He lingers, as if waiting for me to say more, but I don’t. Eventually, he heads to the break room, and as I watch him go, I feel kind of guilty.
I squeeze my eyes shut and pray for the day to end.
And thankfully, it does without anyone else bothering me.
The moment five o’clock arrives, I shut down my computer, clear my desk, and jet out of there before Beck or Caleb come out of their offices. No matter how much I’d like to have Beck finishwhat he started, that isnotthe smartest move after everything that’s happened.
I make a beeline for the elevators, but Marissa is already there.
Fuck.
She eyes me. “Long day, Maddy?”
“Yeah,” I say, pressing the call button again, willing the elevator to move faster.
“I can tell. You look like absolute garbage.” She then looks away from me and down at her phone.
Part of me wants to punch her in the face for being such a bitch.
But instead, I just step into the elevator and let out a sigh, because I’m about to go home, drown myself in wine, and forget about the crazy shit happening at this office right now.
As soon as I step inside my apartment, I melt. I drop my bag, change into leggings, and pour a glass of Merlot, feeling the burn in my throat before I even finish the first swallow.
Just breathe, girl. You’re going to survive this. Somehow.
It’s so quiet as I plop down on the couch, I can hear the hum of the refrigerator, the low growl of traffic on the streets below. There are no men here. No stupid Marissa. And no one to bother me.
But still, I’m crawling out of my skin as my mind replays the way Adrian left today.
I want to type out my resignation letter right now, so I never have to see any of them again, but… Ican’t.I can’t afford this beautiful apartment without that paycheck. So, I’m stuckdrinking my wine and staring at the skyline out the window until it all blurs together.
Fuck me.
Riley comes in a little bit later, arms loaded with groceries. “I come bearing cheese to add to your drowning sorrows,” she says, kicking the door shut with her foot.
I sit up, blinking as my eyes adjust to the sight of her dropping the groceries on the counter.
She makes a face at me, her eyes widening. “Oh my god. You look like death,” she drawls, with the concern of someone who has seen me through hangovers, breakups, and at least two major food poisoning incidents.
I make a face. “Thanks. That’s exactly the look I was going for.”
She pours herself a glass of wine and brings the cheese platter over, setting it on the coffee table. “So, what’s the latest?” She takes a seat on the other end of the couch.
“Do you want the highlights or the full breakdown?” I say, swirling what’s left of my own wine.
“Give me all the sordid details. I need to live vicariously through you.” She kicks her legs up, tucking her feet under my leg. “Seriously, it’s like a soap opera. Only with more hot people and less amnesia. Or secret babies.”
“Ha! Yeah,” I huff, smiling at how true that is.
I force myself to let it all out. I talk about the mess with me missing Adrian’s late-night upload of files, Marissa out to get me, Caleb wanting to talk, and then, finally, the drama bomb of the day—Adrian’s meltdown, the fight between him and Beck, and the thick, inescapable tension that fills the office.
Riley listens until the end, and then finally sighs. “Okay, I feel like I’m missing a crucial piece.”
I give her a sheepish look. “I think you can put it together.”
She narrows her eyes and then suddenly sits up a little straighter. “You didnot.”
I full-blown cringe. “I did.”
