Another part of me no longer cared about the reasons Sean and Zach had for hating each other. The only thing I cared about was Sean. And Paisley. They were what mattered. My job and this company meant nothing compared to them. No amount of fears or insecurities could change that. I let Niki get in my head. I let Sean’s familial drama get in my head. I let a thousand little things stand between me and Sean, and I was just now beginning to realize how stupid I’d been.
As this realization washed over me, I pushed myself to my feet and hurried toward my desk. I would pack up my things and leave, but first I needed to call Sean. I knew he had his cell phone on him, so I grabbed my phone and dialed his number with trembling fingers. I just needed to hear his voice. I needed to know he was okay.
The phone rang four times, and I tapped my foot impatiently. On the fifth ring, I started to worry Sean wouldn’t answer. By the eighth ring, I knew my fears were well-founded. Sean’s voicemail clicked on, and I heard his gruff voice telling me to leave a message. I sighed in frustration and slammed the phone back down.
My hands were still shaking. I picked up the phone and tried him again. When he still didn’t answer, I decided to leave a message and prayed he would call me back.
“You’ve reached Sean,” his voicemail said. “Leave a message.”
Short and to the point, just like Sean. I shook my head and waited for the beep, trying to figure out what I was going to say.
“Hey,” I said lamely after the beep. “It’s me. Tara. I just… I don’t really know what to say. I don’t understand what just happened, but I needed to make sure you were okay. You and Paisley. You ran out of here so fast and I just… I’m really worried about you, Sean. Please call me. Please.”
I hung up and let my head fall into my hands. I felt completely useless. I couldn’t possibly understand how Sean was feeling and I didn’t even want to try. His family life was obviously way more complicated than I thought, and now, it had just gotten even worse.
With a sigh, I began to pack my things into my bag. I didn’t have much in my office. Just a few pictures on my desk and some personal files tucked away in my bottom desk drawer. I took my diploma off the wall behind my desk and checked the other drawers without finding anything. Everything else in the office belonged to the company, and I couldn’t have taken it if I wanted to.
My bag bulged by the time I threw it over my shoulder and took a last look at my office. My eyes filled with tears as I thought about leaving this place. I didn’t think I would ever be back, and I couldn’t just walk away without a care. I spent years helping develop this company, and in just a few short weeks, I had devised a plan that increased profits exponentially. I was great at my job and I didn’t want to leave.
I knew there was no point in fighting it. I grabbed my nameplate off my desk and stepped out into the hallway. I pulled my office door closed behind me, tears falling down my cheeks. As I walked toward the elevator, I was happy to not run into anyone. The last thing I needed was for someone to bombard me with questions about why I was leaving and what had happened in the conference room.
I stepped into the elevator and let the doors close. Leaning against the wall, I let the tears continue to fall. I let myself feel every emotion that threatened to overwhelm me. I didn’t know where I would go next. I was sure I could get a different job, but work suddenly seemed to unimportant. My mind was full of thoughts of Sean, and I didn’t have room for anything else. I was heartbroken to leave Yates’ Motorcycles, but I was more heartbroken at the thought that I may never see Sean again.
Even as I left that message, I didn’t think Sean would call me back. He looked right through me when he left earlier. His only thought was getting Paisley as far away from there as possible. Still, I wanted to see him. I had to see him. If only to make sure he was okay. If only to say goodbye.
As I walked through the showroom, I was too distracted to notice the whispers that surrounded me. It wasn’t until I was in the parking lot, staring at an ambulance that I realized something was going on. I looked at the ambulance with a frown and glanced around me. It felt like I was coming out of a fog. Suddenly, I could hear the sirens wailing all around me. I stepped to the side of the parking lot so I was slightly obscured from view. I wanted to see what was happening, but I didn’t want anyone to see me. If Zach saw me standing there, he would probably call security to have me forcibly removed.
Zach. Was Zach the reason for the ambulance? I remembered all the blood on the conference room floor and I cringed. Was he hurt that badly? It looked like his nose was broken, but did that warrant an ambulance? I knew Zach tended toward the dramatics but I still couldn’t believe he would call 911 for a broken nose.
Unless something else was broken? Had Sean beaten him so badly that he caused internal injuries? Was Zach going to be okay? As awful as it was, my concern wasn’t for Zach. My concern was for Sean. I knew Zach well enough to know he would use this fight to his advantage. If Sean hurt him bad enough, Zach would not hesitate to sue him or have him sent to prison for assault.
The thought made my skin crawl. I waited while the paramedics wheeled a stretcher out of the front doors. I craned my neck forward, trying to get a glimpse of the person lying there. I could barely see, but when the paramedics loaded the stretcher inside and stepped away, I caught a full view of his face. My heart fell into my stomach and I forgot how to breathe. It wasn’t Zach lying on the stretcher.
It was Ray.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Sean
As hard as I tried to keep my anger in check, it kept rearing its ugly head. The entire drive home from Yates’ Motorcycles was silent. I asked Paisley if she was okay, but she just nodded and looked out the window. I could tell she was upset. How could she not be? After what Zach did to her, I would be surprised if she ever acted normal again. Still, I wished she would talk to me and tell me how she felt about it. I knew better than to push her, so I stayed quiet until we made it back home.
At home, the night dragged by slowly. Paisley and I ate dinner together. I asked her a few questions, and she answered politely, but she asked to go to bed right after she finished eating. I said yes, then followed her to her room a few minutes later. She was dressed in her pajamas and curled up beneath her blankets. Her eyes focused on the ceiling above her and she wore a thoughtful expression. It reminded me of her first few days with me, right after Claire died.
“Did you brush your teeth?” I asked, sitting at the foot of her bed.
“Yes,” she said.
I nodded. “Good.” I looked at her for a few seconds, trying to work up the courage to say all the things I wanted to say. “Listen, I know you don’t want to talk about it, and that’s okay, but I really want to make sure you’re okay after what happened today.”
“I’m fine,” Paisley said almost too quickly.
“What that man did,” I continued. “Zach. He should not have grabbed you that way. No one should ever do that to you or anyone else. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Paisley said. Her eyes stayed glued to the ceiling.