Pressing my back against the wall, I cover my mouth. I’ve covered for Jonah and Kyle more times than I can count—stepping in for Jonah’s clients when he took two weeks off for his grandmother’s funeral, and handling Kyle’s workload when he went away for his sister’s wedding. I do half of Trevor’s job because I’m the only junior agent he trusts.
All I do is try so hard to earn their respect. And for what?
As I creep away, the door opens.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Turner?” Andy’s eyes dart between me and Trevor’s office. I should’ve known he was in there. He’s one of them too. “It’s not what you—”
I barrel down the hallway without waiting for him to finish his sentence. Once safe in my office, I close the door, and press the heels of my palms against my eyes.
No. You will not let these assholes make you cry.
But it’s too late. Warm tears slide down my cheeks as I grab my phone and open the calendar. Garrett’s in town for the three-game series against the Pilots, and I’m meeting him at the golf course in an hour.
Does Garrett see this as a joke? A big waste of time?
The knock at the door makes my phone slip from my fingers.
Fixing my mascara, I bend down to pick up my phone. “Come in.”
Frankenstein entering my office would be less surprising than seeing Andy standing in the doorway, looking like a sad puppy.
His shifty gaze lands on me for half a second. “You ran off before I could say anything.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Wasn’t in the mood to hear anymore lies about myself. It’s not fun listening to people joke about me sleeping with the boss. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare to waste Garrett’s time.”
Andy winces at my sarcasm. “Turner, please. Can we talk?”
“There’s nothing to say. I heard everything.”
“But that was Trevor, Kyle, and Jonah. I didn’t say anything.”
My laugh is harsh. “Which is almost worse.”
Cade was the first person to speak up for me as a female agent when someone railed against me. Is it fair that my hard work wasn’t enough, but Cade’s words were?
No, but I’m thankful for him.
Andy’s jaw twitches and he turns around, but instead of leaving, he closes the door and locks himself inside. In the crappy light, he almost looks familiar. More like the person who studied negotiations with me over mozzarella sticks in the break room. The only person who didn’t laugh when I told him about my dreams as an agent. He treated me like an equal. An adversary.
“You’re right, and I’m sorry.” Andy takes a seat and drops his voice to a whisper. “You deserve to know the truth. Trevor’s pissed because he reached out to Garrett and got ignored, but you didn’t.”
I blink hard at his unexpected confession. “What?”
“Right after you talked to him about throwing your hat in the ring, he tried to schedule a meeting with Garrett before you could.”
My knees buckle, and I collapse into the chair. Trevor tried to steal Garrett from me.
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, refusing to let my guard down. “You’re one of Trevor’s guys.”
“Because I fucking hate being one of them! And I hate the way I’ve treated you. You knew more than every intern, and instead of being smug, you were kind enough to tutor me. You were my friend, but the moment we got our contracts, I saw you as a threat. Trevor didn’t help that fear, but I can’t blame him. I’ve had plenty of chances to speak up.”
I peer at the door, waiting for the camera crew to burst in. “Am I being punked?”
“Nope. I’m just an idiot trying to make amends.” He falls into the seat across from me and shakes his head. “I’m done watching Trevor treat you like shit. And I’m sorry for everything, Turner. Henrietta was pissed when I told her the real reason we stopped talking.”
Andy’s long-time girlfriend’s name makes me pause. “You told her?”
