He raises a brow, holding back his smile as his lips twitch. “In my office?”
Panic starts to take over, and a cold sweat trickles down my back. “No, back in New York. Leo said you wouldn’t be here for a while. That you were in London.”
“I came back early to talk to you, Mads.”
I want to tell him not to use that name, that he no longer has the right, but the words are stuck in the back of my throat.
I gather my belongings and round his desk. “I need to go.”
“Please.” His voice is urgent. “Stay and let’s talk.”
“It’s too late, Nate. Too much time has passed.”
He leans his behind against his desk and crosses his ankles in front of him. He clenches his jaw, and I can see the tic as he reels in his annoyance. “Whose fault is that, Maddie? I’ve been trying to talk to you for years, and you haven’t given me one second of your time.”
He must be joking.
“Are you being serious right now?” I laugh sarcastically, suddenly feeling manic. “You’re blaming this on me, Nathaniel? Really?”
He stands tall, shaking his head, realizing his mistake. “No. I fucked up. But you never gave me a chance to redeem myself. People make mistakes.”
“This was so much more than a mistake,” I yell, throwing my arm up. “A mistake is when you forget a birthday. A mistake is failing to pick up the dry cleaning. It is not a mistake when you blindside the person who has loved you unconditionally since the day she met you,” I cry aloud.
I watch, confused, as Nate fights a smile. “You still care, Mads. You getting this upset over our past proves it.”
“Oh, fuck.” Leo comes rushing in, his eyes bouncing between us, then he directs his annoyance at his brother. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“So you didn’t know? I thought maybe this was some brotherly game the two of you are playing, so you could trap me.”
Leo freezes, and horror dawns on me when his face falls sympathetically.
“You must be fucking kidding me,” I screech. “How could you!”
“Maddie, let me explain.”
Nate’s eyes narrow. “Since when do you say fuck?”
Leo growls, annoyed. “Shut up. That’s not important right now, Nate.”
Then Leo turns his attention toward me. “I have never lied to you in all the time I’ve known you, so please believe me when I tell you that this position was always yours. Did I offer it earlier than expected? Yes, I won’t lie about that. But your qualifications, portfolio, and overall work ethic are impeccable, and I don’t need to tell you that because you already know how brilliant you are. I also would never jeopardize our company or lose the trust of my other staff by hiring someone inadequate.”
If this were anyone else but Leo, I would turn, walk out the door, and never look back. But even though it pains me to say it, I trust every word he says
“Fine. I don’t want to discuss this anymore.”
“Mads…”
I brush past Nate, ignoring him and his desperate pleading until his fingers graze my arm and awaken every nerve that’s been dormant for years.
He snags my left hand, and my heart drops.
I try to pull it away, but he brings my hand up to his face, which has turned murderous.
“This ring is not you.”
I snatch back my hand and narrow my eyes. “Don’t act like you know me anymore.”
His blazing blues connect with mine. “You’re mistaken, Maddie Grace Cunningham. You see, I still know every single thing that’s important, and that ring”—he points to my finger—“is all fucking wrong. Only one type of ring should be on your finger—a perfect emerald, to match your eyes.” He begins to walk past me out the door, then stops short. “So I have to wonder, didheignore your dream ring, or did you not tell him?”
