She buzzes the door open, and I walk by her without saying a word, heading past the rows of cubicles until I reach the large, corner office.
I don’t even bother knocking before pushing the door open, and Bo jerks back when I step inside. A woman in front of her drops some papers at Bo’s feet, acting just as startled, but I don’t speak as I wait on her to get out.
“Jax,” Bo says, but she doesn’t smile. She can tell that I’m pissed.
“I’ll, um… Just bring these back later,” the shaky woman says while cleaning up the papers and practically sprinting out.
I slam the door behind her, and then I turn to face Bo again. She runs a hand through her wavy hair while leaning a hip against her desk. She looks tired with barely any makeup on. Her clothes even seem to be a little mismatched, but I’m too busy being furious with her to do much more of an appraisal.
“You know,” she says softly.
At least she isn’t much of one to deny shit when she knows she’s busted.
“Yeah. I know. How could you not tell me?” I growl, trying not to punch a hole through her wall.
She cuts her eyes toward me, almost seeming confused, but I’m not falling for the sweet and innocent look anymore.
“I was going to tell you tonight,” she says, tilting her head
as she studies me.
“How convenient,” I bite out.
Her brow pinches together as she really puts on a good show.
“I only found out last night. I had to be with Bora when—”
“When what? When she fucked my sister’s husband? You into that sort of thing?” I goad, turning up the asshole. No more games.
“Excuse me?” she asks, leaning up and taking a more defensive stance.
“The funny thing, Bo, is that I wouldn’t have given a damn if you’d just told me. Obviously I don’t like the fucker; I’ve been telling Viv for years to leave him. But I hate being lied to. Hate. It. I guess I contradicted that by so easily accepting you after you lied the entire first week we ‘knew’ each other. I really hate feeling like a fucking fool chasing you, while you’re busy keeping shit like this from me.”
She bristles and tears fill up in her eyes, but she tilts her head back as her jaw tenses. She’s pissed. Well, hallelujah. The real Bo is about to finally join me. No more sweet and innocent bullshit.
Then she slowly starts to control her breathing, and I realize I have to push harder if I’m going to snap that control.
“Nothing to say, Bo? Or are you coming up with a good lie to cover your ass. You’re damn good at lying. If your design empire ever crashes, you should pursue a career in acting, because you sure as hell fooled me.”
The tears wavering on her lids seem to quiver with those words, and she winces while looking away.
“So this is how it feels,” she says to herself, not making any sense. Slowly, she looks up at me, and she takes a step forward. Very calmly, she says, “You just walk in and accuse me of doing something like this. After what we shared. After all I’ve trusted you with. This is how you treat me, instead of coming to me and asking me what happened? Instead of hearing my side? And I mean actually hearing me, because I can tell you didn’t come here to do anything but yell and end this with me.”
I laugh bitterly while rolling my eyes. “Even now. Unbelievable. And here I was thinking you at least owned your shit when you were called out. Not this time, huh?”
She just stares at me, unmoving, and the tears in her eyes seem to almost disappear as a coldness I haven’t seen before cools her gaze.
“You can go, Jax,” she says softly. “I can promise you don’t have to worry about me calling you anymore.”
I snort derisively. “I should have stuck with my first gut-feeling that told me you were a fucking liar. Because you are. Hell, I blame myself more than you.”
“Go,” she says again, turning her back on me as she looks outside and crosses her arms in front of her, almost appearing to be hugging herself. “Jury has decided I’m guilty, but I don’t have to listen to you spew nasty things in my own office.”
Unbelievable. She doesn’t even have the audacity to turn and face me or even fucking apologize.
Not even worth it.
I turn and jerk the door open, then slam it behind me, causing numerous people to jump, trip or drop something. I walk out without looking back.