“Your five minutes start now.” I cross my arms, but my words feel empty. I’m tired of being mad at Holden.
He hands me a folder. “This is your promotion packet. Effective immediately. Vice President of Interior Design, Big Sky Architecture. Full benefits package, your own team, your own projects, and a salary to reflect the position. Everything you’ve earned and should have had months ago. Carter and I met about it and are in agreement.”
I stare at the folder but don’t open it. “I’ve been offered a job in Seattle.”
“You deserve it. You deserve everything, Atlanta, including a boss who isn’t a selfish prick.”
“Holden—”
“Let me finish. Please.” He runs a hand through his dark hair. “I held your promotion over your head like a bargaining chip even though you’d already proven yourself a hundred times over. I was selfish and manipulative, and I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”
My eyes hold unshed tears, and if I blink, I know they’ll spill. I don’t dare speak because I can’t let him see me cry.
He swallows hard, his jaw working as he struggles to maintain composure. “Please know that the promotion was never contingent on helping me with the curse. It was never contingent on anything. You earned it the day I hired you, and I was too scared of losing you to admit it. I thought if I kept you close, kept you in your current role, you wouldn’t leave like our last lead designer did.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
“I know.” He takes a step closer, still holding Maynard, who is now purring. The traitor. “But I was terrified. Because somewhere along the way, you stopped being just an employee. You became the reason I looked forward to work every day. The person I wanted to share every success with. The woman I—” He stops, his words stripped of all his usual confidence.
“The woman you what?” My voice is barely a whisper.
“The woman I fell in love with.” The words tumble out of him like a truth he can’t cage a second longer.
I suck in a breath, my hand flying to my mouth.
“I’m in love with you, Atlanta. And I handled it in the worst possible way because I’m an idiot who didn’t know how to separate what I wanted from what was right.” He gestures to thefolder. “Take the Seattle job. Take the promotion here and then leave anyway. I don’t care. I just need you to know that you are brilliant and talented and deserving of every good thing, and I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that.”
A tear slides down my cheek. “You’re a dunderhead.”
“I know.”
“You held my promotion hostage.”
“I know.”
“You kissed me and then brought up the promotion like it meant nothing.” My voice breaks. “But earning it on my merit was everything to me.”
I open the folder finally, scanning the documents inside. The official promotion letter. The salary increase. The benefits package. The memo from Carter outlining my qualifications as a new VP.
“This is dated two weeks ago.” My eyes snap to his.
“I finalized it last night, but I started the paperwork two weeks ago. After the hardware store. After watching you shine and acknowledging that I was the only thing holding you back.”
I search his face, a knot in my throat. “Why didn’t you give this to me then?”
“Because I’m a coward.” His shoulders drop, all the fight gone out of him. “But I can’t imagine my world without you in it. Even if you go, even if you move to Seattle, I need you in my life.”
“Holden.” I set the folder down on the coffee table. “I applied for the Seattle job because I was hurt. I’m not taking it. I’d pretty much decided it during the interview.”
He takes a step toward me, setting Maynard on the ground.
“But I’m not sure about being a VP. I want to meet with you and with Carter first.”
He pulls out his phone. “Done. Carter will be here in an hour.” He steps close, his thumb tracing my jaw. “But if you decide it’s a no, I understand.”
Tears stream down my cheeks, and pulls me close. “I love you, Atlanta Creekmore. You’re honest, loyal, hard-working, sexy as fuck, and never gave up on me. I want to spend the rest of my life proving just how much you mean to me.”
I take his hand and lead him to my bedroom. “You can start now. But we only have an hour.”
