“I’m sor?—”
“Stop saying you’re sorry,” I snap. “You lied to me, Kael. Are you sorry for that? Are you sorry you skipped all this? Are you sorry you just cost me my job? Because ‘I’m sorry’ feels a little damn late.”
Kael fumbles for his phone, hand shaking as he holds it out. “I recorded it. I thought… we could use it. To blackmail him.”
His suggestion is like a blast of cold air. The fire in my chest collapses in on itself, leaving a hollow ache. I suddenly feel the gallery’s chill, the leftover smell of food and wine, and the way the shadows crowd around his paintings like they’re waiting to see how badly this goes.
“I know the gallery was wrong,” I say, voice gone flat. “That’s on me. But I can’t lose my job at Query. I can’t lose my”—my throat closes—“my chance at freedom.”
The feelings blur into spreadsheets and possible solutions. I could work multiple jobs, move somewhere cheaper, shrink my life, find another role. That’s where the math breaks and the full weight of damage slams in.
“How mad did you make him?” I ask.
“Excuse me?” Kael’s eyes go wide, hurt flashing into disbelief.
But panic is already connecting the dots, and I can’t stop myself from naming each one. “I work in tech,” I say. “You might think it’s stupid because you’ve already got your art, but this is what I do. This was the plan. This was how I was supposed to get happy. If Alistair Blackwood decides I’m?—”
The sentence snaps off.
Why bother explaining my catastrophe? How Alistair can make sure I don’t get hired anywhere. How I’m turning into Pawpaw.
He won’t get it, because heisChase: impulsive, convinced everything will magically be fine.
“That’s what I’m saying!” he bursts out. “I think we can avoid all that. I have him recorded.”
I grab my jacket from beside the bar.
“I’m sure you’ve cooked up some plan without me,” I scoff, brushing past him. “By all means, go to war with a billionaire to save my job. Let me know how that works out.”
“You’re leaving? Can we… talk? You haven’t even asked if I’m okay!” he calls after me, cracking on the last word. “Too embarrassed I didn’t show for a gallery I never wanted in the first place. God—I didn’t mean it like that. I just—I’m spiraling.”
“Great.” I whirl around, embers flaring back to life. “I’m sorry I spent all this money doing something nice for you.”
“There it is.” His voice rises to meet mine. “That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Always money.”
“I thought I’d finally found someone. You. I kept wondering why I felt like this, like, maybe this is love?—”
“It is!” he shouts. “I love you. I’m sorry, but I do.”
It hits like a punch, because I know,I know, I feel the same.
“I was wrong,” I say. “You’re not the phoenix, Kael. You’re the fire.”
His eyes are red-rimmed, his breath catching, but I don’t care who gets burned anymore.
“You torched the future I spent my whole life building,” I say. “And now I’ll never get it back.”
I turn for the exit, and two sets of footsteps echo against the polished concrete. He’s right on my heels.
“Get what back?” he bellows, raw. “I needed this. You have everything already. I tried to save your job, but I have to do what’s right for me. I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“Very happy.” The cold San Francisco air knifes across my face as I step outside. Kael still has his own apartment. It’s easy to leave him on the threshold, shoulders slumped, while I spend the last of my anger. “Congratulations. Your latest impulse has freed you from all entangling relationships. It’s what you’ve always wanted.” I don’t look back. “Enjoy.”
CHAPTER 31
KAEL
Nowthisfeels familiar.My life’s in shambles, with not one but two rich assholes to blame.
