I let out a sigh, wishing that I were anywhere but here right now. “I…” I pause, unable to find the right words.
The silence that surrounds us is deafening. “I got cold feet, okay?” I blurt out. “I didn’t want to hurt my dad. If he’d found out, it would’ve killed him. You guys are best friends. When a job opened up in Ann Arbor, I jumped on the opportunity. It just made things easier. Clean break.”
“It wasn’t easy on me…” he adds, and sadness drapes over him. “In all honesty, it fucking wrecked me when you left, Becca.”
I wish I could just tell him the real reason why I left.
I hate lying to him, especially when he’s innocent in this whole thing.
My mouth opens as my face softens.
I want to tell him that I’m sorry for hurting him.
That I regret leaving and messing up what we had.
But before I’m able to get a word out, Steven’s office door opens and a man closer to my age steps inside, sporting an all-black name-brand suit with a red button-down shirt.
He resembles Steven, but his hair is shorter and slicked back with piercing bright blue eyes.
While he has some nice-looking features, he’s not my type at all. Too prim and proper.
He seems like a man who would be way too into himself for my liking.
“Hey,” Steven greets him as if they’re old friends. “Becca, this is my little brother, Camden.”
“Everyone calls me Cam,” he chimes in, holding his hand out for me to shake.
As much as I don’t want to, I entertain the idea because Cam coming into Steven’s office is my chance to get the hell out of here before Steven tries to press the issue further.
Nodding, I shake his hand before standing from the seat and heading for the door.
“Hey, I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell Steven before practically running out of his office.
It was nice to catch up with Steven, but it’s been a long day, and I can’t wait to get back home to Damian.
After grabbing my bag from my locker in the break room and clocking out, I rush to the elevators and hit the button.
The door slides open as a bell sounds, and I step inside, hitting the G button for the ground floor.
As the doors start shutting, a broad hand slips between them, causing them to open again.
Cam smiles, flashing his perfectly straight, white teeth at me.
“Going down?” he says coyly. “Mind if I catch a ride?”
I shake my head no but stay quiet in the far corner away from him.
As we hit the third floor and then the second, Cam clears his throat. “I gotta say, it’s nice to see my brother hire someone who isn’t completely unfortunate looking.”
Although it was meant to be a compliment, it still makes me feel uncomfortable.
I don’t say a word back to him.
The last thing I need is to be wrapped up with another Ricci brother.
And to be completely honest, I really only have eyes for Steven.
No one else could ever live up to him.
