"Kent?" She walked down the stairs beside the pool and stopped a few feet from him as he turned. A big smile lifted his lips.
"There's my beautiful girl." He turned and walked toward her, pulling her into a hug. "Damon called and said that you left the office upset."
"I'm not sure how he knew that, but it's been a rough day." She leaned into the hug, enjoying the warmth of his connection. "Can I talk to my boss for a few minutes and then my dad?"
"Of course, kiddo. Or, you could just talk to your dad." He took a step back and reached out to cup her face. "You're hurting."
Beth pressed her teeth into her lip and shifted her eyes toward the dark blue sky. She nodded, unable to get anything out for a moment. Tears burned her gaze, and she couldn't help but wonder how many more tears she would have to cry. It was a fucked up mistake to ask for help in the way she did. Everything that had gone wrong in her life felt somehow connected to that moment she asked for help.
"I quit today. I can't work for M&B." She lowered her chin, letting her tears fall onto her cheeks. "If that means you can't help me with my master’s program, then I'll get a loan. I know that was part of the deal, but me being there is toxic for the team, and it's hurting Damon. I can't do it anymore."
"I'd never take a gift away from you, Bethany." Kent brushed a few more of her tears away. "If you don't want to work at the firm, I'm perfectly fine with that. Of course I want you there with us, but I know things aren't as they should be between you and Damon. We're family before anything else. I want to see you two reconcile if it's at all possible."
"I don't know what's possible, to be honest with you."
"Stay for dinner and let's talk about all of this. The three of us. You, me and him."
"No. I can't. I'm heading back to campus. My apartment is still mine." She moved back and brushed the rest of her tears away. "I don't want to get into the details of why I quit. I just need you to know that if you want to take back the funding for my-"
"No. I want you to know that it's yours no matter what happens, okay?" He reached out and cupped her cheek. "I'm not going to let this go without looking into it. I hope you understand that. If something is wrong with my firm, then I have to fix it."
"I know, but I think you'll find that the only thing that was wrong with it is now gone." She cupped her hand over his. "I need to go. Thank you for being here for me."
"I always will be."
She pulled back and turned to walk back up onto the patio.
"And Bethany."
The look of worry on his face left her wanting to scurry away so she could cry in peace. Why was it that when she was in pain and someone was kind to her, it broke her down fast?
"Yes?"
"You're not the thing that's wrong with the firm. Don't believe your own lies, kiddo. They'll do nothing but destroy the truths."
She nodded and jogged up the stairs, avoiding the kitchen and walking out to the front of the house to her car before anyone could see her.
There was no changing her mind.
Her quitting M&B was final.
No matter what.
Chapter 2
Damon
The meeting had been short, which was good, but fuck if he didn't have a million things to say to the beautiful brunette that stole his heart. His pride kept his tongue tied up as he walked out of the room and took a sharp right to walk back to his office.
Delilah was upset about Bethany's report she'd turned in, but he'd yet to see it. After he checked his messages, he would ask his new senior manager to produce Beth's report so that he could check it out himself. It was a coaching moment that he could have with Beth if nothing else.
"Damon." Delilah stuck her head in the room, her blue eyes a little wide as if she were scared.
"What? Make it quick," he barked, glancing up from a pile of papers on his desk. She was beautiful and reminded him of a better version of Krista, but she was the past. He couldn't even force the feeling that something might happen between them. It wouldn't happen now like it didn't when they were younger. He was unfortunately lost to everyone thanks to Beth. The hope that fluttered around his chest every time he saw Beth was enough to leave him cynical and sickened.
With neither of them bending, nothing was going to change.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but I think Bethany just quit." She crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged, trying hard to look nonchalant. "It's better this way. She's sensitive and young and honestly, isn't doing the work."
"That's not what Patrick or Ben had to say about Bethany's output." He stood up as anger burned through the center of his chest. Had Delilah attacked Beth? Her methods of calling the girl out in the middle of the meeting were unprofessional.
"Yes, well, they're men. They're obviously attracted to her."
Damon snorted and walked around his desk as he narrowed his eyes on the woman. "I don't think it had a damn thing to do with them being men. What exactly did you hope to gain today by calling her out in front of the team? I'm sure that dropped morale for everyone, not just her."
"I wasn't being a bitch. I wanted everyone to understand that it's important to pull your own weight. Period." She reached out and pressed her fingers into his chest. "Stop being so sensitive about her. She doesn't have you wrapped around her finger too, does she? Just because she's your step-sister, she gets privileges that no one else gets."
Damon brushed her hand from his chest. "She's a good employee and the youngest member of our team. Your intimidation tactics better not be behind her walking out of here today. It's unacceptable, and you're smarter than this. Playing with fire only gets you burned, Delilah."
"Damon. I didn't-"
"Save it." He turned and walked out of his office toward Beth's. He paused at the door to see that most of her personal things were gone. "Fuck."
The last thing in the world he wanted was for her to keep losing bits and pieces of herself. They were headed in two different directions, and the hope of them ever coming back together was growing more and more slim, but he still loved her with every ounce of his heart.
Walking to the tall windows that ran from the floor to the ceiling, he pressed his hand against it and glanced down. Burnt orange and red leaves blew all over the front walkway of the building as the sun set in the far end of the sky. His heart constricted in his chest as the door opened, and she walked out holding a box. He was high up, but he could tell it was her by the color of her hair and the way she held herself.
"Boss?" Ben's voice surprised him.
Damon glanced over his shoulder and forced his facade into place. "What?"
"You all right?" Ben walked into the office, glancing around as if the poor guy thought a bomb might go off any minute.
"No, I'm not." Damon turned and ran his fingers through his hair. "Bethany just quit."
"Oh shit." Ben crossed his arms over his chest. "Why? What happened? Because of Delilah calling her out in the meeting?"
"Among other things, I guess." Damon walked over to Beth's chair and sat down, letting his eyes scan the various scraps of paper on her desk. A small white wrapper from a fortune cookie was taped to the edge of her desk from one of their many dates.
Life will be filled with adventure.
On the end of the saying, there was a small hand scribbled 'in bed.'
Damon smiled as sadness filled him. He'd written the 'in bed' as he teased her that all fortunes from a fortune cookie had to have that ending. It made more sense that way.
The memory of their last time together in bed flashed in front of his eyes. She'd been angry that morning and had done a good job of showing him. He hadn't felt used like that since his freshman year of college. Those were memories best left dead. He'd become a raging whore that used women like dishtowels after that.
"I'll talk to her, Damon. She's too good to lose." Ben walked the rest of the way into the office and sat down in an empty chair.
"No. I'll talk to her tonight. We're having fa
mily dinner at my dad's house." He brushed his fingers by his lips. "I just spoke with Delilah and she insinuated that you and Patrick gave Beth a good review because she's a beautiful woman, and well, you're a man."
"What?" Ben's face grew red as his eyes widened. "That's bullshit. Bethany is beautiful, yes, but she's brilliant and fast as heck, Damon. I told you that already."
"I figured as much." He glanced down. "I'm going to document the situation and our conversation, as well as mine and Delilah’s. My father hiring her was a mistake. I wish he'd have mentioned it before he signed the paperwork with her."
"No shit." Ben rolled his eyes. "How dare she say that about Patrick and me? She's been a total bitch to Bethany. We've all been tiptoeing around her just to keep the peace, but I was coming in today to tell you that it has to stop. I can't tell her to back the hell off, but you can. She's my boss for God’s sake."
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
Linda stuck her head into the office. "Mr. Bryant, Mr. Talling from Zarpeth is on line one. I told him that I would have you call him back, but he's pretty insistent on talking with you."
"Now what?" Damon stood up and slipped his hands into his pants pockets before walking out of Beth's office and back down to his. The smell of her perfume clung to him, leaving him wanting to reminisce on all the good times they had before everything went to hell in a hand basket.
Damon closed the door behind him and dropped down into his chair. He reached over and pressed the speaker phone button.
"James. Tell me you have some good news. This fucking day is making me want to break open the oldest bottle of brandy I have and drink myself into oblivion." He closed his eyes, praying like hell that James wasn't about to deliver more bad news.
Beth walking out of the firm on the pretense of quitting was not only a horrid situation for him personally, but he would be facing one fucked up shit-storm when he got to his father's that evening. Beth was family and no one treated family like it would appear that he treated Beth.
"Hey man. I read over the audit reports and the recommendations. We're going to rebuild the inventory system using the programs you've noted here. I hired a new general manager for the Florida plant earlier this week. He's on the ball and will give you a call later this week. Thank you for all of your hard work. You’re an invaluable member of our team here."
Damon let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Excellent. Don't call me a member of your team, old friend. I'm your auditor. You know that doesn't work too well for objectivity."
James chuckled. "On an even better note, my wife and I are going to work things out. I took your advice. I hired a few key people to help me run the office so that I could pull back and try working on fifty hours a week, and it's working. I'm at home at night with her and the boys. We make dinner together, do the kids’ homework together, put them to bed and spend time talking about our day. It's bliss, man. I didn't realize how simple of a shift it would be. I wanted to thank you for the conversation on the golf course. It changed everything."
Damon sat up in his chair as warmth filled his chest. "So love is enough?"
"Yeah, man. Love shown and spoken. People don't know you love them unless you show them. Unless you tell them. You know what I mean?"
"That's great, James. I'm thrilled to hear that." Damon stood and walked to his windows, putting his forehead against the chilled glass. "And all of the bad blood between you and Dana is gone? All it took was for you to make a few sacrifices that showed her that she was number one in your life?"
"Yes. I'm sure we're still going to fight and have issues like every married couple in the world, but we're going to work through it. I just can't imagine being at the end of my life and everyone talking about what a great businessman I was. I want to be known for being a great father and a fantastic husband. I want Dana crippled by my death, not relieved because of it. I want us to mean everything to each other."
"That's awesome. I'm not sure there's anything left to work through for me and my girl. We aren't even talking anymore." He let out a short sigh. He'd not shared his heart with anyone but Matt and Kendal, nor did he want to. It would seem his wants were irrelevant at the moment. Hearing of James' good news left Damon wanting to analyze his friend's every step to winning Dana back.
"You still love her?"
"With every part of me. I hate thinking that my life is going to go on without her in it. It's like getting the winning ticket to the lottery and never getting to cash in. She's everything I want, James. My fucking pride won't let me apologize for something I didn't do."
"Then you better hope your pride keeps you warm at night, Damon."
"Fuck you too, old friend."
James laughed. "Tell your father my check is in the mail for your services."
"I will. I'm glad you called. Congrats on working things out with Dana."
"Thanks. Now it's your turn. If you love her, you're an idiot for letting her go. Love is fickle and doesn't show up very often. Go after her with the same passion and drive that caused you to win her over in the first place."
Damon moved back from the window and nodded. "Right. Talk to you soon, James."
They hung up, and Damon paced the floor, trying hard to think through why Bethany fell for him in the first place.
Passion. Aggression. Lust.
Everything changed so damn fast. All of those things only seemed to agitate her now, so going back to the beginning and using the tools he'd used to win her for the first time was the quickest way to losing her forever.
"What are you doing, baby?" He glanced out the window and took a shaky breath. "Why did you quit today? Another way to separate yourself from me? To run farther from me?"
He gathered up his things and tugged his bag over his shoulder. Patrick was pacing the hall outside of his office when he stepped out.
"Boss. There is no way in hell I would ever give someone a good review unless they did a good job. I'm the most ethical guy I know. Ask anyone. I'm a total stickler for the rules. Bethany could be the hottest thing on the planet, and if she sucked as an auditor, you'd know it. No way would I-"
"Hey." Damon reached out and clamped his hand down on Patrick's shoulder. "I know this. It's all good. I had to vet the information that was thrown at me. We're good, okay?"
Patrick let out a long sigh and pressed his hands to his knees. "I hate this new chick, boss. She's a bitch. I hate to say that seeing that she could fire me on the spot, but she's not right. She's been after Bethany since she got on the team. I think she hates the fact that Bethany is your step-sister."
Damon tried hard not to cringe at the fact that everyone would soon know that Beth was family. It was hard enough trying to keep the fact that they were engaged from the prying eyes of everyone at the firm, but now them knowing that she was family only added another layer of concern.
We're not engaged anymore. She gave me the ring back.
"I'll work it out. Thanks for your hard work this week." Damon patted the kid on the back before walking out of the tall skyscraper they occupied several floors of. He called out to the house to see if there was anything he could pick up for dinner. He was glad that Martha answered the phone and not someone else.
"No. Just come on out. I have a hot and cheesy lasagna coming out of the oven in fifteen minutes. Matt's already here, but Bethany just left. You're going to have to eat her portion."
"What?" Damon unlocked his car and got in. "Why isn't she staying?"
"I don't know. She was upset about something. She went to talk with your father and left before I could talk to her again."
"All right. I'll call her later. Thanks, Martha."
Damon started the car and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "What do you want from me, Beth? What, baby? I miss you so goddamn bad and yet every time I look at you, you turn away in disgust. Do you want me to come after you or leave you alone?"
He shook his head, trying hard not to slip into a dark depression as he pulled
out of the parking garage and headed out to his dad's house. There was no doubt in his mind that his father was going to be upset by Beth quitting. He'd ask why she left and Damon would stand there dumbfounded.
The only answer he could come up with hurt too bad to speak.
She left because of me.
Chapter 3
Bethany
She had to get over her depression. It covered everything in a dark gray tint and left her wanting to sit on the couch and stare at the wall. She could cling to a tight facade of indifference when she was out in front of other people, but when she was at home alone, there was no reason to put forth so much effort.
The date with Philip the night before should have been fun. He was a great guy and so incredibly safe for her from a relationship perspective. Sadly enough, all she'd done the whole time was talk about Damon, think about him, cry over him... it was disturbing.
"Stop it," Bethany grumbled angrily as she sat up and tossed her pillow across the room. She'd cried her way through another long night. How long would the pain and sorrow over losing him last? "Forever."
She pulled herself out of bed, using her anger as fuel to push herself through a quick shower. She got dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before pulling a sweater over the top of her head. A quick brush through her long brown hair and a pair of comfortable winter boots and she was out the door.
It wasn't her usual day to TA, but she knew Kendal could always use the help. He'd not deny her assisting for the day, and anything was better than sitting in the apartment crying all day long.
There was no way he would complain about her outfit either, or at least he never had before. She looked like a teaching assistant, and if he didn't like it, she'd leave and try again tomorrow. He didn't deserve to catch the brunt of the emotional battle that raged deep inside of her, but if he got in her way and pushed too much, it would spill over no matter how hard she tried to hold it back.
Mister Big Stuff_A Single Mom Friends to Lovers Novel Page 74