“Because with dirt on me, he could take it to the board. The shareholders would question me and the kind of person they’re investing in. They could push me out…” he said with a shake of his head.
“But you could just explain to them that it’s not the scandal they think it is. ThatIwas in this every bit as you,” I said.
“It wouldn’t matter,” he said with a small shake of his head. “It’s still a scandal to them. And scandals lose money. Lose clients. Lose good reputations.”
“All for what?” I asked, my voice rising slightly. “Because Anderson can’t lose his taste for revenge?”
“Not only that, but he was up for the job. But lost out to me.”
“And he thinks you did it to get back at him…”
“I didn’t,” said Jeremiah, his eyes searching mine.
“I believe you,” I said, placing my hand against his cheek.
He settled his face in my hand and closed his eyes. We sat there in a comfortable silence for a moment, the cool breeze blowing through his dark hair. Soon, he opened his eyes and they were liquid pools of blue. He turned and kissed my hand before holding it in his.
“Do you see why I want you to quit?” he asked.
I stayed silent and pursed my lips.
“This is too much stress on you. On the baby.”
“I’m fine,” I said adamantly.
“For now…until Anderson pulls his next move. In him coming after me, he’s coming afteryou.You’re just collateral damage, and I hate that. Ihatethat I put you in that position,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.
“You didn’t put me in any position. I chose to be in this as much as you.”
“I just think it would be better if you quit and focused on you and the baby. You can leave the stress of this job and Anderson’s plans for me, and let me handle things.”
“Are you sure this is about me and the baby?” I asked, raising a brow.
Jeremiah frowned slightly as he searched my face. “What are you talking about?”
“You told me I had no work ethic. No drive. Hell, you wanted me to move to another department because you had no use for me…”
“Sadie…” he started.
“Maybe that’s why you want me to quit.” I bit back the tears that formed behind my eyes.
He took my hands in his, turning his body to face me.
“That’s completely unrelated. I was an asshole. Ademandingasshole with unreal expectations. It’s what I have for everyone, but especially people I’m trying to push away.”
“You were trying to push me away?” I asked, a tear falling down my cheek.
“I was scared. I did the only thing I knew how to do.”
He reached up and brushed the tear away with his thumb before leaning in and pressing his forehead to mine. “I don’t believe that about you. Not in the least. Do you understand?” he said firmly.
I thought back to everything that’s happened lately and the worry it had been putting on my heart. I put my hand on my stomach, slightly bigger than it was last week. Maybe he was right. None of this worry could be good for the baby, but I still didn’t know if the right decision was for me to leave a job I’d known for years. A job I knew I was good at, though he questioned it at first.
But the debt that felt like it was drowning me was still in the back of my mind. It would be impossible to pay it off if I wasn’t working. I didn’t want to bring a baby in the world when I didn’t have my life together. I wanted to provide for my family. As much as Jeremiah wanted me to focus on the baby, I had to work, whether it was at the accounting firm or somewhere else.
I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered finally.
“Okay?”
