“I need time to think.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“You. Me.Us.”
“What about us?”
“Whether or not there was even anusto begin with.”
My chest aches from her confession. Instead of lingering on the pain festering inside of me like sepsis, I choose to ignore it. “You signed a contract.”
“Our deal never said anything about being in a real relationship. You yourself called it a game.”
“This isn’t a fucking game and you know it.” The idea of her thinking that makes me want to rage, but I hold back. I’ve done enough damage as it is.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“So what? You just want to go back to how things were before we fell in love?”
Her eyes dart away, and it’s written clear as day across her face.That’s exactly what she thought.
I release a bitter laugh. “Go ahead and take your time, but nothing is going to change the fact that you and I are inevitable.”
It takes a ridiculous amount of self-control to step away from her, but nothing good will come if I keep pushing her on this. She wants her time, and I plan on giving it to her. So long as it happens according to my rules.
* * *
Cal drops off Iris’s official resignation letter at 9 a.m., exactly like Iris promised. After everything I went through to prevent it from happening, she is leaving anyway.
All because of you.
Cal hovers in front of me.
I look up from her letter. “Yes?”
“Are you going to sign it?”
I clutch onto her resignation letter with my two fists. “I plan on it.”
He raises a brow and motions toward the paper.
“You can go back to your desk now.”
“And miss all this internal conflict and angst? What do you take me for?”
“A dead man walking.”
He grins. “Watching you struggle to cope with all this is far too entertaining to pass up, especially given how miserable you made Iris.”
“Can you please leave me alone? I’m not in the mood.”
His brows jump, and I realize my break in character. Iaskedhim to go.
Ever since I entered the office, I’ve been stuck in a constant state of heartburn. No amount of meetings or busy work can steal my mind away from the conversation I had with Iris this morning.
I pass by Cal’s desk instinctively, half expecting her to be there, only to remember she won’t be returning. I’m so used to her being around that I’m not sure how to handle her absence.
“This is for the best.” My brother pulls out Iris’s usual chair, but I point to the other one.