揗rs. Burns桾illie梟o way. This so isn抰 necessary. I抦 fairly compensated for my work on the wedding line, and anything else that happened outside work is棓
揘onsense. There抯 no earthly way he could抳e paid you enough for a sham that ended in tears. I know about your ninety-day work arrangement, too, and he抣l still pay you for that since you抳e reached the deadline. I feel horrible about this whole thing. If I was even a teensy bit to blame, I must make amends.?
Her eyes flash, a hazel-brown shade lighter than her son抯.
I抳e seen that same defiant look before, too.
Now, I know where he gets it...
God, I hate this.
She抯 such a nice lady, and she抯 his mother. It抯 not her fault her son is a complicated jerkwad. Also, I don抰 want to upset her, but there抯 no point in denying the obvious.
揥ell, I did get hurt, but money can抰 fix a bad breakup. I mean, this is overkill. I don抰 need to be a freaking millionaire because Lincoln broke up with me.?
揟he ad concepts were your idea, Dakota.?
揃ut the fake marriage was Anna Patel抯!?I throw back.
揕incoln told me you wrote most of the copy, or approved it.?Her eyes are unwavering.
揑 did.?My voice is shrinking.
揂nd you were in those pictures with my son. You crafted a large part of the social media push that抯 beginning now. Help me understand why you don抰 deserve this??
I don抰 say anything, but I抦 still holding out the contract.
She doesn抰 take it.
揑 hope you realize this money is yours. I won抰 take it back, and if you refuse payment...well, I抣l be so offended I抣l never speak to you again.?
Dang.
Tillie Burns can do a supermom guilt trip so intense it could curl your hair, and she抯 not even my mom.
I drop the contract on my desk with a conflicted sigh.
So this is my life.
Forced into reluctant riches, something I used to dream of in college.
揑 wish I could turn back the clock, but money can抰 buy time. I should have stayed out of it like Lincoln told me to,?she says.
揘o, ma抋m. It抯 not your job to make me feel better. The only person in the world who can do that has made it pretty clear where he stands梐s far away from me as possible.?I pull at my collar awkwardly, wondering why it feels like a steam valve.
揟hat terrible breakup with his ex and everything that came after left him a guarded man. Even before that, he wasn抰 good at relationships, at feelings. I know my son.?
She抯 so genuine.
Unfortunately, I know men.
揟illie, he hasn抰 spoken to me since the day he ditched me in front of the hospital. Not the actions of a man who cares. It抯 fine. I always knew I wasn抰 the kind of girl handsome CEOs end up with,?I say.
揑 have no idea what you think my son抯 type is, but I抣l tell you this. If he didn抰 care, he wouldn抰 have ended it and slipped into the ether. Dear Lord, do girls not read romance novels anymore??She smiles.
揗y tastes run darker, and romance is fantasy way too often. That抯 why the fake wedding scheme didn抰 work.?
揑f he didn抰 care about you, Dakota, it wouldn抰 matter to him if you ran away with a biker. He left so you could continue on here with peace of mind. He had something to lose, so he took the loss the best way he could in his own misguided way.?
Oh my God. Is she right? I want her to be right.
Shut up, Dakota. It抯 wishful thinking and you know it.
But she抯 rubbed this wound raw again. I blink several times, my eyes stinging.
揝o, I hate to cut this sort, Tillie, but I have a meeting.?
揃ut棓
I stand, needing to get out of here.
揑 really have to go. Sorry.?I race out of the office, leaving her behind.
In the bathroom, I lock myself in a stall and ugly cry. Once it抯 out of me, I fish my phone out of my pocket and panic text Eliza.
Dakota: I wish I was dead.
Eliza: What happened??? I抦 shocked you抮e still working there. I couldn抰 hack it. Are people trash-talking you?
Dakota: Maybe. Probably. I don抰 care.
Eliza: What抯 wrong then?
I give Eliza a quick rundown on everything that just happened, including Matilda Burns?bonkers apology offer.
When I tell her the amount, there抯 a three-minute pause before my phone buzzes again.
Eliza: OMG. Take it and run! Dakota, you can write your heart out forever.
She sends a gif with a jolly pig rolling around in a pile of money.
Technically, she抯 right. I should be euphoric.
I basically hit the jackpot, only, this is a lot more personal than any faceless lottery win.
I send a one-word response. Why?
Eliza: Uh, if being an instant millionaire isn抰 incentive enough, how about being able to quit? Not being reminded of Lincoln Burns on a daily basis? That might help you get over him.
I frown, knowing she抯 right.
That抯 why it抯 been a month and I can抰 get him out of my head. Everything here still breathes Lincoln Burns.
Dakota: I don抰 know. I抦 in management now. And it feels like an even crappier move if I take the money and run.
Eliza: You hate management. You抮e a Poe.
Fair point.
When I was writing ads, it wasn抰 poetry, but at least it was writing.
Dakota: Another issue, quitting would be like admitting all the rumors are true, right?
Eliza: Well...they are.
Dakota: But no one else needs to know that.
Eliza: But they already do!
Before I can reply, another message dings.
Eliza: And why did this woman show up to randomly apologize for convincing her son to fake marry you? That抯 weird.
Dakota: She felt bad. She just wanted to make things right. I抦 pretty sure my cut is coming out of hers, and it抯 not like anyone named Burns is hurting for money...
Eliza: You haven抰 texted me from the bathroom crying for over a week until now. I just decided I don抰 like his mom any more than I like his stupid face.
I laugh. I didn抰 meet Eliza until I moved here, but she抯 so loyal. I pity the lunk who ever tries to date her.
Dakota: His mom is very nice. Don抰 hate her on my behalf.
Eliza: She upset you. What are you going to do? I hope you don抰 move out of state like you did after Jay. You抮e the only person in the building I like.
Dakota: LOL. No worries. I hate moving, no matter how much money I抳e got. I have you, my bike, and a really awesome savings cushion.
Eliza: Gotcha. What抯 next then?
Dakota: I抦 going to wash my face so no one knows I抳e been crying when I walk out of this bathroom. And I抦 going to start applying for writing jobs. When I find something, I抣l jump.
Eliza: Only in Seattle?
Dakota: Yes. Relax, I抦 stuck here.
I抳e known ever since I moved here that this was the place to be. The rain, the disappearing mountain, the cool breezes, the lush greenery surrounding the city, the art scene... This place may have its problems, but it just vibes writer.
For a while, I even thought I might find someone here to put Jay to shame.
Oh, I got my wish in the worst way.
But I also met Eliza, Cheryl, Anna, and a few more cool people. Until I got promoted, I made a nice salary doing what I love. There are plenty of reasons to stay, and Lincoln Burns won抰 scare me away from rebooting my life.
I scrub my face with cold water and head back to my desk.
Acting like memories of Lincoln aren抰 looping through my head is harder than it seems.
By afternoon, I duck out early and go for a long bike ride in the early summer breeze.
My legs pump until breathing hurts. I want to imagine I can sweat out heartbreak.
I抣l get over this jackass one way or another, richer or poorer, better or worse.
Thanks to him, I抦 stronger than I was when I first showed up in this city.
If his gift was heartbreak, I抣l mend it by building a life worth living.
22
Bird Of Yore (Lincoln)
I forgot how cozy the guesthouse can be until I brought Wyatt home.
It made sense and it gives him plenty of space while he recovers. Plus, the place is single level, so it抯 easier to take care of him until then.
The nurse steps out of Wyatt抯 room.
揌ow抯 he doing today??
揇efinitely better. His vitals look excellent today. I抣l be back in the evening to check in,?she tells me.
揑s he awake??