“It’s not my office anymore,” Theo says, his tone flat. “I’ve resigned.”
“Theo,” I protest, and I’m embarrassed when my voice breaks. It seems to work out in my favor, though, because his cold eyes soften ever so slightly.
“Come in, let’s talk.” He nods his head back toward his office. I follow after him, my posture stiff as I brace for the worst. As soon as I’ve stepped into his office, he closes the door behind me and then sticks his hands in his pockets, watching me apprehensively. Something about his expression has my already frayed nerves imploding into panic.
“Are we going to break up?” I ask him, my voice timid.
Theo stares at me blankly. His silence is making everythingworse, and helplessness sets in. Finally, he says, “Why would we do that?”
I knot my fingers together in front of me, feeling an overwhelming sense of shame. “Because you’re mad.”
He still gives me that blank stare, but he takes a step toward him while I simultaneously step back from him. He catches my hand before I can get too far and pulls me back into his chest, wrapping me tightly in his arms. His familiar scent overwhelms me, and I circle my arms around his waist, gripping him for dear life.
I squeeze my eyes shut and try to hold onto everything that we’ve become together. I don’t know what my life will look like if he decides to end things right here and now. Though it’s been such a short time, Theo has ingrained himself into the very essence of my being.
“No, Whitney,” he finally says after we’ve been holding onto each other for a few minutes. “We’re not breaking up.”
He releases me but holds me at arm's length so he can look me dead in the eyes. “And I don’t want you ever thinking that just because I’mmador any other emotion, the first thing I’m going to jump to is a breakup. Do you hear me?”
I nod my head slowly, letting his words wash over me.
He cracks a side smile, then. “Sorry, baby, but you’re stuck with me. For forever, if you’ll have me. I have no plans on going anywhere.”
My heart soars.
And just like that, Theo has checked off the ninth item on my list.
Number 9: Committed.
But still, my mind is spinning, trying to catch up witheverything I seemed to miss by taking the morning off. “You said you resigned?” I ask.
He gives me a tight smile. “I did.”
“But—why?”
Theo runs his hands up and down my arms and takes a deep breath. “I was given an ultimatum: either I resign, or we could no longer have a relationship given our positions here at the company.” I open my mouth to protest, but he doesn’t give me the chance. “There was only one correct choice. And it was you.”
As I study his face and recognize the sincerity behind his words, my heart starts to race, and my eyes begin to sting. “Theo?—”
“That’s why I’ve resigned and recommended Chase for the job. He’ll get it, of course, but it’s a courtesy anyway.”
“Chase?” I ask, dumbfounded. My head is still spinning with all the changes that have happened in such a short time.
“Yes, you’ll be working under Chase now. Granted, the Board chooses him to fill my place.”
“What about you?”
Theo takes a breath and walks around to me. “I’ll be applying to fill the CEO position at Pinnacle. I made a few calls and pulled a few strings. I’ll likely be given the position there.”
My mouth opens and then closes. “Theo, that’s?—”
“I know, it’s not ideal,” he says. “Things will be different for us. But I do think it’s for the best.”
“It’s going to be so weird walking in here and not seeing you behind this desk,” I say, glancing at the big oak desk at the end of the room.
“And I swear no one will ever be as good to me as you are.” He smiles before leaning in and pressing his lips to my cheek. “But now we’ll have the opportunity to focus on what makes ususoutside of these walls.”
Uncertainty sets in again, and I give him a wary look. “We still need to talk about what happened this morning.”
