She blinks twice in succession.
“I talk to Matt all the time. We’re cool now, so why exactly is this an issue with you?”
She crosses her arms over her chest, causing her ample cleavage to lift even higher out of her black dress. It takes a lot of willpower not to look down. The girl’s gorgeous, but she’s also my brother’s ex-girlfriend.
“Because I don’t like you.”
“Well, right now, I don’t like you very much either, dickhead,” she says with a snarl.
There’s a fire in her eyes now. It’s never far away. Her eyes are passionate, ready to light up at a moment’s notice. It’s always fascinating, eliciting reactions from her. Those eyes are a window to her soul.
“Leave, Christine,” I tell her, handing my cup to a waiter and walking away.
But, of course, she follows. I pretend not to hear the clicking of her heels behind me as I climb the stairs. She’s silent, and I can almost feel the anger reverberating from her. Christine’s a loose cannon. I’m sure the only reason she’s not yelling at me right now is because of the number of people in the house.
“What’s your real problem with me?” she asks just before I enter my bedroom.
I groan softly, letting go of the knob and turning to face her.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re annoyingly stubborn?”
“Lots of times,” she agrees with a nod.
“It’s good that you know, then. Goodbye,” I tell her before closing the door.
“Asshole!” she yells.
For a lawyer, she’s not very quick on her toes with the comebacks. I actually feel bad for her future clients. I’m about to step away from the door when a piece of paper is slid under it, and I raise an eyebrow as I pick it up. There’s something written on it.
It’s okay to cry and scream, Michael. You’re human, too.
Christine.
CHAPTER1
CHRISTINE
Déjà vu.
It’s that moment when you sense that you’ve done something or experienced a particular situation before. You think hard about where and when it happened. You try to remember, but the memory won’t come. The details are fuzzy, and it’s almost like you’re desensitized to an experience that you were presumably part of.
I’ll never understand déjà vu. I’ve certainly experienced it before, lots of times, but right now, there’s nothing fuzzy and there are no tingly sensations. This isn’t a forgotten experience. It’s one I remember all too well. And it’s an experience I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to live through again.
“I’m getting fired?” I question in disbelief.
“I’m really sorry, Christine, but we talked about this. Three strikes and you’re out. Francis Rivera is planning to sue the company,” my boss says with a slight frown.
“He’s an asshole and a sexual offender. What did you expect me to do?”
“He came here for defense, not prosecution! You were his attorney; you were supposed to help him!”
“Pricks like Rivera need to be thrown in jail,” I say with a scoff.
As Ryder gets to his feet, the frown on his face becomes even more menacing. He’s a good boss, always has been, and a good man as well. He gave me a chance when no one else did. I really hate that I’m disappointing him right now.
“Why did you become an attorney, Christine?” he asks.
Lifting my head, I look straight into his dull blue eyes. The answer to his question is second-nature to me now. It’s something I’ve always known, always believed.