Chapter Twenty-Five
After Chris andLucy left, I decided I was tired of thinking. So, I finished the second bottle of wine that Lucy bought and took a long, hot bath.
Then I settled on the couch in my pajamas to watch something mindless and entertaining on the TV. When that couldn’t hold my attention, I picked up my Kindle and found a sweeping fantasy novel in my library that I’d yet to start.
The author managed to capture my frayed attention by the second chapter and I lost myself in the pages.
When my phone rang, I glanced at the screen and froze.
It was Landen. It was also nearly ten o’clock at night, which meant it was 8 p.m. on the West Coast.
My finger hovered over the screen to connect the call but in the end, I let it go to voicemail. I didn’t like doing it but I wasn’t ready to talk to Landen yet. I still didn’t have my head on straight and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to remain calm if we talked.
I didn’t intend to avoid him indefinitely but I also didn’t know what to say.
Lucy was right. I needed to decide if I could let this go and move forward. I didn’t want to banish Landen from my life. I truly didn’t. But this wasn’t a white lie or a forgotten birthday. This was big.
I was still staring at my phone when it dinged again, this time with a voicemail.
Hesitantly, I picked it up and clicked through the apps until I reached my voicemail. I pressed play and lifted it to my ear.
There was a long pause at the beginning of the message and I nearly stopped it then, thinking that Landen had decided not to leave one.
Then he spoke.
“Chelsea.”
There was a wealth of information in the way he said my name. How two syllables could convey regret, frustration, and a myriad of other feelings, I didn’t know. But it did.
Landen sighed on the other end of the line. “Obviously, you’re still upset and I can’t blame you. I don’t often put myself in someone else’s shoes, but if I were in yours…” He trailed off and then cleared his throat before continuing. “I only wanted to tell you again that I’m sorry for keeping this from you. You were right. You’re not insecure enough to be threatened by Maris. I can only say that I didn’t want to lose my chance to have you. It was stupid and selfish, but that’s what it was. You weren’t the insecure one in this scenario, I was. I’ll be in Oregon for the rest of the week and—” He stopped speaking again for a moment. “I’m going to give you some space. I hope when I get back that we can talk. I love you, Chelsea.”
There was a click and I knew he disconnected. My heart beat, quick and light, against my sternum and my hands felt stiff as I lowered the phone from my ear.
God, this was the first time I’d ever heard Landen sound vulnerable. Even when we were arguing this morning, he’d been sincere but his voice hadn’t held the same edge of unguarded honesty.
He admitted that he screwed up and why. He’d laid himself bare with just a few sentences.
I knew that I would forgive him after that message. But I also wasn’t going to let him off easily. A man like Landen needed to know exactly where he stood. He lived for a challenge, thrived on it, and he enjoyed testing my boundaries. I liked that about him, even when it made life difficult.
With my decision made, I put my Kindle away and carried my phone into the bedroom. It was getting late and I had to work tomorrow.
True to hisword, Landen gave me space. I didn’t hear from him again for the rest of the week. But I took those days to formulate a plan.
Well, in my spare time, I formulated a plan.
Work was hectic. Chris and I were interviewing potential executive assistants and things were not going well. I was beginning to understand why Lucy wanted to get away from the man.
Chris’ schedule was demanding, though it would lessen greatly when I took over my new position. But I liked the fast pace and dealing with the minute details of my job. Most of the applicants looked qualified on paper, but it became readily apparent that a few of them had exaggerated their skills when they arrived at the office for an interview.
Except for one. A young man with a brand-new college degree. He was twenty-two, eager, and intelligent. He was also extremely good-looking and built like a brick shithouse.
It was clear that Chris didn’t take him seriously by the way he spoke to him. And it was also clear that the young man didn’t appreciate it by the way his mouth tightened and his eyes flashed.
Having been on the receiving end of that sort of treatment before, I decided to speak up.
“It says on your resume that you graduated cum laude with a degree in business. You’ve also interned at two large corporations in Dallas and Houston over the last two years. May I ask why you chose to apply for a position that you’re probably overqualified for?”
Declan, that was his name, looked to me, his bright hazel eyes flashing. “Two reasons. First, Barden Business Solutions is one of the best consulting firms in the southern U.S.”
