“Send me the information,” I said.
“I’ll do that when I get back to the hotel.” The song in the background changed. “Will you be coming down to the house for the birthday party? Perhaps with a…friend?”
I sighed. “I should’ve kent that was coming.”
“Aye, you should have.” He chuckled. “But that doesn’t get you out of answering the question.”
“I ken.” I rubbed my forehead. “If I come, I’ll be alone.”
“When did you break up with her?” When I didn’t answer, he sighed. “You haven’t. What the hell?”
“I never meant it to get this far,” I admitted. “She was alone here on Christmas. We had fun. I hadn’t intended for anyone to think more of it than that.”
“What did she say when you talked to her about it? Or haven’t you done that either?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, hoping to release some of the tension there. “We both ken I’m not good at talking, especially about emotions.”
“Aye, I do.” Brody’s voice grew serious. “But that doesna mean you can avoid it and hope it goes away.”
“I dinnae want to hurt her,” I protested.
“Pretending will hurt her no matter what,” he countered. “You need to be honest with her, big brother.”
As much as I hated it, I knew he was right. Which meant I needed to stop being a fucking coward and deal with the mess I’d made.
One thing I knew for certain. I’d never put myself in this position again.
Fourteen
It had beentwo days since my conversation with Brody. I hadn’t talked to Keli yet, and each day that passed made me feel even more like the bastard I was.
Even the fact that I’d worked a sixteen-hour day yesterday and had come into the office this morning at seven to finish my notes on an upcoming presentation was an excuse. It was Sunday afternoon. The only person who expected me to be in the office, working like this, was me. We weren’t behind schedule. I’d chosen to be here, anyway.
The building was empty of all but me and two security guards. Not even janitorial staff worked on Sundays. Some might have found the solitude creepy, but I had always enjoyed silence. I supposed that came from having so little of it growing up. The quiet was why, despite my office being located on the opposite end of the building as the public elevators, I heard an elevator door ding open.
I assumed one of the two security guards had come up to do his second-floor rounds, which meant the knock at my door came as a surprise. I raised my head and found the younger of the two guards, Collier, standing next to Keli.
“Sorry to disturb you, Mr. McCrae, but this young lady said you were expecting her.”
Keli flushed, her eyes darting to mine and then away. “I wanted to surprise you.”
I caught a flicker of annoyance in Collier’s eyes – which I completely understood – but he didn’t say anything. I made a mental note to give him a commendation.
“It’s all right,” I said to him. “You can go.”
“Yes, sir.” The way his heels clicked together when he said it reminded me that he’d served in the military a few years prior to coming here.
“Sorry,” Keli said as she came into my office. “I didn’t mean to bother anyone. I just remembered you said you were working today, and I thought I’d come by and offer to take you to dinner. I mean, you have to eat, right?”
I bit back a sigh. “I appreciate the thought, but—”
“But you’re busy.” She sounded annoyed, and I wondered if this would finally be the last straw.
“I am,” I answered honestly. “I have a conference call later, and I’m afraid that doesn’t leave time for anything but a rushed reheated meal.”
“A conference call.” The annoyance grew to irritation. “On a Sunday night?”
“It’s overseas,” I explained. “It won’t be Sunday night for them.”
