single thing I said during our argument, I do regret letting him get to me the way he did.
I guess a part of me really thought that things would be okay between us if I ever came back to Wren Cove. Clearly, I had underestimated the amount of hurt that Penn would hold onto. Not that I haven’t held onto my fair share too. But at the end of the day, I was the one who left.
“You were late this morning.”
I jump when he speaks, having fully expected him to continue on like I wasn’t even here.
“How do you know that?” I can’t help but ask. I was like three minutes late and he most certainly wasn’t here yet as everything was still locked up when I arrived.
“You disarmed the alarm,” he says without looking up at me.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were such a stickler on time. I was under the impression that as long as I got my work done, it didn’t much matter.” It’s an effort to keep my voice from taking on an edge.
“Well, it does. So please try to be on time going forward.” Seems I’m not the only one trying to keep things even relatively professional.
In truth, I’m surprised I even have a job after last week, and while I considered just not coming back, I couldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking he won. I am nothing if not stubborn.
“Okay,” I agree, opening my laptop.
“And going forward, while you’re here, I expect you to keep your focus on work.”
He doesn’t have to say he’s referring to Alec; I already know that much. And while a part of me wished it were because he was jealous, because that would mean he still cared. I think it’s more about Alec being nice to me when Penn expects him to hate me as much as he does.
“My focusison work. If you don’t want me talking to people who come into this office, perhaps you should advise them not to come in at all.”
“It’s been addressed.”
However awful I thought working for Penn Kade would be, nothing could have prepared me for this. The silent treatments. The cold, distant responses. The way he scolds me like a child. The hatred in his eyes every time he looks at me. It’s almost more than I can bear.
But every time I think about throwing in the towel, I remind myself that’s exactly what he’s hoping for and for some reason, I can’t give him that satisfaction. Make no mistake, this is war, and I have no intention of letting him win.
“Well, okay then.” I stare at him for a long moment, willing him to look at me. He doesn’t. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.” I turn my attention to my laptop, not able to focus on anything but the sound of his fingers moving across the keyboard and the creak of his chair as he readjusts every few seconds like he can’t get comfortable.
