Chloe’s head shot up, and the look in her wide eyes said she was wondering the same thing. “God, no.”
“Why not?” Rae knew her own reasons, but now she was curious. Her stomach dropped into her feet when Scott stepped into the doorway behind Chloe, face an impassive mask.
Chloe couldn’t have seen him the way she stood, but she also had to know he was in the apartment. “It’s hard to explain. I just… You two don’t challenge each other. It’s too easy for you to settle when you’re together. Which is great for unwinding, but horrible for things like personal growth.”
Rae refused to look at him. “I don’t think we’re quite that compatible. A few days I would have agreed, so I can see why you’d say that, but it’s not true.”
“At least let me apologize,” Scott hovered in the doorway.
“No.” Rae was on her feet, irritation coursing through her. Her sister had set her up. Chloe tended to do things like that, but this was different.
“Stop.” Chloe grabbed her arm, spinning her so they were toe-to-toe and stared her down. “Hear him out.”
“You don’t know what he said to me.”
“I do. He told me. You also kept something really big from him.” Chloe let go of her and stepped out of the way. “I’m not taking sides. You both suck in the friends department as far as I’m concerned. But I told him I’d ask you, and now I have.”
Scott moved into the room but still kept his distance. “It hurt that neither of you told me what was going on. I saw it and told myself you wouldn’t keep that from me.”
Rae didn’t want to hear this. She stalked toward the door, coming up short when he blocked her path.
“Never tell anyone you heard me admit this,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do. I was wrong to say those things. I was hurt, I knew it would hurt in return, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
She pushed him, but not hard enough to knock him out of the way. “Don’t steal my thunder like that, you asshole.”
“So are we talking again?”
“No.” She didn’t know how long it would take to get over the sting of his insults, but she also knew it wasn’t him. “And you’re not forgiven.”
“That’s fair. Let me buy you coffee.”
“Bribery won’t change anything.”
“There’s a place just a few blocks away.” He nodded toward the street.
“I know it.” She grabbed her purse and shoes. “You owe me big.”
As the door swung shut behind them, Chloe called, “Stay out as long as you need.”
“I owe you so very much more than just an I’m sorry.” Scott kept pace with her as they headed toward the street. “Walk?”
She nodded. They’d probably get there faster. Rae needed to hang onto some of her anger, but she also hated the idea of being mad at Scott. She didn’t know what else to do for now besides let him talk.
“I’ve always wanted this,” he said. “When I thought we’d lost it, I was lost.” He glanced at her. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me—both of us—keep it. You were right. I can’t do this without Zach.”
The words drilled into her already jumbled thoughts. At least they agreed on that. The thing was, now that she’d done her part, she was more certain than ever they could do it without her. It wasn’t a derogatory thought. She specialized in helping companies find their financial footing and then moved on.
That didn’t make the realization they’d be fine without her, at least company-wise, hurt any less. And this company was everything to them.
Chapter Nineteen
Rae tried to blink away the sting behind her eyelids. She swallowed, and her raw throat protested. She didn't want to be doing this, but there was no choice. She swore to herself she would do this professionally, and that meant offering her resignation officially and in person. Besides, she knew if she didn't say goodbye, it would devour her.
She knocked on Zach’s familiar door. At least her time here had been nice. She avoided his calls when he landed last night, wanting to talk face to face, and at the same time, terrified. It was the right decision though. She clutched her briefcase in front of her. She didn’t need it, but it gave her something to cling to and fiddle with.
Zach opened the front door, his surprise morphing into a soft smile. “Hey.”
She made sure her expression didn’t give anything away. “Good morning. I hope this is a good time.”
He reached for her and then stopped. “Something’s wrong.”
It looked like he wanted to say more. She was glad he didn't.
“Come in.” He nodded toward the living room.
“Thank you, but no. I won't be here long.” She winced inwardly at her own formal tone, but it was better this way. She just had to keep telling herself that.
“I missed—You look good.”
That hadn't been her intention. The below-the-knee skirt and suit jacket were supposed to say all business, not earn her compliments. She retrieved an envelope from the pocket of her briefcase. “I thought I'd make this official.”