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“You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”
“What?” I ask, my spine straightening at her observation even though she hasn’t seen me yet. “No, that’s ridiculous.”
She hums in response, not bothering to let me know she’s onto my bullshit. “Anyway, wanted to see if there’s a day we can get together. Maybe a girl’s night?”
“God, yes, please.” Nothing would help me more than a good dose of alcohol and some time with my favorite girl. “Would be a great time to tell you what else happened this week.”
“I love your life,” she mumbles over a bite of food. “Next weekend work for you?”
“I’ll make sure to clear my schedule, I really don’t care what Heath wants me to do at this point. I’m most likely losing my job anyway when I make it into the office tomorrow, especially since I’m not going by today like he’s expecting.”
My phone pings and I groan. Speak of the devil, there’s a long text waiting for me from him that I’d rather not read, but that’s what happens when your ex happens to be your boss.
Justine hisses. “Yeah, good luck with that. We’ll catch up next weekend, love you!”
I take a moment to glance at the message waiting for me from Heath, then throw my phone down on the couch. Do I even care about this damn job anymore? Any other time I’d be bending over backwards to show that I can handle anything, but I’m not so sure that’s the case anymore. I always thought I’d end up being promoted and even now that’s looking more and more bleak — I’m starting to wonder if I ever had a chance at all to make it higher in the company.
* * *
Since I didn’t make it into the office yesterday and instead drowned my weight in ice cream and sit-com reruns, I’m up bright and early today. Heath left me a very nice voicemail around four in the afternoon when I ignored his call for the sixth time, and it’s only solidifying how much I hate this job. I’ve barely made it five steps out of the elevator before I’m being gripped and pulled in the opposite direction of my office.
My face immediately flushes red with anger and I try to yank my arm from Heath’s grip, but the action is futile when he’s got such a strong hold on me. I huff in annoyance, then wince as his grip only seems to get tighter and it doesn’t look as though he’s going to loosen it anytime soon.
As soon as we are in his office, he shuts the door aggressively behind him and pulls me over to a chair sitting in front of his desk. He doesn’t round the large piece of furniture like I expected him to, choosing instead to lean against it with his arms crossed over his chest. There’s nothing but storm clouds brewing in his gaze and the idea of him being this angry has me sinking into the chair, wishing I could disappear.
“What the fuck, Syd?” he spits out. “You were supposed to come to the office as soon as you got back into the city, not the next day. I hope you came back with good news.”
I scoff. “I’m not sure what you want me to tell you, Heath. There’s nothing else to give you.”
His spine straightens and he glares at me, the action making my skin crawl. How have I never realized he got angry so easily? Is this really so important that it deserves this reaction?
“You had one job, Sydney, and you couldn’t even do that? Yet, you expect to make it to the top at this company.” He curls his lip in disgust and shakes his head. “It’s pathetic, really, that you ever thought you’d have a higher place here.”
I’m trying not to let his words hurt me, but this is what I have been spending the majority of my time working towards. I wanted to prove to everyone around me I could do anything, be better than they believed me to be, but Heath just shot all my hopes down the drain. For what, some lousy notes that I didn’t get?
I’m bouncing my leg up and down frantically, silently forcing myself not to open my big mouth, while he continues to go on and on about how terrible I am at this job. All his words are going through one ear and out the other, because I’m sure after he’s had a moment to cool down he’ll come waltzing back into my office and apologize for his reaction.
“You’re dismissed,” he snaps, then rounds the desk and flops dramatically into his chair. You’d think he’s a teenager with the way he’s acting over the entire situation, and luckily for me, I manage to keep my mouth shut the entire way to my office.
Is being around Heath twenty-four-seven worth it?
I’m not sure it is anymore. I thought working at his company was the smart move for my career, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m better off doing something else with my life. The fact that the ranch pops into my mind after the thought only reminds me that I’m more attached to the place than I had intended to be — here’s to hoping Heath will let me go back, even if it’s only one more time.
Chapter 21
Brent
As much as I’m trying to understand that Nathan is an adult and can make his own choices in life, that doesn’t stop my heart from nearly falling out of my chest every time he takes his horse around the small track we have outside. Each time the horse becomes agitated, my heart comes to a complete stop, only to beat once Nathan seems to calm him down.
After much thought after our fight, I knew I needed to let him do this — he feels responsible for the barn being destroyed, since he never woke up that night — and I’m slowly getting better about it. Last week I nearly collapsed from worry, but now it’s only making me lose my breath and feel like I’m having a damn heart attack.
But the smile on his face as he hops off the horse is what really calms down my nerves. I may hate this life for him, but if it’s something that makes him this happy, I’m not going to stand in his way. It’s not right that I’ve been projecting my own fears onto him, especially when it pertains to his future, and I’m going to stand by his side through it all.
He walks over to me, beaming from ear to ear, then takes a seat next to me on the grass. “You see that?”
I give him a small smile and nod. “I did, you’re definitely getting better. You think you’ll be ready for the derby?”
“As long as I keep working at it every day it should all come together nicely.” He glances around the area and frowns at the guest house, just like the two of us have been doing since Sydney left — again — and I sigh to myself. It’s been a couple months since she pulled away from the ranch and things haven’t been the same since.
