AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And thoughtless, and cruel.”
“I am not going to disagree with you.”
Looking back, I honestly can't recall a moment when she did or said anything to set me off. She was... different. Exactly as she described herself, chubby, with a face full of acne and glasses that made her eyes look huge. The sleek, lustrous hair still tempting my fingers was a frizzy cloud back then.
But none of it is an excuse. There is no excuse to make up for what I did.
Her spine stiffens. “As you already know, I'm not that girl anymore. I doubt you would give me the time of day if I were.”
“That's not true. Some of us actually grow up between the ages of seventeen and twenty-nine.”
“Maybe so. I know I have. And now, I'm the woman who can clean up your image and fix everything for you—but I won't. No matter how much money you offer because you can't buy me. For once, you're going to suffer the consequences of your actions, both what you did back then, and the way you ran your mouth like an idiot in front of your club members.”
I'm still stunned, but not so stunned that I don't notice the way she begins to back up. She's leaving, and this time, it's for good. She's finally had her say. Damn it, she deserves it. I made a mockery of her. I went out of my way to humiliate her.
“I'm sorry. Truly, truly sorry.”
“Pardon me?” she murmurs, her eyebrows lifting so high I'm surprised they don't disappear into her hairline.
“What, you don't think I'm capable of apologizing when I'm in the wrong? And I was. I was very much in the wrong, and there's no excuse for it.” The more I reflect, the worse my shame becomes. I mimicked her as cruelly as I could, and all because I wanted to get a laugh from a bunch of assholes who have played no part in my life since then.
“Yes, you were,” she mutters. No wonder she's so guarded, with that enormous chip on her shoulder.
“I deeply regret what I did back then. Really, I do, and I'm glad you're here to remind me of it. I was an obnoxious asshole. Being young is not an excuse. I wish I could go back and change it, I truly do, because I'm ashamed of who I was. But there's no changing the past. I can only do everything in my power to make up for it.”
“I never asked you to.”
“No, but I want to.”
“Believe me. This is repayment enough. Watching you squirm while everything you care about is on the line. Trust me, I'm getting more than enough satisfaction from that.”
“Even when I've expressed regret? You're going to punish me for something I did more than a decade ago?”
Her blithe shrug gives me little hope. “Why not? You punished me for something I never did. Do you honestly think any of the boys we went to school with would have given me the time of day? No way. Even if they liked me, they wouldn't risk attracting attention from you or your asshole friends. It was too much of a risk. Those were the most miserable years of my life, and it was all thanks to you. Sorry to break it to you, Sawyer, but that's the kind of pain a person carries with them. I do understand you not having the first clue, because up until now, everything's been so easy for you.”
She doesn’t know me. She sees straight through me, beyond the image I've crafted for the public.
“I've changed. I've grown up.”
All she does is snort derisively, her nose wrinkling like she smells something foul. “Go fuck yourself, Sawyer.”
“Really, Willow? What else do I have to do? Get on my knees and beg? Offer to strip naked and jump in the harbor? Maybe you'd like it if I let you parade me around town on a leash like the dog I am. Would that make it better?”
“Careful,” she murmurs, leaning closer from the other side of the desk and lessening the distance between us. “You're going to let your temper get the better of you, and we all know what happens when you do.”
Damn it, she's right again.
“Ms. Anderson,” I manage to murmur after taking a deep breath, “everything I have is on the line, and I am entirely open to whatever you have in mind to make things right. I will do everything you say, down to the letter. Please, I need your help. I'm sorry for everything I did—I'm ashamed of it, really I am. And I have never begged for anything in my life, but I am begging you now. Please, do this for me, and you'll get every penny I promised. I need you—your help,” I quickly amend.
She straightens up, lips pursed, and I find myself cautiously optimistic. She hasn't thrown my words in my face or stormed out of the room yet. She's wavering, debating with herself.
“Let's face it,” I add, daring to grin. “I'm giving you the opportunity to boss me around and get paid handsomely for it. That alone should be worth considering.”
I can't believe I'm making a complete fool of myself for this woman, but what's at stake is much bigger than my pride. And I will do anything it takes to fix my mess.
Though I can't pretend the idea of working closely with the spitfire in front of me doesn't sweeten the deal a little. And if I can make things right between us, so much the better, because I hurt her.
It looks like there's much more at stake here than I could ever have anticipated.
All I need is for her to let go of her pride long enough to accept my offer.
