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I laugh. “Get in line.” I’d kiss me, too, if I could.
“Seriously, you are my new fucking hero.”
“Mine, too.”
I turn to the voice and find Callie there, beaming at me with her arms open. Before I can speak, Garrett says, “She’s strictly no hugging right now. Still vommy.”
Her arms drop. “I’ll wait for my hug, but holy shit, that was awesome.”
“You heard us?”
“Saw the whole thing, June. Never thought being sick would turn you into a badass.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Just figured I am done with the bullshit around here. I thought I was going to die, but I didn’t, so no more of that. Madi’s crap isn’t going to go the way she wants it to any longer. I’m done.” It’s true, all of it. But for very different reasons than Callie and Garrett think. That’s okay. They don’t need to know. They’re safer this way.
If I get my money—no, when I get my money—it doesn’t matter what Madi says or does in retaliation. I’ll be gone.
“Shit, I’m late for a meeting,” Garrett grumbles as he gathers his laptop. He gives my shoulder a squeeze. “Glad you’re back and better than ever, June. Missed you.” He jogs down the hall.
And Callie takes his seat. Her voice is low. “Now that we’re alone, what the fuck is actually going on?”
“I told you. Food poisoning and flu. It’s a rough?—"
“Cut the crap, June. Tell me the truth.”
Why is she pressing on this? “I am. What?—"
“You look fine. Maybe a little tired, but I know you. It’s not like you to ignore my texts and my calls. It’s not like you to miss work for an illness. Normal June would have gone to the hospital if she were this sick. Normal June doesn’t show up to work smelling like a man’s cologne. Most importantly, Normal June doesn’t come to work with a hickey.”
I grab my phone and turn the camera to selfie mode to see what the hell she’s talking about. “What? Where?”
She grins. “I knew it.”
“Huh?”
“You wouldn’t have looked for a hickey if you didn’t think there was the possibility of one. It’s Anderson, right?”
I take a breath and blow it out slowly to stall. If I tell her I’ve just been in bed this whole time with Anderson, she’ll think I’ve lost my mind. And I hate lying to Callie. Plus, she’s smart enough to know to keep her mouth shut about the truth. It might be nice to have someone to talk about it other than Anderson. He’s amazing, but I want a neutral party’s opinion on everything …
Crud. Here goes nothing.
“We should go somewhere private, Callie.”
She grabs my hand and yanks me into one of the empty offices, drawing the blinds. “What?—"
“You know, with all of our empty offices, you’d think we could have our own, right?”
She huffs and rolls her eyes. “What happened?”
I sigh, and we sit on the couch. “Keep your voice down when I tell you these things, okay? I don’t want anyone running in here or listening in through the thin walls.”
“You got it.”
“So, Anderson asked me to pretend to be his fiancée …” I tell her everything. To her credit, she manages to keep her squeal inside when I tell her about the ring. And the kidnapping. “… so right now, he’s blackmailing his father for access to his own money. Which is ridiculous, right? I mean, it’s his. Not his dad’s. But he has to play by his rules, or he might not get the CEO gig. It’s complicated and weird, and I just want off this roller coaster already.”
“Can I say something now?”
“Yes.”
