“I’m happy to have you on board,” I say. “I’ll work with Sarah on how to get your internship transferred over to my company so you still get credit. I know you’ll have some hours to make up given the last few weeks, and I have plenty of work to help you meet your internship requirements.”
“I’m ready for anything.”
“Great. Let’s plan for you to start on Monday.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Morgan,” she says before we end the call.
“Let me know what paperwork I need to do,” I say to Sarah, “or if there’s anyone at the university I need to speak with or anything.”
I glance over at Patrick, who’s wearing a bit of a dazed expression. “That was ballsy.” He huffs a laugh. “Reminds me a little of AJ when she first took over here.”
And here I thought he’d be pissed that I just gave Natalie an internship. If it works out as well as I anticipate, I plan on hiring her after graduation. He doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.
“Birds of a feather...” I shrug, as if being compared to Alessandra Jones isn’t the most enormous professional compliment I’ve ever received.
“She mentioned the Director of Public Relations position?” he asks.
“She did, but I have my own company to run. If the Rebels would like to keep me on retainer for PR issues, like in the past, that’s something we can discuss. But my rate is going up in the new year.” I mean, that wasn’t in the plans until right now, but it’s time I start charging for what I know I’m worth.
“But we can’t convince you to come on full-time?”
Sarah clears her throat. He’s probably violating some HR policy by trying to talk me into a position that hasn’t even been posted yet.
“Pretty sure I’ve already given you my answer, Patrick.” Goddamn, it feels good to set a boundary like this. Especially knowing that I’d have said the same thing to AJ if it had been her asking.Aidan would be so proud of me.
I feel my nose stinging as my eyes start to water, which is what happens any time I think of him. I need to get that under control before I see him tonight.
After saying some goodbyes, I head out of the office. As I ride the elevator down to the lobby, I send AJ a text telling her how the Natalie situation resolved. I hit send as the doors open, then glance up as I step forward.
Standing right in front of me, looking shell-shocked as his jaw drops slightly, is Aidan.
“Hey.” He drags the word out, and I don’t miss the edge of concern in his tone, like he’s worried I’m not okay after the way he obliterated my heart two weeks ago.Fuck that.
“Hi.” My response is clipped, and my tone is as neutral as I can force it to be.
“I’m headed up to meet with AJ,” he tells me as I step out of the elevator. He makes no move to get in, and the doors close behind me.
“Have a good meeting,” I say and start to move past him. I need to get out of here. I need some fresh, cold air. Maybe then I’ll be able to breathe again.
But his arm stretches out quickly, his hand gripping the cuff of my jacket over my wrist. I freeze mid-step and turn my head just enough to see him out of the corner of my eye. One eyebrow arched in his direction, I wait for him to say something.
He removes his hand from my wrist and rakes his fingers through his hair. It’s longer now, and so is his beard. He looks just like the guy who was staring back at me from that photo in the file Patrick handed me in his office over two months ago.
The fact that he looks so much less like the guy I was first attracted to in Bermuda should help me get over him, but it doesn’t. Because I’m apparently in love with every version of Aidan Renaud—when he’s flirty and bantering with me, when he’s taking care of me, when he’s moody and in his own head. And that’s the kicker. I’m in love with him, and no matter how he feels about me, he won’t let himself return those feelings.
My throat is thick with emotion, but I refuse to cry in front of him.
“Can we talk after the game tonight?” he asks.
“I can’t. I have a date.” I glance away from him because I don’t want to know what his reaction is. I don’t want to see him looking like he’s perfectly okay with this information. Nor do I want to see if it upsets him, because that’s exactly the kind of reaction I’d cling to, convincing myself that he still has feelings for me. But it’s been two weeks of no contact, and now I just need to move on.
“You move on fast,” he mutters, and the words are tinged with bitterness.
At least I wasn’t the one who had one foot out the door the entire time we were together.But that’s the thing... we were nevertogether. He made me feel like we were, while telling me all along he couldn’t do a relationship, and despite all his reminders, I still fell for him.
“Good luck tonight,” I spit the words out and practically run across the lobby and out the doors.
I don’t stop moving until I’m a block down the street, where I finally stop, lean up against a lamppost and try desperately to catch my breath and hold back the tears. At first, I struggle with both. Then, I pull myself together, vowing that he won’t be the one who finally breaks me.
