“Lance,” I whisper, a tear spilling. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
I didn’t even get to smell his fresh Danishes one last time.
“What’s your favorite thing about your job?”
And now he’s gone too.
“Ah!” Louise jumps and Theo yelps as they round the corner of the kitchenette, almost running into me.
I roll my eyes. We side-step each other awkwardly, like some sort of Irish Riverdance.
I’m in no mood for her bullshit this morning.
“You…” Louise’s eyes narrow to thin slits.
She gives me a once-over, scoffing when she takes in my appearance. “Wow. You lookgreat,” she says. “Up all night boozing?”
Theo snorts, knocking his elbow against hers. “Good one, Louise.”
“Do you practice being awful in the mirror each morning, or does being a massive twat just come naturally?” I snap.
She crosses her arms. “Whatever, Gemma. At least I actuallycheckedthe mirror when I left home this morning.”
“Oh, fuck off, Louise, you miserable cow.”
“GEMMA!” Henry’s voice booms across the office. I flit my gaze to him.
Louise and Theo snicker.
He lifts his brows. “My office. Now.”
Shit.
“What was that about?” Henry asks, sitting across from me.
“I’m in a bad mood,” I say, waving him off.
“You’ve been in a foul mood all week. The launch went well, the hotel is open, and people are loving it. So, what’s the problem?” he presses.
I swallow thickly.
He leans back in his chair. “Damn it, Gemma.” He points a finger at me. “I warned you about this.”
“I know you did,” I shoot back.
He sighs. “So, what happened?”
Reluctantly, I recount everything. From the launch party to Anna discovering us together, to me fleeing and Max running after me in the rain. I tell him about my decision to push him away, and—finally—I tell him about Lance.
By the time I’m finished, I’m emotionally spent.
“And that’s why I told Louise to fuck off,” I conclude.
Henry doesn’t react. He watches me with an expression I can’t decipher.
“What?” I finally ask, feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
“You told Max you love him?” he asks, visibly startled.
