“So you can fire me or so I can be humiliated again in front of the whole staff?” Anger and embarrassment sting my eyes, and I blink them back. Do not fucking cry, Evie! Be strong.
He glances to the client at the conference table and clears this throat. “Look, I know it got ugly in there on Monday, but the partners were furious about how this reflects on the firm.”
“Well, I’m going to spare their self-righteous asses and give you my notice.”
Worst-case scenario, maybe I can move back East for a while. I called one of my law school mentors on the way back to Portland this afternoon and explained my situation. Professor Taylor told me that since I only negotiated one contract for Josh and completed those negotiations prior to our sexual relationship commencing, she thought it was likely I’d only get a censure from the bar at worst. Best-case scenario, since my firm declined his case and we began seeing each other in the interim, I might be able to get away with it altogether.
“Evie, if I had a dollar for every attorney I knew who had an ill-conceived dalliance with a client, I’d be rich,” she told me in her sharp New York accent. “I’m not saying you should do it again, but there are worse crimes than falling in love.”
Those words had both hurt and comforted me. Because, yes, I loved Josh. Even if we were over.
Then Professor Taylor mentioned that one of her friends, a progressive judge in Manhattan, is looking for a law clerk this winter. She said four months should be enough time to deal with the bar here in Oregon. In the interim, I know Kendall has plenty of temp work she’s offered to help me pay my mortgage.
My dad will hate that I’m back on the East Coast. Certainly, being a law clerk isn’t my dream job, but until I figure out what I want to do, at least I won’t starve to death.
Chauncey nearly jerks my arm out of the socket. Jesus, he’s out of control. I grip his leash tighter. “Did you receive a call from June Taylor?”
Malcolm nods, his frown deepening as his eyes dart behind me to his conference table. “I just got off the phone with her.” He shakes his head like he’s confused. “The East Coast? Are you sure that’s where you want to go?”
“What can I say? I seem to have endless job opportunities at the moment since everyone is clamoring to offer me a position these days,” I say sarcastically.
I’ve never spoken to him this way, and part of me feels bad that I’m taking everything out on Malcolm, but I am seriously too close to the edge to worry about hurting his feelings. I need to give my notice and get the fuck out before I burn the place down, humiliate myself again, or cry, the latter a very real possibility.
“What about Mr. Cartwright?” he asks hesitantly. “Because I assumed…”
It’s my turn to frown. “What about Mr. Cartwright? Do you see him anywhere?” I wave my hands, at least as much as Chauncey’s leash will allow me to flail. “Because I don’t. I don’t see Josh Cartwright. And if you see him, you can tell him to fuck right off.”
He chuckles. Really?
“Are you laughing at me?” I ask, aghast that Malcolm’s fucking amused by this.
What a dick.
“At my heartbreak or humiliation? Because Josh dumped my sorry ass on Monday. Is that what you wanted to hear? That I risked my career and reputation for nothing? That I fell in love with someone who clearly didn’t give a damn about me?”
The client at the table clears his throat. “I give a damn.”
I whirl around, my mouth dropping open.
Because… Because…
There he is.
“I… I…” Words get caught in my throat, and I slap a hand over my mouth, although I can’t stop the tears that tumble down my cheeks or the flutter in my chest at the sight of him. I miss him, but I’m pissed. Except he’s here. And I’m crying before I can process anything else.
Immediately, Josh—who looks as bad as I do in jeans and a T-shirt and hair that looks like he’s been pulling at it with both hands—is wrapping his arms around me.
“Baby,” he whispers as he squeezes me tighter. All I can do is bow my head and sob into his chest. His head pulls back. “Malcolm, do you mind? We’d like some privacy.”
“Certainly.”
I almost laugh through my hysteria. Of course Josh is kicking Malcolm out of his own office. Chauncey leaps around us like a Douglas-fir tree whipping in the wind.
After a pause, the door clicks shut.
But then the memory of the last two days without any calls from him rears its ugly head, and I shake free, batting his hands off me.
“No. You don’t get to go all radio-silent during the worst week of my life and pretend we’re good now.” Wiping my face, I take a step back.
The hurt in his eyes almost makes me cave. “Why did you think we broke up?”
“You said you wanted space. That you wanted a break.”
He shakes his head. “I wanted to get the media off my back so they wouldn’t hound you. I wasn’t breaking up with you.”
Sniffling, I cross my arms. “So why didn’t you call? You said we shouldn’t be seen together, and the next thing I knew, my office got your letter requesting your files be sent to Sullivan Montgomery because you were switching law firms. How was I not supposed to view that as a breakup?”
He scrubs his face. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m an idiot.” A deep sigh leaves him. “Monday night with my family was hell, so then I went home and got drunk with Drew. But the next morning, I realized I couldn’t do this the way my family wanted. I’m not willing to apologize for what I’ve done or how I’ve done it. And I’m sure as fuck not giving you up.”
Okay, maybe I’m not so pissed.
He peels my arms off my chest and threads our fingers together. “I should’ve called you yesterday, but I wanted to consult our attorneys about defending you, should you get in trouble with the bar. And I spoke to my family again and tried to get them to see you’re not the enemy. You’re the love of my life.”
When he pulls me to him this time, I let him. Because my knees went weak just now, and I need the support to stand.
My lip trembles. Wow. Okay.
“I love you too,” I whisper. He traces my cheek and smiles.
“I know. I heard.” His fingers thread through my hair. “Evie, I called you this morning, but you didn’t answer, so I went by your place. I brought you flowers and breakfast and a truckload of apologies, but you weren’t home. And when I tracked down your dad, because I was worried sick about you, I kind of thought he was gonna beat my ass.”
“You went to my dad’s?” I sniffle again through a teary smile.
“I wasn’t sure who else to turn to. Blowing up Kendall’s work line did me no good, and Damon was completely clueless. Some bodyguard he is.”