Worm boy pissed me off, yeah, but he triggered something deeper.
Another time. Another place. Another heart broken and another clown begging for pain.
Only, that time I lashed out like a gorilla. I did serious damage to that cheating asshole, and if it wasn抰 for that last-minute settlement, he might抳e ended my career.
Is that what I抦 doing again?
Throwing hands at a man because I抦 too afraid of being hurt again? And no, I don抰 mean the knife the little prick pulled. At least this time, I抣l be covered legally since he tried to come at me with a weapon.
I wish it was just him.
Hearing Nevermore say the l-word detonated ten tons of raw, emotional violence in my gut.
It came down on my head like an avalanche in red.
I抦 in a relationship with my employee.
Well, fuck, was in a relationship. I抦 sure she抣l have every reason to hate me now after this ironic malfunction.
I stood up for her, and then I turned around and did the same shit he did.
I抦 not even sure I deserve her any more than the gibbering heap they just dragged off in handcuffs.
I抳e officially lost control over a woman.
Something I swore would never happen a second time.
Clearly, I couldn抰 stand to watch him hurt her. But it turned me into that violent, bristling ball of pure rage I swore I wouldn抰 become after a woman betrayed me once. After I watched everyone I love have their hearts shredded by tragedy.
I vowed to live like a calm, focused shell of a human being, and now I抦 out like a hermit crab, snapping at everyone.
Worst of all, hurting the woman who drew me out in the first place.
揙kay, guys梥how抯 over. Nothing else to see here. So let抯 grab some rides back to the office,?Anna says with a nervous look at me.
She抯 a good team leader. The folks clustered around us listen and start moving.
Her eyes stay on me though, waiting for an explanation I don抰 have.
揥hat are you looking at, Miss Patel??I snap. 揧our concern is noted. However, I would have done the same thing for you if some maniac accosted you with a knife. It was nothing.?
Nothing.
Right.
I抳e got to sort this out, but first I need to stop lying.
Anna purses her lips. 揃ossman, I appreciate you抎 try to stand up for me, but honestly? If you did it by telling someone I was yours and then that there抯 no relationship, I抎 resign ASAP. I wouldn抰 even know how to handle coming in the next day.?
I get the sense that she isn抰 done.
揃ut??I urge after a silence.
揥ell...?She looks at the ground. 揑 saw what you were like before he came charging in.?
I glance away from her, hating what抯 coming next.
?..maybe you didn抰 want everyone to find out this way, but I抎 man up and apologize,?she says.
揂pologize for what??I bite off.
She smiles nervously, glowing in the sun.
揟here was nothing fake about how you two were acting during the shoot, and especially not after it. I抎 bet every dollar I own she抎 still be here crying if Cheryl hadn抰 left with her...?
Fuck, that guts me.
The coolest girl I know couldn抰 play it cool after my words machine gunned her heart.
This is why people shouldn抰 mess with relationships.
They crawl up in your head and go ballistic, leaving nothing but smoking debris behind.
I also know damn well Anna抯 right. I have to apologize to Dakota and soon. I抦 just not sure if it抣l matter.
If Dakota told everyone I didn抰 matter to her when I needed her, I might not forgive and forget either.
揌ey, um, Mr. Burns??Anna meets my eyes.
揧es??
揑 know you抮e my boss. I抦 sorry if I抦 speaking out of turn, but I really hope you梪mm梖ix whatever it is you抳e done. She抯 very talented. The wedding launch won抰 be easy without her around, and then there抯 the whole engagement interview we promised a couple publications. If people find out it抯 all a sham now棓
The entire company loses credibility and it damages the line.
Goddamn, how deep did I dig my grave?
I put my foot in my mouth one time and risk losing Dakota and an entire product line.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I reach for it with a frustrated scowl.
Please be Nevermore.
Then again, I haven抰 pulled the words together for a proper groveling yet. I have no idea what to say. There抯 no easy way to make this better.
Please don抰 be Nevermore.
I glance at the screen.
WYATT flashes up at me.
Oh, shit. It抯 the burner phone I bought him that he抯 never used, and probably never would unless he抯 in real trouble.
I flick the green icon.
揥yatt? What抯 happening??I lash out, my heart having a fit in my chest.
揑s this Lincoln Burns??a woman asks.
Oh, boy. Wyatt, what the hell do you have going on?
揧es, speaking,?I say.
揗y name is Jennifer Green. I抦 a nurse with Seattle Memorial棓
揘urse? Is Wyatt okay??
揧our number is the only contact we found in his phone. He had no ID. The girl who made the nine-one-one call棓
揘ine-one-one? What the hell happened??Sweat rolls down the back of my neck.
揑 think you should come here immediately,?she says carefully.
揙kay, on my way. Where??
揑ntensive care.?
Shit. That poor dumbass has finally done himself in.
Dark scenarios flash through my brain, each more terrible than the last. Some screwball at knife point trying to jack his prosthetic again. A robbery over his coffee can cash. What if he went foraging and fell, or?揊uck!?I抦 growling, running across the park, pulling up an Uber on the way.
Wyatt, how could you? How many times did I tell you to just crash in my guesthouse? Hell, you could have stayed in the main house. Why end up in ICU for your pride?
揥ait, sir, before you hang up, could you tell me his last name??The nurse is still on the line. 揑 don抰 have a way to trace his family without it.?
揌is name is Wyatt Emory.?I rattle off his date of birth and hang up, dragging a hand over my face.
What else can fuck me over today?
I step in the elevator and punch the button for the ninth floor.
My stomach lurches, ready to barf up lunch.
I have no idea what to expect or how bad he is. I always knew this might happen, but it doesn抰 soften the reality one bit.
Please be alive.
Please be mendable.
You can抰 fucking die on me now.
The elevator opens and I head to the nurses?station. 揑抦 here to talk to Jennifer Green about Wyatt Emory,?I tell the man behind the computer.
He swivels around in his chair. 揓ennifer, you抳e finally got someone here who might know something about your new intake.?
揂re you Mr. Burns??A slender brunette comes to the counter.
揧es, how is he??
Her mouth forms a tight line. 揂re you family??
揃rothers.?It抯 not a lie.
Once a Marine, always a Marine, and for us, it抯 a brotherhood bound in blood.
She nods. 揌e抯 not in good shape, I抦 afraid. He hasn抰 been conscious since he was brought in for the infection.?
揥hat infection??I ask.
揌e has severe pneumonia. Looks like the type that creeps along for weeks and takes a sudden turn for the worse if it goes untreated,?she says.
揥ho called him in??
揧ou can talk to her. She抯 still hanging around outside his room.?
揅an he not have visitors??
揑t抯 ICU. Only family goes in. Since she was the only person here, I offered to give her a few minutes, pretending not to notice if she went into his room. But she doesn抰 want to see him. It抯 a little odd. She rode here in the ambulance with him.?
揌ave you called his ex-wife? His son should know.?
She shakes her head.
揘o. We only pulled up his information before you got here. A former wife came up but I couldn抰 find a contact.?
揑抣l find her. What room is he in??
揘ine twenty-two, the very last door at the end of the hall. You抮e welcome to visit, but he抯 not conscious. I just want you to know.?She points to her right.
I nod. 揟hank you.?
When I reach his door, I find a familiar face in worn flannel and scuffed jeans, one cheek smudged with dirt. Probably from her nonstop gardening.