Page 110 of Never To Be Mine

“I’m saying we need space.” I turned away, unable to look at his face. “Go home, Hollis. Let me handle the damage control. I’ll call you when I know more about where we stand. The PR team has some ideas on how to fix the situation, but it’s not great.”

“Juno, this is not that big of a deal.”

My mouth dropped open. “Hollis! How can you say that? My father’s company. My company. We endorsed you and now we look like idiots.”

“It’s my company as well,” he said. “B Well is mine. I don’t have an army of PR people or a legal department. You kick me to the curb and that’s it for me.”

It killed me. I heard the pain in his voice and hated that he had so much more to lose. It wasn’t fair. But life wasn’t fair. My instinct was to put his pain ahead of my own. I wanted to make it easier on him. Be there for him.

But my father needed me. The company needed me. That was where my loyalty had to be.

“Please.” My voice cracked. “We’ll talk soon. But I need to focus on damage control right now.”

“Juno, business is business. That doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“It changes everything, Hollis. I can’t think straight when you’re around. You confuse my priorities. This thing we have—it has to take a backseat for now.”

“Not for me,” he said softly. Footsteps and then the door closing softly.

I stood at the window, staring out at the city through blurry vision. I didn’t turn around until I was sure he was gone. Then I sank into my chair and let the tears come.

It was the right decision. The smart decision. I needed to focus on salvaging Young at Heart’s reputation. I couldn’t do that while also trying to navigate a relationship with the man who’d caused the crisis in the first place.

But God, it hurt.

My phone buzzed with another notification. More comments, more hot takes, more people weighing in on Burgergate. I needed to get into the meeting with my father. Add my two cents.

Instead, I put my head down on my desk and cried.

36

HOLLIS

The morning after my world exploded, I went for a run two seconds after I opened my eyes. I needed to burn off the anger and frustration churning through me. My feet pounded against the packed sand as I pushed myself harder and faster, until my lungs burned and my legs screamed for mercy.

It didn’t help. Nothing helped.

I kept replaying the conversation with Juno. The way she’d looked at me like I’d betrayed her. The way she’d told me to leave, her voice breaking even as she said the words. I’d screwed up. I knew that. But I hadn’t expected her to cut me loose so quickly.

Business first. Always business first.

I understood it. I even respected it on some level. But it didn’t make it hurt any less.

I glanced out at the ocean and then at the shore. I’d run a lot farther than I normally did. And it wasn’t nearly far enough.

I slowed to a jog near the pier, my chest heaving. A kid stood near the water’s edge, struggling with a kite that had tangled itself into an impressive knot. His mom stood a few feet away, looking helpless.

“Need some help?” I called out.

The kid looked up, his face red from frustration. “It’s stuck.”

I walked over and examined the mess. The run had left me breathless but stopping allowed me to slow my heart rate. The string had wrapped around itself multiple times, and the tail was completely twisted. It would take a few minutes to untangle, but it was doable.

“Let me see what I can do.”

I sat down in the sand and got to work, carefully unwinding each loop and knot. The kid watched me with wide eyes, probably wondering why some random sweaty guy had decided to help him.

“You like kites?” I asked as I worked.