And it wasn’t just Jonah asking for time. It was everything compounding at once. Cora’s interference, the threat to my job, and the cruel timing of finally wanting something I couldn’t have. I’d spent so long protecting myself from exactly this kind of vulnerability, and here I was anyway, crying in a stairwell over a man I’d known for weeks.
So why did this feel like an ending? Maybe because I’d finally let myself hope, and hope was the dangerous part.
I couldn’t risk my job over this, not when the threat was so real. I’d never had financial stability as a child, but I sure as hell needed to give it to Evie. She deserved better than what I’d had.
I wiped my tears on my sleeve and straightened my shoulders, trying to pull myself together. But the ache in my chest wouldn’t fade. Part of me knew I was being dramatic, and that Jonah had only asked for a few days. But what if those few days turned into weeks? What if Cora’s leverage was too strong? What if we were always going to be trapped in this impossible situation, sneaking around and waiting for the other shoe to drop?
I couldn’t live like that. And I couldn’t ask him to either.
I spent the rest of my workday trying to focus on anything but Jonah and the mess we’d found ourselves in.
But by mid-afternoon, my sadness had crystallized into anger, and all of it was aimed at Cora.
The problem wasn’t Jonah or what we felt for each other. It was Cora and how far she would go to make his life miserable. She’d already poisoned his childhood, and now she was manipulating her way into destroying anything good he tried to build. The familiar surge of fury made my heartbeat race. Oh, how I wished I could give that woman a piece of my mind for what she’d done to Jonah, both back then and now.
The next day’sstand-up team meeting was intense.
Rafael was coming down hard on the team. Everyone was curt and tight-lipped, and the meeting ended with Rafael telling us we’d better work nights to meet our deadline.
As we filed out of the conference room, I noticed a man fixing the copier in the hallway, his back to me. I was barely payingattention, since my mind was still churning over my growing list of things to do, when something about his body-frame caught my eye. I glanced back over my shoulder, but he’d already stepped away from the copier and was nowhere to be seen.
By the time we made it back to our desks, Stacey positioned herself directly in my path. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her blue eyes sharp and scrutinizing as they locked onto mine.
“Lexi,” she said, her voice low but firm, “I still don’t understand how you plan to keep up with this project. You looked lost in that meeting today.”
I wasn’t lost; I was just an emotional mess after my conversation with Jonah the day before. But ever since I’d begun working here, Stacey had grown increasingly distrustful of me, distancing herself from me at work. I wasn’t sure why, but I wasn’t going to spend my time worrying over that.
I clenched my notebook tighter, feeling my palms grow clammy while Brian watched. “I’m working hard to catch up, Stacey. I’m trying to learn as fast as I can.”
Stacey raised an eyebrow, her expression unimpressed. “Learning? This isn’t school. We don’t have time for you tocatch up.”
Her words stung, but I refused to let her see how much. “I understand that. I mean I’m working nights and running tests on my code frequently. I’m going to meet my deadlines, no matter what it takes.”
Stacey sighed, running a hand through her short, styled hair. “You might think Rafael is nice to you because you’re just an intern, but all the serious work gets dumped into my lap.”
“Our laps!” Brian said with a grin.
Being around Brian and his bright, innocent grins made me think about how easily younger men smiled, no matter how serious the situation. Jonah never smiled much.
Stacey shot him a look, drawing me back to the conversation at hand. I understood what that look meant. Stacey was doing most of the work, and she wasn’t getting the credit she deserved.
The situation was unfair to her too.
“I’ll do better. I know I can,” I said, wondering privately how I was going to find that extra time. I could skip taking Evie out this weekend and work instead. But I’d be disappointing her, and I was missing her already.
Stacey shook her head, her frustration evident in the way she rubbed her temples. “Fine, but you’d better step up quickly. We can’t afford to lose any more time. I’m not letting you ruin my chance at getting a promotion next year.”
Stacey walked away, calling Brian to join her at the break room for a second cup of coffee. Brian gave me a questioning look.
“You go ahead. I already got my coffee,” I said, gesturing to my mug, which was empty.
Brian’s gaze went to the empty cup, and then with an awkward smile, he nodded. He, too, seemed to understand that Stacey was keen to get as far away from me as possible, though I’d be damned if I knew why.
I sat down at my desk, my hands trembling slightly as I opened my laptop.
What an absolutely shitty week this was turning out to be.
25
