Last I heard from Everleigh, he was out of touch because he was on a mission. Sounded like she wasn’t expecting him back anytime soon either.
A horn blares behind me, and I curse, watching Titan’s head snap in my direction. His eyes pin me through the windshield.
He smirks, and as I shove my glasses back down, he blows me a mocking kiss.
That little move makes my jaw clench. It tells me he’s already talked to Hayvin and knows exactly how badly I fucked up.
Refusing to let him see that it gets to me, I blow a kiss right back and peel away, tires screaming.
Is he back because of Hayvin? Did she call him?
My mind spins with images of them the whole way through the drive. By the time I reach work, it feels like molten rock is crushing my chest, and I have to wrestle with myself not to turn around and face him.
Sure, his sister lives here, but my gut says she’s not the only reason he’s come back to Granite Bay.
It isn’t until I drop into my office chair that I finally name the emotion twisting inside me.
Fucking jealousy.
It’s tangled up with a mess of anger, but jealousy is the loudest. I’ve never felt it before, and I hate every second of it.
It makes me feel unhinged. With a hostile takeover looming today, losing control is the last thing I can afford.
Not hearing Hayvin’s voice, not seeing her face, keeps me awake most nights. She’s been my world for three years, and only losing her made me see how badly I showed it. Now, all I want is to prove she still is. Charlie and Keaton gave me advice. Be honest. Stop running from my feelings. Stop hiding behind my friends. I’d already been thinking it, but hearing it from people in the same fight helps clear my head.
Charlie’s advice would be much different if she knew about the kiss between you and Jerica.
That sneering voice in my head makes me grind my teeth, a brutal ache blooming behind my eyes.
Damn it. I never wanted that kiss.
You could have pushed her away.
A buzz from my desk interrupts my thoughts before I can ponder that subconscious statement. My assistant informs me over the intercom that it's time for the boardroom meeting.
“Thanks, Malcolm,” I reply, standing and fixing the cuffs of my shirt.
I shrug on my suit jacket, forcing every other thought out of my head. The Barrington deal takes over as I brace for the fight ahead.
The boardroom battle is simple. Facing Hayvin is a war I’ve never fought, and it scares me more than anything.
***
I power down my computer, snatch my briefcase, and click the lock on my office door. The day has wrung me out, and the thought of returning to my empty apartment is bleak. Still, I have to track down Hayvin and try to untangle the mess I made.
Loosening my tie, I make for the elevator, tuning out the voices calling my name. After a day like this, conversation feels like a punishment. There’s only one person I want to talk to, and until I figure out how to fix things with her, everyone else is just background noise.
Just as the doors are about to shut, a hand slides between them, halting their progress and making them open again so that they can step on.
Of course, it isn’t just one or two people. Luck never runs that way for me. The whole crowd that was vying for my attention a moment ago piles in.
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, wishing I could vanish. Socializing is the last thing I want, but I’m trapped. If Mr. Baladucci hears his loyal minions complain about my attitude, I’ll never hear the end of it.
“Alek, man. You coming out with us tonight? It’s been a while since you’ve chilled with us,” Perry asks.
Perry and Zebulon aren’t as grating as the rest. I never clicked with them the way I did with David, Keaton, or Charlie. Maybe it’s because they’re already wrapped up in their own tight-knit bromance.
The others have these little habits that get under my skin, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why they bother me so much.
