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January wipes her finger under her eye and I know she understands. I smile as I look around the crowd. “Big things are coming, so I’ll see you soon.” I grab the award off the podium and hold it up. “Thank you.”
The crowd erupts into applause as I get a standing ovation and I shake the hands of the presenters, thanking them.
When I step off the stage, January stands out among everyone. The happiness making her face glow and her tear-filled eyes has me picking up my pace to reach her. People are congratulating me as I pass by, but right now my only thought is getting to my girl.
I give her a big hug, not wanting to ever let her go.
“Congratulations, Nicholas.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I whisper, pressing a soft kiss below her ear.
“Well, this is cozy,” a nasally voice interrupts us. “Congratulations, Luge.” Pulse’s attention shifts to January and my hands fist at my side. “After the epic launch of my campaign next month, that January helped me with, even before officially joining Pulse Gaming, it’ll be me next time.” He tosses a folder onto the table and I glance down at the papers spilling out of it.
My head snaps to January as I frown. “My idea. What?” I’m so confused. “You gave him my idea?”
“She’s already a huge asset to me,” Pulse sneers.
“I can explain,” she says, stepping closer to me, but I’m no longer listening as I pick up the papers.
Are you kidding me?
It’s my campaign. But with Pulse’s logo all over it.
I glance at January. “What is this?” I keep scanning the documents. This can’t be true. I knew she took a job with him, but this? I glare at her, and she opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water.
One lone tear rolls down her cheek and my heart shatters.
She’s destroyed me.
Completely.
Chapter 13
January
* * *
Garrett Pulse did me dirty. This time I’m not lying when I say I hate him, but as I look at Nicholas, I can tell his world is obliterated. He has to know I had nothing to do with this, right?
Right?
“She’ll be a great addition,” Pulse says, and I wish his word vomit would stop already.
“I’m not coming to work for you anymore. Are you kidding me?” I glare at him. How can he even think I’d be fine with this.
I hate him. I really do. I don’t usually like to use the word hate, because it’s ugly, but I do hate him right now.
However, it doesn’t appear to matter. Nicholas steps away from me.
“Nicholas,” I whisper, tears rolling down my cheeks at a steady pace. “Please…” my words fall away when I realize he’s no longer listening to me. This can’t be happening.
Nicholas flips through the papers. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
Before I can even answer, Pulse is wrapping an arm around me. His cheesy smile is wide and garish. I’m repulsed. “She’s been everything to me.”
I want to puke.
Did he really just say that?
“Everything?” Nicholas echoes.
“That’s not true,” I say, pushing Pulse off me. I step away from him, closer to Nicholas, to try to plead my case. “You have to believe me.”
He just has to.
He can’t seriously think I had anything to do with stealing his campaign.
The sound of Pulse’s laughter beside us makes me want to throat punch him. And pull his perfectly coiffed hair. I want to stomp on his foot.
“Looks like you two have a lot to discuss. See you after the holiday, January.”
“Um, no you won’t.” I park a hand on my hip. “I’d never work for a snake like you.”
He’s already walking away and even though I know he heard me, he doesn’t acknowledge it.
I spin around to look at Nicholas, but he’s still reading over the papers in his hands.
“This is everything. There’s no way this is a coincidence.”
“I know.”
His eyes are watery, and I wonder if a man like Nicholas cries. Gazing up at him right now, I’m thinking he does.
It melts my heart.
I want to wrap my arms around him. Tell him we’ll figure this all out together. We’ll find the fucker who’s been stealing his ideas and passing them off to Pulse.
I take one tentative step forward, and he takes one step back. “Nicholas…” my words fall away when I notice he’s no longer listening to me.
“I knew you were going to work with Pulse, but I never thought you could do something like this.”
Wait. What?
“You knew?”
His eyes finally meet mine, and I feel like I’ve just been sucker punched. There’s so much hurt hidden behind his irises. “Yes. I don’t know how you thought you could hide something like that from me. I know everything.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I thought maybe I could convince you to stay.” His eyes stare straight through me.
