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“No, but you need to get your shit together because we’re all depending on your presentation.”
“I’ve been prepping for months. There’s no way I don’t have this vote locked down.”
“Good. Once you get the approving votes, you’ll spend a month transitioning the next Director into the role and they’ll take on the project from there.”
“I thought while you were settling everything with your part of the letter, I could stay here and oversee the project myself.” The idea slips out of me. If I stay at Dreamland, it will give me time to work through my feelings for Zahra without sacrificing anything in the process.
If we fizzle out, I go back to Chicago like planned.
And if you don’t?
The silence coming from Declan’s end of the phone makes the back of my neck prickle.
“I thought you were joking.” He speaks after a whole minute.
“No. What’s the point in me moving back if you still haven’t gotten married yet?”
“You’re going to shadow me and take over a portion of my CFO role so I can concentrate on finding my future wife.”
My teeth grind together. “Give me six more months as the Director. It’ll be less confusing for the employees to have a Director for a whole year.”
“Since when do you care about confusing employees?”
“It’s my job to care.”
Declan’s low laugh carries through the small speaker. “No. It’s your job to finish up and move back to Chicago after the vote.”
“Grandpa said I have to be Director forat leastsix months. But he never stated when I had to leave.”
“I’m well aware of what Grandpa said. It doesn’t change the outcome for you. I’ve already chosen the next Director and he will be contacting your secretary after the vote.”
“You’re not the CEO yet. You can’t force me to move back whenever you snap your fingers.”
“Let’s be real. The only reason you’re interested in staying there is because of a woman. You don’t even like Dreamland, so cut the shit.”
My nails dig into my palm. “No. That’s not true. I actually enjoy this job.”
He sighs in a way that reminds me of when we were kids and I begged him for dessert before dinner. “Rowan, if you really want to be the Director, you can go back to Dreamland once I secure my CEO position. Until then, let’s get everything sorted out with each of our letters before you go changing the plans.”
Fuck. I put him on speaker and run my hands through my hair.
How am I supposed to choose between my brother and Zahra? My distress over the decision is laughable after everything Declan has done for me throughout my life.
I hate that my brother has a point. I hate that I know I owe him this much, despite my feelings toward Zahra. Declan was always there for me when my father was drunk or absent. He was the one who taught me how to ride a bike just like he was the one who stayed up late helping me with my homework despite having his own. Hell, he sacrificed an Ivy League education so he could stay in Chicago to take care of Cal and me. In some ways, he became a parent figure when I didn’t have one.
All I feel is abdominal distress at the idea of choosing him over Zahra. Nothing about moving back to Chicago seems easy, especially now.
You were the one who wanted something casual with Zahra. Get over it.
I release a heavy sigh. “Okay.”
I expect some type of relief at agreeing to his plan, but instead, I feel a heavy weight pressing against my chest. Because to please my brother, I’m bound to hurt the one person I’ve grown to care about.
41
Zahra
“You can’t go to work like this.” Claire uses a pair of tongs to throw my empty tissue box in the trash.
