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I wanted to celebrate, even though that was bad news for our business. We’d bounce back, and now I could fire his ass.
“I knew he was a fucking snake,” I told Richard, and he groaned.
“You and your Brentwood intuition,” he joked. I’d often called it the family curse, since me and all my brothers seemed to be good at getting certain feelings about things. We seemed to know when something was off or wrong, probably because of how we grew up walking on eggshells around our father.
I picked at the cuticle of my thumb, thinking. I thought that maybe I should talk to Richard, tell him what was going on with me and Magda, but I couldn’t. It was over. She had chosen to believe Mark Windham over me and she had lied to me. I didn’t tolerate lying. So what if my heart was aching knowing I’d never touch her again? So what if I didn’t know how I would function at work with her in the building? I’d have to figure it out. Brentwoods were survivors. We got through the worst.
I could do this.
“About Magda—” Richard started, and I held up a hand. I didn’t even want to hear her name.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I know you were trying to protect her.”
“It wasn’t me,” he said. “She begged me not to tell anyone when she took the job. She wanted to rise through the ranks with no help, and she has. She’s a good lawyer, Roarke.”
“I know,” I said softly. If there was one thing I was certain of now, it was that Magda deserved the partner position. She was as good as me and Richard, even though she was young and the odds were stacked against her.
I’d lied when I said her father got her the job. I was just angry. I knew that I should apologize but after what she’d done... I never wanted to talk to her again. I couldn’t stand the lying, the betrayal.
It was over, anyway. She never had any feelings for me and all I had was a stupid crush. My chest felt tight when I thought about her, but I’d get over it. Right?
“So, you’re voting for her to be partner?” Richard asked, and I nodded tersely. He grinned. “I’m glad you were able to get over your disdain for her. She’s really a great daughter.”
“I’m sure she is,” I said politely, and left the office, running a hand through my hair. I felt exhausted and it was only nine in the morning. I knew it was emotional and mental exhaustion, which was way harder to shake than physical exhaustion. Back when I’d thought I would be a professional hockey player, I had pushed myself past the point of breaking physically many times.
Until I couldn’t anymore. Injuries due to overworking my body had kept me from going professional, and that was when I turned to law. I wondered if it was possible to push yourself past the point of breaking emotionally. I guessed I’d find out, because I planned to avoid these negative feelings for as long as I could.
I made my way back to my office slowly, hoping the elevator would break and maybe I’d be stuck alone for a while. It didn’t, unfortunately, and when I arrived at my office, Magda was standing next to the door, looking up at me with bright blue eyes the same shade as my best friend’s. How hadn’t I noticed? She even had his sharp chin. She’d pointed it up defiantly at me often enough I should have known.
I sighed and ignored her, opening the door of my office and going inside. I hoped she’d give up and leave, but she didn’t, following me inside.
“I need to talk to you,” she said.
“About the Martinez case?” I asked, and she bit her lip.
“No.”
“Then I don’t have time. I’m busy trying to win custody for Mrs. Martinez, who doesn’t deserve it.”
“You don’t know that,” Magda shot back, and I closed my eyes in exasperation.
“Because women don’t lie,” I said harshly. “Even though my ex-wife cheated on me and my...” I paused, not knowing what Magda was to me. She hadn’t been just my employee and she hadn’t quite been my girlfriend but something in between. “And you lied to me.”
“I didn't lie, I just didn't tell you.”
I scoffed. “Lies by omissions are still lies. Didn’t you go to law school?”
Magda groaned. “I’msorry, Roarke. You were right.”
“Right about what?” I said, but then checked my watch. It was almost time for the hearing and I grabbed my briefcase. “We have to go.”
“Am I riding with you?” she asked, her voice meeker than usual.
“No,” I said flatly and walked ahead of her out to my car. She followed me to the courthouse and when we arrived, I had a feeling about how the case would go.
We argued that Mrs. Martinez was the children’s mother and they deserved to be with her. We argued that joint custody would uproot the children’s lives. I had to admit I didn’t do the best job. I usually employed everything I had in cases, but this one was....a little too personal. I had done a similar case for my brother, after all, and I myself had been cheated on by two wives.
Not to mention how emotional I was feeling about everything going on with Magda.
