Page 94 of Feel It in the Air

Flexing my hands, I wipe my palms on my thighs, my heart still racing like it’s at the Daytona 500. For as fast as that damn organ is moving, the rest of me feels like I’m slogging through quicksand, time standing still, everything frozen as the world crumbles around me.

How is it that my entire world fell apart so quickly?

And Margeaux still doesn’t know.

I need to talk to her. I can’t. Certainly not before Carl does. And according to him, not after either. There’s no way I’m cutting off contact. He’s insane if he thinks I’m doing that. Besides, what he won’t know won’t hurt him. We’ve gone this long carrying on behind everyone’s back…

Then again, apparently we weren’t as successful at that as I thought.

“I have to go handle this. And you have to go home. Or well, I suppose you don’t have to go home, but you at least need to leave the premises. The fact that your brother owns a bar does give you an easy escape if you want to drown your sorrows. I believe he even has a beer for such an occasion.”

I chuckle, knowing that Auggie is quite proud of himself for making a Sob Story reference. I have no doubt that he’ll be bragging about how he worked it into conversation at some point.

“You should know I am proud of you though.”

I bolt upright. Did I just hear him properly? He’s…proud…of me? No. No.

There is no way that’s what he just said.

I am officially hearing things. I was all in for his suggestions to hit up Pour Decisions and lose myself in a Sob Story, but now I’m thinking I need to hit up Doc Galindo and have my hearing checked. Because there is absolutely no way that the man who was just looking at me like he wanted to disown me not ten minutes ago is now telling me that’s he’s proud of me.

I must be missing something.

Slapping his hands on his knees, Auggie starts to laugh.

Yeah, I missed something.

“Gus, how old are you?”

Taken aback, I pause. Auggie knows exactly how old I am. He was there. For all of it. Still, I humor him. Today of all days, I owe him that.

“Forty.”

“And in those forty years, how many times have you broken the rules?”

“Rules aren’t meant to be broken,” I answer.

It’s automatic, out of me before I can even think, Auggie’s smirk and quirked-up eyebrow a kick in the teeth. Rules aren’t meant to be broken—except I’ve been doing just that.

“It’s a lesson you’ve needed for a while. Some rules are meant to be broken. Sometimes exceptions need to be made. Flexibility can be a good thing. Some things are worth the risk.”

“That’s four,” I counter, trying to keep the smart-ass out of my voice. I succeed, I think. Although the bitter might still be there.

“Fine, four lessons. As your boss, I’m disappointed, and none too happy that you’ve put us in a damn difficult situation that now I have to find a way to fix. But as your dad, I’m proud you took the risk. Because the old Gus wouldn’t have done that, and the man you’ve grown into, the one who was willing to do whatever it takes, that’s my boy.”

My heart squeezes, his words sinking deep into me, settling into my soul. Knowing that at least part of him is proud leaves me with some peace, but there’s still too much turmoil shredding away at me. Too much angst and unknown.

Auggie pushes to his feet, nodding at me. Turning to go, he remains silent, letting it all soak in. But I still have one pressing question.

“What now?”

Turning back to me, his features are stony again, back to the cold, tense set from earlier.

“Now you have to make a choice. One that defines the rest of your life. So make sure it’s worth it.”

Make sure it’s worth it…

I leap from the chair, closing the distance between us in two steps, my heart in my throat.

“Are you saying I have to choose between Margeaux and taking over Hayes?”

“Potentially.” Auggie swallows hard. “I don’t know what the outcome of all this will be. But that’s a definite possibility. But even if that’s not it, you will have to decide whether this relationship is worth risking your professional reputation over.”

Another nod and he turns to go, leaving the last part unsaid. The most important part.

Because it’s not just my professional reputation on the line. It’s Hayes’s as a whole.

And Margeaux’s.