Atlas’s fingers twitched against the wall. I wondered if he was thinking about strangling me. “But I sold him on this investment on the basis of it including our ground-breaking algorithm!”
“My algorithm. Not Tickle’s.”Release. Breathe out.
Atlas rounded on me. “Are you that fucking selfish?”
Squeeze. Breathe in.“I think you should go home, Atlas.”
He stared me down, face red and blotchy. I forced myself to maintain eye contact. It felt like my insides were trying to claw their way out of me to do it, but I couldn’t show him weakness.
“Fuck,” he muttered, turning away. “I’m sorry, Chewy. You’re right. I fucked up. His lawyers fucked up. I just don’t want to have to deal with the fallout when we tell him that there’s been a fuck up.”
“It doesn’t have to happen today. Go home, playCall of Duty, blow off some steam.”
“Yep.” He popped the P and stalked out.
Release. Breathe out.
Breathing exercises weren’t going to come close to helping me after that altercation. I couldn’t be in this space a second longer. I waited for the count of one hundred, to make sure that Atlas wouldn’t be waiting at the lifts when I got there, before heading for the door.
“Liv, I’m working remotely for the rest of the day,” I muttered as I passed her. “I’m unavailable for calls.”
“I’m sorry, Henry, but Cadence called while you were in with Atlas. She said she has something she urgently needs to speak with you about.”
I stopped, fingers flexing. “Next time Cadence calls, you can tell her that I am not interested in having any contact with her again—urgent or otherwise.”
“She sounded quite distressed,” Liv added, her voice tight.
“She’s in Atlas’s pocket these days. She can express her distress to him.”
I strode off before Liv could say another word.
Lucian and Ri were still out when I returned to the yacht, which only increased my anxiety. I pulled out my phone, staring at the blank screen. No new messages. No missed calls. I bit the bullet and tapped out a curt message to Lucian.
Henry: Update please
I headed for my bedroom. The contracts for Staghorn Island had arrived, and I needed to go over them. River had also sent through a schedule of works that would need to be organised to start as soon as the sale was settled.
I had plenty to get on with. I wasn’t going to hover over the phone waiting for Lucian to reply. If I did, I’d only convince myself that I should check in with Ri to ensure everything was okay.
I was two-thirds down the first page of the contract when my phone buzzed.
Lucian: We’re on our way back now
Lucian: Irina’s a moody bitch today
I set my phone down, returning to the contract. My eyes blurred. Perhaps I was due for a new prescription? I took my glasses off, cleaned them and rubbed my eyes, but I knew that wasn’t the reason I couldn’t focus.
What was going on with her? Had my message upset her? Annoyed her? Had something happened with her friend? It could be any number of things that may have happened over the last few weeks that I wouldn’t know about because she’d been avoiding me since the night of no rules.
Admittedly, I’d been avoiding her too. Specifically because I didn’twantto avoid her. I wanted the opposite of avoidance. I wanted to indulge in her in too many ways to count. But it had just been an itch she’d needed scratched. Something to get out of her system.
I heard the clattering of feet on the stairs outside the door, and my heart started up a frantic, anticipatory thrum.
A knock sounded on my door, too tentative for Lucian. Willing my hands to stop trembling, I called out, “Come in.”
She pushed the door open, slipping inside with Abernathy and Trinket hot on her heels. I tried my hardest not to stare. My hardest was completely pathetic. I drank her in.
She looked tired. Perhaps she’d had a big night drinking with Kat, and she was hungover? That would account for her being out of sorts. But her eyes were red-rimmed, and her face was blotchy. Like she’d been crying all night.
