Her back slumped like she knew she had to turn.
When she did, I almost took a step back. Her eyes searched mine and ripped through my soul, stealing all the happiness from it. “Are you …” I trailed off, not knowing how to ask the question, not knowing this side of her.
“I’m aware I ignored you this weekend. I’m struggling with some personal things. I—” The ping of the opening elevator doors cut her off. We walked in, and the doors closed on us. She faced the wall and grabbed one of the rails. “I’m good at bliss, Jett. You know this about me.”
“Mm-hmm,” I agreed, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, when I realized Vick may not be able to get through the workday, I stepped forward and swiped my FOB. It shut down the lit floor buttons, and the elevator shot up to my penthouse instead. Each of us had a floor to ourselves, one that was our own private haven if we needed it.
“I want so much to be just fun.”
She shoved off the railing and turned toward me. She stalked over and slammed her hand onto the wall close to me. “I earned the fun. I bled for it, agonized over it, worked my ass off to build a place I could have it. All for what? For this?” She motioned at me. “To feel this for you? The one guy who can only give me a ‘maybe’ when I deserve a ‘hell yes’?”
I took her by the elbow and walked her into my living space. She didn’t even look around. Her glare stayed on me, waiting for me to respond. “Nothing is that concrete, Pix.”
“Some relationships are.”
“If you think that—”
“I do.”
“Where’s all this coming from? We had a good time over the holiday,” I countered, trying to bring her down off the ledge of disdain she was on.
“That’s just it. I want holidays like that every single holiday. I want a big family around, people laughing, telling stories, bickering over nothing. I want it all for as long as I can have it.”
“Then come to the holidays at my house,” I said, confused. “You don’t get those at yours? I’m happy to have you come.”
She shook her head slowly. “You don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
“You couldn’t possibly get it, and I’m not sure you ever will.”
“Explain it then.”
“No!” she screamed. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. “No, Jett. This isn’t something I can explain to you.” All the emotion, all the pain disappeared from her face as she slowly blinked and took a deep breath.
“Where do we go from here then?”
“Back to what you’re good at, Jett.”
“What’s that?”
“Work.” She turned back toward the elevator and her display of yo-yoing emotion pushed me to just concede and follow her. We had a damn long day ahead of us. I’d figure it out with her later. I’d make sure she understood that we had something.
Today, we just had to get through the meeting.
We rode the elevator in silence, and when we got to our floor, Gloria greeted us. “You’re early today too.”
I nodded to her, but she buzzed about her desk, not paying me much attention.
When she saw Victory, she shot forward though.
“Harvey from Levvetor will be at the meeting today. He requested that both of you be there,” she announced.
Her eyes were on Vick like she desperately needed the woman to know something. And Vick responded by freezing. Her whole body turned rigid. “Why me? How does he know I work here?”
Gloria softly responded, “Bastian told him.”
“Great,” Vick grumbled.