If only her grief was the only thing we were facing.
“Right,” I mumbled as I stood. Once I had my tablet and stylus in hand, I gave him as sarcastic of a look as I could muster. “Break through the unbreakable. Easy enough.”
I headed out of the conference room with Thatch on my heels, my stare automatically shifting to where Mallory sat at her desk once we were in the main part of the office. Back straight, blonde hair pulled up in a sleek ponytail, earbuds in, that cool indifference she wore like armor firmly in place.
Mallory Monroe had always been fierce words, brave actions, and impenetrable walls around her heart.MyMallory Monroe had been shared secrets, endearing companionship, and surprising vulnerability. But this Mallory Monroe? I wasn’t sure I knew her.
Still, I headed to her desk instead of my own. My heart hammering harder and harder with each step, until I was at her side.
From the way her fingers fumbled over her keyboard before stilling, I knew she was aware I was there. But I still waited until she deleted the misspelled word before leaning close to whisper, “Let’s go get a drink.”
The earbuds were only a decoy to get people to leave her alone, so I knew she heard me. But she just stared at her screen before releasing a strained breath and resuming her typing.
“Come on, Monroe,” I tried again. “Let’s get a drink and talk.”
“Leave.”
The first word she’d said to me in three months that hadn’t been work-related, and it wasleave.
My hand lifted for my chest, but I forced it back down before I could rub at the fierce ache there. And like a coward, I did exactly that.
Pushing off her desk, I blindly tossed my tablet onto my own as I headed through the office, past where Chloe was reading behind the large front desk, and out the door.
As soon as I was in my truck, I slammed my fist against the steering wheel and released all my frustration and pain and helplessness in a guttural roar. Dropping my head back againstthe headrest, I closed my eyes and forced harsh, heavy breaths until they came more easily and the tightness in my chest didn’t feel as constricting.
Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling in my truck for long moments before my hand started moving on impulse—opening the center console and digging around the bottom until I had the gold band clenched in my fist.
When Mallory had blindly thrown clothes at me that day, the feel of the ring hitting my palm had stopped everything. Time. My heart. My thoughts. And then it had all come rushing forward again as that gold band suddenly made it allreal.
When I’d found the second, I hadn’t been able to do much of anything other than stare at them for so long before I’d hesitantly slipped one on.
I would’ve thought the moment a ring went ontothatfinger would’ve felt like something more, something significant. But it’d just felt like I was pretending, or in some weird dream. Maybe because the ring hadn’t fit me at all—it’d been loose on me. Which, considering the rings had been identical in size and look, explained why one had been on the desk, and the other had fallen off in bed.
I was sure I should’ve left it with Mallory, along with the marriage certificate and other ring, but I hadn’t been able to part with the one in my hand now. Maybe because I’d known Mallory would do everything to erase any evidence of our elopement, and I’d wanted something to know it’d been real, if even for a day. Even if we didn’t remember thehow.
Because marrying that girl had been a dream since the day I’d met her. Not that I’d ever once thought there was a chance I’d get to, and not that I’d wanted to marry herthatway.
But we had, and it was still destroying us, three months later.
Dropping the ring back into the center console, I slammed the top shut and started my truck before tearing out of our parking lot.
Bypassing the coffee shop closest to us, I drove to Mallory’s favorite place to get an iced coffee for me and an iced matcha latte for her. The thing smelled like grass, but what mattered was she loved it.
“No dimples for me today?”
I stilled at the loud question, then slowly looked over to find the barista glancing between me and the drinks she was making, a coy look on her face that was clearly feigned. “Ma’am?”
The corner of her lips tipped up higher. “You usually flash those dimples my way between asking me ridiculous questions. I’m wondering why I don’t get them today.”
A hushed laugh crept up my throat, but that was it. I had nothing else for her. Not when I couldn’t stop hearing Briggs and Rush’s words in my head.
“You’re not exactly known for staying interested in a girl for long.”
“You’re not known for staying interested in a girl once another crosses your path.”
Before a few seconds ago, I would’ve sworn I’d never attempted anything with the girl in front of me because I’d only ever come in here with Mallory before today.
Maybe I didn’t know my personality.
