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I walk out, hearing my father’s desperately cry out my name. In that moment, I want nothing more than to go to him and wipe the tears from his eyes, tears I had seen just now. But I don’t trust my heart any more than I trust them.
So, I stumble out, managing to keep my emotions in check until I enter my car. It’s raining outside when I exit the building, the heavens echoing my rage and grief. I’ve conveniently forgotten my umbrella and I enter my car, drenched and shivering. After I turn the heater on full blast, I rest my head against the steering wheel, letting my bitter tears flow. Gripping the steering wheel, I flex my hands, trying to will myself to stop crying. But I fail miserably.
It wasn’t supposed to be this hard.
Walking away was supposed to be easy after everything they’ve put me through. So, why does it feel like my heart is shattering into a thousand pieces?
Someone taps on the window of the passenger seat. Startled, I raise my head.
I see the familiar trench coat, an umbrella, and the face of the man who has started to mean the world to me. I press the unlock button to let Oliver in.
“What are you doing here?” I sniff, wiping at my eyes and spreading my mascara.
He puts his umbrella in the back, then whips out a clean handkerchief—the man seems to have an unlimited supply—and leans forward to clean my cheeks. His hands carefully wipe away the remnants of my mascara. I let him, not knowing anyone else who would do so for me.
His voice is calm. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t be doing so well right now. Thought you might need a friend.”
I grasp his wrist, looking into his eyes, utterly devastated by the events of today. “Are we friends?”
“Friends, lovers, colleagues, we’re all of that.” He unshackles my hold on him, then presses a kiss to my palm, destroying me with his gentleness. “We’re everything you want us to be.”
His words reach inside me to soothe me in a way only he can. I lean my head against my chest, admitting, “This day sucks.”
“It does, indeed.” He strokes my head, but there’s a trace of a frown in his voice. “Why are you soaked?”
“Forgot my umbrella,” I mutter. I pull away from him. “Did you drive here?”
“Taxi.” His lips curve. “I thought I could tempt you into giving me a ride to the office.”
“I can drop you, but I have to go straight to the bank afterward.” I start the car, then tell him about the scene at the hospital. Oliver stays silent throughout. After a moment, he says, “Before going to the bank, you should perhaps talk to Caleb. He might have the money.”
I hesitate before agreeing.
We part ways at the office, and I make my way to Caleb’s downtown office. He doesn’t seem surprised to see me, even offers me a beverage, which is something he’s never done.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I demand, sipping at the orange drink he just so happened to have in his mini fridge.
“Lucas said you’d start crying if I wasn’t nice,” he says dryly. “I don’t want you weeping in my office. I have a no-crying policy in here.”
I stare at him. “I’m starting to see why you’re so unpopular with the ladies.”
“I’m not interested in those women anyway.” Caleb doesn’t seem bothered. “How did it go with the family?”
As I tell him, he watches me silently. Once I’m done, he says, “It’s not a small amount, I’ll give you that. But it’s manageable. You won’t have to go to a bank.”
I tense up. “But won’t that affect your—”
“It won’t,” he replies easily. “Give me ten days to transfer the amount to you.”
I swallow, feeling like a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. “How will I pay you back?”
Now, he grins. It’s the smile I’ve seen on him when he’s about to get something out of his opponent. “Well, you can pay me back by using half your salary every month or…”
“Or…” I echo, narrowing my eyes.
He grins suddenly. “Well, it’s not much. But after you resigned, I realized I can’t have you getting up and leaving whenever you please. So, if you sign a ten-year contract with the firm and a further ten-year one that you work for me alone and can’t quit, I’ll consider the entire debt cleared.”
I gape. “What?”
