“Give me your keys. I’ll go check inside,” Jarrid announced before he stepped out of the car to check the place was safe. After he left, Charlie pressed the button that lifted the privacy screen.
“So, this is it,” he said sadly.
“Notit, Myth Maker. I’ll see you in the office and I told you, I like you. This week has been everything. I just need some time.”
“I guess I can do time,” he pouted.
I pulled his face toward mine, pressing a light kiss to his lips that had him groaning. “Friday… you wanna do something?”
His face lit up. “Really?”
“Really. Why don’t you meet me at the label and we can get some food or—”
“Or you can come back to mine and spend the weekend.”
I laughed. “Or that. I’ll pack a bag and we can play it by ear.”
“And I can call you, send you messages?”
Shaking my head, I leaned in and ran my lips up his neck, loving how he shuddered from my touch, his cock hardening in his jeans. “You can text and call me… in a professional capacity, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Come into the office tomorrow and sign your new contract. Bring the boys.”
“Thank you. For giving us another chance.”
“Don’t thank me. You’ve been a godsend. I couldn’t have gotten through it without you. But don’t fuck this up. I don’t think I could persuade Neo to give you guys another chance.”
“Promise, boss.”
I winked. “Don’t you forget it.” And just as Charlie opened his mouth to say something else, Jarrid knocked on the window.
“All clear, Fern. You’re good to go.”
I kissed Charlie quickly on the cheek, stepping out of the car, letting out a sigh of relief as I took in my two bed terrace house where Luci stood on the doorstep looking confused.
“Hey, Sweets.”
I looked up from the PR strategy I was checking to find Neo in the doorway of my new office.
“Neo. Happy New Year.”
He pointed at the chair across from me, and I nodded. As he sat, I took off my glasses. Neo was such a happy-go-lucky personunless you pissed him off, but right now he had a deep frown etched into his face as he stared at me.
“Fern, I’m sorry—”
I held up my hand to stop this before it went any further. “Neo, I can’t do this. If you treat me differently, if you blame yourself, then he’s won. I can’t have that. I need you to be you with me. Rib me, over-caffeinate me, pile up my workload, but don’t treat me like I’m damaged.”
“I’m not, I just… when I think about what could have happened, it makes me feel sick.”
“But it didn’t. It was your idea to send Charlie. You saved me by sending him. Focus on that.”
He sucked in a long breath before looking at me again. “Okay. I won’t mention what happened unless you want to talk about it… but, Sweets, you have to promise me you’ll talk to me, or Addi. I can’t let you bottle things up.”
“I’ll let you know if I need to talk, but really, Neo, I want to get back to work. I don’t want to give that man another thought.”
“Fuck, you’re strong. Do you know that?”
