Page 93 of Twisted Truth

I jump at the voice, overwhelmed with all the things going on simultaneously.What is it with everyone needing me all at the same time?

I turn and see Brad looking at me with a sort of assertive expression I’ve never seen on him.

“Hang on, Matthew.”

I hold the phone away from my face. “I’m on the phone, Brad, can this wait?”

“I’d rather not wait. I’ve held this in since last week, and I need to say my piece.” His tone is clipped, annoyed.

What the hell is wrong with him?“Okay, what’s up?”

“What’s up is that I feel pretty pissed that you lied to me.”

“What? Lied to you?”

“Yeah. You could have just had the decency to be honest with me when I asked you out.”

“Brad, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, that’s how you want to play it?”

“Play what? You’re not making any sense.”

He steps closer to me. “You told me last Thursday that you didn’t think it was a good idea to date a coworker when I asked you out.”

“Oh. Well, yes, I do think that. I wasn’t lying.”

“Yeah, but you’re dating the CEO.” He steps closer again, and I instinctively step back, but there’s nowhere to go since I’m backed into a corner. “How long has that been going on?” Brad demands. “Have you just been laughing at me every time I asked you out while you were secretly fucking Asher Langford?”

“Excuse me? That is so out of line, Brad! I don’t owe you a damn thing. You asked me out; I said no. End of story. You asked me out again and again, and I told you the truth, I didn’t want to date a coworker.”

“But you’re dating Langford!” His voice rises, and I again try to move, but have nowhere to go.

“Asher is not my coworker. He’s my boss! And he’s not even that, he’s the owner of the company. We don’t work together regularly. And frankly, it’s none of your damn business! I candate who I want to date, and I don’t owe you any explanations for it.”

Our shouting has alerted others, and a few people have crept closer to us in the semi-abandoned drinking fountain corner.

Jenkins, who was standing near the conference room keeping a general eye on things has noticed, and he’s marching my way with purpose.

Brad leans down toward me, and now my back is literally pressed into the wall. “So, a lowly coworker like me just isn’t good enough, is that it? You won’t date someone or sleep with them unless they’re six bosses up and running the company? But I guess dating someone like me wouldn’t have made you famous overnight, and you wouldn’t be going to fancy galas in expensive dresses. I thought you were different. I thought you were a nice girl, but you’re just like every other gold-digging whore sleeping her way to the top.”

Jenkins grabs Brad by the arms and shoves him against the opposite wall. “You will not speak to Ms. Hale again,” he growls in Brad’s face. He reaches up to the communication device in his ear. “He’s contained; I have him. I need Ms. Hale’s escort here, now.”

“What the fuck, get off me!” Brad shouts, wriggling against Jenkins’s grip. Jenkins hauls him off to Emily’s empty office and pushes him inside, locking him in.

“Ella!” I hear my name shouted, but the sound is quiet. I look down and realize I still have my phone in my hand, and that I had been on a call with Matthew.

“Matthew,” I say, bringing the phone back up to my ear.

“Ella, are you okay? I heard bits and pieces of that. Asher and I are on our way with Robert.”

“I . . . I’m okay. Nothing happened, like, physically.” I let out a shaky breath. Everyone from the floor has gathered and is staring at me. Emily rushes over.

“What happened?” she demands.

“Don’t you dare hang up the phone. We’ll be there in a minute!” Matthew says. “You’re on speaker now.”

“Ella, what the fuck happened?” Asher shouts.