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Oliver held up his hands in defense. “I said no offense.”
“And who are you to talk about emotional intelligence? I’ve never seen you have a deep conversation in your entire life. Just because you’re constantly talking doesn’t mean you have something to say.”
His gaze hardened and I knew I struck a nerve.
“Fuck off, Nathan. I was trying to help.”
“No, you were trying to insert your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Fine,” he said, his chair clattering around as he stood up. “Sorry I bothered. I’m leaving.”
“Good,” I said, not meeting his gaze.
“For the record, Nathan. You’re an asshole. And the worst part is you don’t even realize it half the time. For your own sake, you should double-check that you weren’t a jerk to Charlie because obviously your opinion on the matter can’t be trusted.”
With that, he stormed out of the coffee shop and left me seething in my seat. Where did he get off coming in here and telling me that? He didn’t know what was said between Charlie and me. I didn’t misread anything.
I couldn’t force her to be with me—as much as I wished I could. Why would she want me? I’m honestly not sure why I expected anything from her. It was foolish to think she’d be interested in me. She exuded charm. She could have her pick of men. Meanwhile, I struggled to hold even the most basic of conversations. I must be a chore to be around for her.
I had to get her out of my head. Allowing such a distraction to persist was unacceptable. I needed to return to my usual productive, logical self. Not this new self that imagined firing Liam publicly in front of the whole office anytime he had the nerve to lean on Charlie’s desk and openly flirt with her.
No, I couldn’t be this person anymore. I needed to get ahold of myself, and I needed to do it fast.
Chapter Twenty-Two
CHARLIE
I foughtthe urge to tear my hair out as I stared at the app design our new freelance developer sent over. Not only was it riddled with basic errors, but it was almost as if he hadn’t even referenced the list of requirements I had given him.
I opened up a new document and started typing out every issue I discovered. At this rate, ConnectHer’s new venture would never succeed if we didn’t find better help.
A loud meow was my only warning before Edward jumped up on my keyboard.
“Ugh, not now,” I groaned as he looked up at me with his huge eyes, begging to be pet.
I scratched underneath his chin, unable to ignore his need for attention.
“I need my own office with a door if I’m ever going to get any work done,” I muttered as Edward rolled onto his side and started purring.
My doorknob turned, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Lila strolled through.
“Thank god you’re here.”
She set down a coffee in front of me before perching on the edge of the couch positioned next to my desk.
“Well, you did text me ‘nine-one-one, everything is going up in flames,’” she replied dryly.
“This guy we hired doesn’t know what he’s doing!” I exclaimed. “You need to see this test version he sent over. It’s atrocious.”
“How is a bad test version of an app that we have no set plans to release an emergency?” she asked, sipping her coffee all too calmly.
“We need this to work, or at least be on track to working. This app is a mess.”
“Geez, why don’t they warn you that starting your own business is going to be hard?” she joked.
“Lila, I’m serious. How are we supposed to quit our jobs and become successful if we can’t even build the stupid app?” I took in a deep breath.
Lila sensed my anxiety and shifted gears.
