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“You didn’t have a girlfriend?” I ask Huxley.
“Never.”
I stare at Huxley in shock. How does a person go thirty-two years without being in a relationship?
“Are you a virgin?” I whisper, earning a giggle from Emery.
Huxley’s brows arch as he gives me a blank stare.
“Or maybe nothing is hanging between your legs. Is it a little party wiener?”
His eyes darken, and his lips curl into a fiendish grin. “Need I remind you of the professional boundaries we set?”
I lean in closer. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” I laugh. Before he can respond, I turn to Xavier. “How about you? Sleep your way through the entire campus?”
“No.” He smiles, but a tornado of rage is swirling in his eyes. “I’ve never been one to sleep around because when I have something, I don’t like to share.” His words have a clear warning, but I ignore it like a rebel asking for danger.
“You’d call yourself loyal then? Trustworthy? Honest?”
Turning his head to face me, he says, “Yes. Do you not agree?”
Of the four liars at the table, I don’t know who the biggest liar is.
“I don’t know, Mr Rivers. I’m still figuring that one out.”
He turns his head to his wife. “How about you? What do you think of me?”
Before she can respond, I cut in. “Be careful how you answer Emery. Life is not a game of chess. He may be the king, but it’s not your job to save him.”
22
ThethirdtextfromHuxley has me wiping my tears away. I blink at my reflection in the interior mirror and clear my throat. But when I close my eyes and envision my mum sitting through another chemotherapy session, my tears begin again. I lean back in my seat and give myself two more minutes to cry.
Every session brings a deeper wave of heartache. She’s starting to wither away and becoming frail. With no one around to comfort me, my hands rest on my belly, hoping the baby will give me the strength to get through this.
Another text comes through, and I pull myself out of my pity party and the car. When I enter the conference room ten minutes late, all eyes are on me, including Xavier’s deadly ones.
“You’re late, Miss Hayes.”
I casually stroll past him and to my seat next to Huxley. “What’s your point?” I ask, rolling my eyes at him.
“This is a board meeting. You were expected to be here more than ten minutes ago.” His voice holds authority and captures the entire room.
Huxley warns me with his eyes not to argue back. I reluctantly keep my mouth shut. He stares at me with furrowed brows as he takes in my blotchy cheeks and bloodshot eyes.
“What happened?”
I shake my head to let him know I don’t want to talk about it.
Huxley surprises me by taking my hand in his under the table. His fingers thread through mine, and he squeezes tight.
I lean in closer and whisper, “Thank you.”
He gives me a rare, genuine smile. “Whoever made you cry can get their ass kicked later,” he whispers back.
My heart clenches at the determination in his eyes. “What if I deserved it?”
The light through the windows brings out the rich amber tones in his eyes. “I don’t care.”
