The accusation bounced in her skull. She rubbed her eyes and tried to force the memory away. Why had she tried to turn it into more? Sure, the time spent with Zach was incredible. God, it couldn’t have been anything but and still hurt this much. It was still borrowed. All of this. She’d known that from the start, and ignored it.
Is this just an excuse to keep your piece of tail on the payroll?
No. It meant more than that. Her idea wasn’t a way to keep herself in Zach’s life. This was for the people she cared about, right?
Or was she really so selfish she’d talked them into an idea without thinking it through just to get back a life she surrendered years ago?
A knock echoed through the apartment—someone at the front door—and Rae dropped her head in her arms. She couldn’t ignore this forever. She needed to talk to Zach, at least. She owed him that.
She wasn’t so sure about Scott.
You’re not his type…You’d need to be—
Chloe’s loud whoop cut through painful thoughts, and Rae redirected her focus to outside her head.
She shook the haunting voice aside. This wasn’t doing her any good. She grabbed her phone and dialed.
“Rae?” Zach’s voice was distorted by background noise. “Hey.”
Ambivalence warred inside. Joy and sadness. “Where are you?”
“The airport. I’m glad you called. Silly question, but how soon can you be here?”
“Where are you going?” Was he making good on his promise to pack it all in and buy a one-way ticket to Europe? Shit.
“Chicago. You didn’t listen to my voice mails. I have a lead on some inexpensive development hardware, and I need to take a look in person. Come with me.”
He was still moving ahead with business as normal. Relief and joy filled her at the realization, but something bitter tempered it. They could do this without her. Of course they can.
“I can’t.” She wasn’t sure how this situation was going to work itself out, but she knew if she went with him, it would make things worse. “It won’t solve anything.”
“Then fuck this entire idea. Meet me here, and we’ll figure out a new plan.”
“You’d never forgive yourself if you blew this off.”
His sigh amplified the noise around him. “I won’t be doing any better if I blow you off.”
It was selfish of her to smile, but she couldn’t help it. “Take your trip. We’ll talk when you get back.”
“Promise me.”
Something whispered in her head, asking if she could keep that promise. “Of course.”
“Rae?”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing.” The word was clipped. “Talk to you soon.”
“Yeah.” She disconnected and dropped her phone on the desk. That had gone about as middle-of-the-road as was possible. She rubbed her face. Now what?
“Lorraine!” Chloe’s shout was accompanied by a pounding on the bedroom door.
Find out why her sister was screaming loud enough for everyone in every surrounding apartment to hear. “What?”
The door creaked open. “I got my offer.” Chloe all but skipped across the room, and threw her arms around Rae’s neck. “You made it work.”
Rae hugged her back. “I just had an idea. They made it work.”
“Whatever.” Chloe pulled back and looked her in the eye. “What kind of magic tricks do you have to get Jordan out of his Cord contract?”
He was one of the few who survived staff cuts, and he’d had to make a difficult choice. Staying with Cord and DM meant his name would be smeared all over their upcoming game. But it also meant working with a group of people he didn’t care for. Leaving meant the job he wanted, but he’d have to wait a year before signing with Scott and Zach, because of the non-compete clause he’d signed when Cord hired him. The clause that was only erased with the severance offers.
Rae saw both sides of the argument and knew it had been tough on him to decide. “Contracts aren’t really my specialty.” Understatement of the decade, apparently. The argument from the other morning tried to force its way back, and she shelved it.
“Talk to him,” Chloe said.
“Jordan?”
Chloe raised her brows, and pursed her lips. “Scott. You’re not doing anyone any good sitting in here and moping. Or at least go buy us some ice cream, so you can mope and I can celebrate.”
Rae rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Why should I call him?”
“He’s your best friend.”
She hadn’t told Chloe the details of their argument the other day and saw no reason to. Her sister deserved this job, and Rae didn’t want to taint her opinion. “I’m pretty sure he’ll be okay without me.”
Chloe glanced behind her then turned her gaze to her feet. “Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?”
“Ignore for a minute that he’s my boss and gave me this chance, and it’s the best job I ever had. None of that matters right now.” Chloe shifted her weight, still studying her shoes. “He’s been there, by your side, since I was little. The two of you need each other.”
It was a sweet sentiment made bitter by the situation. “Did you ever think he and I would…end up together?” Rae had no idea where the question came from.