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Emerson
“We need to talk.”
I looked up from the paperwork I wasn’t really reading as Orion burst into my office without bothering to knock, not that he needed to. His asshole father never did, but he usually had more consideration, which just showed how pissed he likely was.
The door shut behind him. I minimized the program and gestured to the chair that my boss was already headed toward. This was going to be a fun conversation.
I wracked my brain, trying to figure out what was wrong now. I mean, Iknewit had something to do with a certain little omega, but what changed to cause this outburst now? I had no idea what Jett said to Orion about that night, if anything, but whatever it was, the two of us came to an unspoken agreement to focus on work at work. He didn’t mention Jett or how badly I fucked up, and I didn’t try to unobtrusively pester him for details on how or what he was doing.
It worked for the last few weeks, so I really had no idea what was about to come out of his mouth, but it couldn’t be good.
“You need to get your head out of your ass.”
I blinked, shocked. That was all I could manage. “Excuse me?”
Orion sighed. “Listen, Jett asked me to stay out of it and for whatever happened between you two to not affect your job or our work relationship, and I agreed. I figured as long as it didn’t affect your work, then I could let the bullshit go and respect his wishes. We are trying to give omegas more rights, and autonomy over their bodies is one of those things. So even though there aremanythings I’d have liked to say, I kept my mouth shut.”
I needed more scotch. I had an unopened bottle in the bottom drawer of my desk I just put there this morning, but I fought against the urge to get it. I was likely on the verge of getting fired. I didn’t need to add more fuel to the fire.
“What changed now, then?” Gods, what was wrong with me?Don’t get fired, Emerson. That was what I was supposed to do. How did this one tiny person upend my life so much? I wasn’t a person who drank at work or snapped at their boss. I always had myself together. Always in control. Always. I was the older one, the mature one. Yet, I was a mess.
Luckily, Orion didn’t seem offended. “It’s started to affect your work.”
How could he say that? “I worked nearly 100 hours in the last two weeks.”
“Believe me, I know. Do you know how often I was approached by the cleaning service because they couldn’t get your trash because you were sleeping in your office?” What? “Too many. That’s how many.”
“I had no idea. You can tell them they can still come in. I didn’t mean to stop them from doing their job.” I guessed that explained why the can was overflowing earlier this week. I thought it was odd, but my brain was so fried, I didn’t make the connection.
“As if that is the only issue. You’ve been short and downright rude to just about everyone. Don’t you dare say that’s not true,” he added when I started to open my mouth to protest. “You made the poor beta in the mail room cry the other day.”
“I did not!” No, the only person I made cry was Jett.
“You most certainly did, Emerson Winston. And do you know why?” I shook my head, dumbfounded. I didn’t even remember going in the mail room. I had assistants that handled that kind of thing. “Because he hadn’t sent over a document to the downtown office. A document you never gave him. Someone found the confidential document lying on the floor in the bathroom. The lobby bathroom, Winston. The one that anyone who walks into this godsdamn building has access to. And I had this poor beta begging me not to fire him because he’s the sole provider for his omega siblings. I had to deal with that. Not you. Me. I didn’t even know what he was talking about. I don’t like my employees coming to me about things I have no knowledge of. Especially bullshit things. Being confused is not a good look.”
The memory came back to me in a flash. Not screaming at the mailroom attendant, that was still firmly blank, but why the file was in the bathroom in the first place. I was on my way down—because I demanded my assistant leave early when they innocently asked if I had been sleeping in the office—when I started to feel sick from the alcohol. I barely made it to the restroom before vomiting. I must have forgotten the document. Fuck.
“I’m so sorry. I . . . I don’t even know what to say honestly. I didn’t realize—”
“That you’ve become an absolute mess? No, I figured you didn’t. Listen, if you were anyone else, you’d already be gone. But you’re the best exec I have and one of the few I can actually trust with everything. I know this bullshit isn’t you. And I know why you’re struggling. But it ends now. You either need to fix things or learn to live with your choices.”
I slumped back into my chair, feeling defeated. “I don’t know how.”
The younger alpha tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just, I know it’s the right decision to let him go. I’m wrong on the inside, Orion. Broken. He deserves someone better. Someone who won’t . . .” Hurt him, make him bleed. Panic and leave him alone, twice. “Well, someone whose nature isn’t just wrong. But the bond is making it impossible to walk away.”
Orion was quiet. I could tell he was considering his next words. “First of all, I know what wrong and broken look like in an alpha, and that’s not you.” I opened my mouth. “I swear, Winston, if you try to tell me you’re just as bad as my father . . .”
“The only reason I’m not is because I stop myself. I stay in control. But if I didn’t, then I would be the same monster he is. Jett, he brings that monster to the surface.”
Orion burst out laughing. What could possibly be funny now? “I’m calling bullshit on that. I saw Jett after both encounters, and yes, I know about both. Do you really think he was able to sneak out without me knowing? Arden was waiting farther down the hallway for him. I don’t think Jett remembers but that’s how he got back safely. Since you left him again. No, I don’t want to hear any details. All I’m saying is that I’ve been taking care of my mom after encounters with Atlas for years, and whatever you and Jett did together was far away from what that asshole did to my mother.”
I shook my head. No, he was wrong. He had to be. “He was crying, Orion. I heard him.”
“Yeah, because you rejected him, you fucking idiot. You’re his fated mate and twice you walked out on him. I can barely stand Lyric leaving a room before me. I can’t even comprehend how it must feel to be turned away from my mate. I’m pretty sure I’d lose it.”
I scrubbed my face, trying to process what Orion was implying with the facts that I knew to be true. They didn’t match up, but I couldn’t decide what was right. I spent my whole adult life denying how I truly felt inside, telling myself I was wrong. Now he was saying that wasn’t true? No, he just didn’t understand.
