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“Apparently to everyone else but Tristan.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I didn’t,” I said. “Then I walked into his suite and found a naked woman in the shower. So yeah… I believe it now.”
“Fuck,” Alani said, shaking her head. “I was hoping it wasn’t true.”
“He confirmed it,” I said, in a soft voice.
“No!”
“I stormed into his office right after and basically confronted him with what I’d found out,” I said. “He gave me some bull crap about how we were better off apart, and that’s when I quit.”
Alani looked dumbfounded. “Okay,” she said, after a moment. “I understand why you left. But now I don’t understand why you’re back.”
“Because I realized I loved my job here,” I admitted with a smile. “And I loved the people I was working with and I shouldn’t have just left behind everything I’d built here just for a guy—even if that guy was Tristan.”
“Wait,” Alani said. “Does that mean you’re here for your job?”
I smiled nervously. “Well, that is the plan,” I admitted. “If Tristan will agree to take me back. I’m on contract, but I was the one who walked first. He has every right to say no to me now.”
“He won’t do that,” Alani said confidently.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Tristan knows you were fantastic at your
job,” Alani said. “His work load has increased tenfold since you left. And he’s been dragging his heels about hiring someone to replace you.”
I clung to that piece of hope. “Which means he might really consider letting me come back.”
“I have no doubt,” Alani nodded. “But—”
“But what?” I pressed, when Alani stopped short.
“Can you really do this?” she asked. “Work for the guy who cheated on you, especially because you were in love with this guy for forever.”
I smiled sadly. “I still love him,” I said slowly. “But I’m going to do my best to move on and put my feelings for Tristan behind me.”
“While seeing him every day?” she asked pointedly.
“I haven’t made this easy on myself,” I said. “I realize that. But I don’t care. I’m sick of running. I’m sick of acting like a scared little girl. I’m taking control of my life, and I’m going to fight for this job because I love it.”
“Well, I’m glad,” she said. “It’ll be nice to have you back.”
I leaned in and hugged her. “I’m glad I have you here; it won’t be so lonely.”
“Please. In a few months when you’re up for it, I’m going to fix you up with a few guys—for real this time. That way you can find someone who deserves you.”
I thought of Tristan and instantly felt sad at the prospect of moving on. I reminded myself that Tristan didn’t want to be with me—that was the only reason he would have cheated on me so openly.
“You’re right,” I nodded. “I do deserve someone better.”
Alani put her hand over mine. “It’s going to be hard,” she said comfortingly. “But you will get over him, trust me.”
I sighed. “That’s what I’m hoping,” I said. Then I shook my head and snapped myself out of the haze of self-pity that currently surrounded me. “So… how have things been here since I left?”
“Things have been piling up, to be honest,” she said. “It’s been crazy around here. We’re always at capacity—which is a good thing, of course—but it also means that there are more problems with staff and breakages and a whole heap of other things besides. And since there’s no one in charge of the staff anymore, it’s fallen to Ben and Tristan, and neither one has the time to spend on fixing all of the issues that have been piling up.
