by Kelsie Rae
Before Bethany had whispered the ugly truth about Bree.
Before I found her eating brunch with the one woman who screwed me over beyond belief.
Before she ripped my heart in two by betraying me.
I seethe at her, the anger emanating from deep within my soul as my mind tries to catch up with the fact that the girl I have just fallen in love with stabbed me in the back.
I swallow the bitter acid flooding my mouth before breaking Bethany’s grasp on my arm roughly and leaving Bree behind. Along with my shattered heart.
25
Bree
Shit. Whatever just happened wasn’t good.
I shove away from the table and rush to the elevator, hoping I can catch the same one Derrick just stepped into.
My heels echo against the tile as I book it across the foyer before sliding to a stop in front of the closing elevator doors. I stick my arm between them, surprised I didn’t just get my hand chopped off when they slide back open. I enter hesitantly, trying to catch my breath from my mad dash across the lobby. Eyeing Derrick warily, I can see that he’s beyond furious with me. The problem is... I don’t know why.
Thankfully, we’re alone in the small square box, and I tentatively take advantage.
“Derrick?” I whisper hesitantly, while slowly stepping closer to him. “What’s wrong?”
I can feel the heavy tension in the air, but this time it’s not from sexual chemistry. It’s from pure anger with a touch of betrayal. I can see it in his eyes as he looks at me with utter disgust, but I can’t understand why.
“Derrick?” I repeat, trying to melt the ice in his gaze. “Talk to me.”
He scoffs. “Why? So you can use it against me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Really?” he laughs, sarcastically. “You’re going to play that card? I expected more from you, Miss Jensen.”
His use of my last name takes me by surprise. No Bree. No Breezy. And definitely no Hurricane.
“Apparently, I am going to use that card Derrick, and you’re going to have to cut me a little slack. What the hell are you talking about? You need to tell me what just happened, because I’m honestly at a loss right now.” I speak slowly, carefully, as if I’m talking to a caged beast.
In a way, I am.
Before he can reply, the elevator opens and Derrick makes his escape, leaving me in the empty box all alone. Debating whether I should follow him or give him space, impulsive Bree decides to grab the situation by the balls and pursues him with her head held high.
Swallowing bravely, I insert my key into the door and enter my room. The connecting door is still open, by some miracle, and I cautiously step into Derrick’s room.
He’s pacing the floor like a wild animal, rubbing his hands roughly against his face.
“Derrick. You need to talk to me,” I announce bluntly.
He lifts his head at my demand, his icy gaze freezing me in place. I couldn’t move if I wanted to.
“You want to talk, Bree? You want to know how I feel about all this shit?” He lifts his arms in the air. “Are you looking for confirmation that your plan worked? That you fucking screwed me over, along with my entire company?” he roars.
I flinch at his frigid tone. Tears gather behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.
“Derrick,” I breathe. “I can honestly say I have no idea what you’re talking about. How, exactly, did I screw you over, let alone the company?”
He only shakes his head in response, letting the bitter silence suffocate me.
After a minute, I cautiously take a step forward, my hands raised slightly in a subconscious attempt to look non-threatening. “Babe, you’re freaking me out. Let’s sit down and talk this through. Obviously, there have been a few misunderstandings. We can work this out. We just need to be level-headed about this.” I’m shocked that my tone is calm when there’s a freaking hurricane shredding me from the inside.
I laugh sardonically at my word choice, my eyes pricking with tears.
A freaking hurricane.
“You honestly think we can work this out when you conspired with my ex to tear apart my company?” he yells while pointing to the door. “I’m having a hard enough time not firing your ass for what you did!”
His words are like a slap to my face, but I refuse to back down. “What the hell are you talking about? And did you honestly just threaten to fire me? Are you freaking kidding me?” Now it’s my turn to scream.
I’m blown away that we’re even having this conversation right now, when the last time we spoke, we were kissing and enjoying every moment together. My mind is trying to grasp what the hell is going on, but it just won’t compute.
“Don’t throw this on me, Bree,” he replies, angrily. “You were the one who took advantage of the information you were given within my company. You were the one who told Bethany about the investors. You were the one who set it all up, just to watch it burn.” He’s not yelling anymore. His tone is quiet. Cold. Harsh.
And absolute.
I know that whatever I say in this moment won’t get through to him. I know that I can beg, fight, plead, and he won’t listen to a single word. He’s already decided that I betrayed him. He’s already decided that I screwed him over. He’s already decided that I can’t be trusted.
I come to the conclusion that I can bring him all the evidence in the world, and it won’t make a dent in the case he’s already built against me.
Feeling resigned, the words leave my mouth before I even realize what I’m saying. “I quit, Derrick. And I want you to know that it’s not because I’m guilty of what you’re accusing me. I quit because somehow along the way, I gave my heart to you. And instead of cherishing it, you decided to rip it to shreds by not trusting me. By letting your past get in the way of an incredible love story. We could’ve had it all. But you just crushed it beneath your freaking loafers.”
The tears are streaming down my face in earnest now, but I’m not going to hide them. I want him to remember this moment. I want him to hurt. Because one day, he’ll figure out that whatever assumption he made was wrong. One day, he’ll regret letting me go. One day, this will be the biggest mistake of his life.
And when that day comes? I won’t be there.
I slam the door that connects our rooms before sliding to the ground and sobbing into my hands, my chest heaving. I’m not sure how he snuck into my heart so quickly, but he did. And then he grabbed the entire thing with his calloused palms and ripped it out, unapologetic to the indescribable pain it would leave in his wake.
I send a quick text to Jude to let him know that I won’t need a ride home before searching for the earliest flight out. By some miracle, he gives me space and doesn’t ask any questions. I assume those will come later.
After finding a flight that leaves in two hours, I call an Uber, grab my bags, and head down to the lobby. I’m anxious to leave this entire situation behind me.
Sitting down on one of the plush cushions near the lobby doors, my cheeks are flushed, and my eyes are rimmed red from crying my heart out.
I gaze into the distance, trying to keep my shit together when a vaguely familiar voice interrupts me. “Bree?”
Blinking, I look around before registering that there’s a man standing next to me. He squats down until we’re eye to eye. His brows are pinched in concern as he scans my puffy face. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
I try to swallow past my tears, but one slips out anyway, sliding down my face and dripping off my chin. “Hi, Bill.” I smile pathetically, knowing I look like a mess.
He immediately pulls me in for a hug. The position is somewhat awkward since I’m sitting down and he’s practically kneeling next to me, but I cling to his comfort anyway.
“Want to tell me why a pretty girl like you is crying her eyes out?” Bill suggests kindly.
He’s an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair, tan skin, and a sincere smile. He kind of reminds me of my dad, which
is probably the only reason I’m willing to open up to him.
“I just quit my job,” I bluntly state into his navy blue blazer.
He chuckles softly. “I heard about the issues your company is having. I’m really sorry I couldn’t invest like we had discussed last night.” His tone is apologetic, and it takes me a second to process what he’s said.
Pulling away slightly with my brows furrowed, I ask for clarification. “I’m sorry, what company problems?”
He clears his throat. “You know, about your company being out of money? About the coding issue you’re struggling with and can’t iron out? About your current investors pulling their funds because they haven’t seen any revenue?” Bill is stating everything like a question, almost as if he’s unsure of their legitimacy now that he’s speaking to me about it.
“Bill.” I look at him pointedly, making sure I have his full attention. “Whoever told you all that is full of shit. Seriously, you need to check your sources, ‘cause it sounds like they were blowing smoke up your ass. Our company is thriving. It’s doing amazing, actually. We were hoping to double our revenue this next year, and with your help, we were planning on quadrupling it. We’re expanding so fast we can’t keep up, which is why we needed to hire new people. And with Derrick’s fresh business plan? We were going to explode!” I find myself repeating a bunch of information Derrick had planned on telling Bill during his pitch, enthusiastically repeating the logistics as well as Bill’s part in everything. Bill merely stays silent, absorbing all the facts I’m throwing at him faster than a pitcher in the major leagues.
By the time I finish, my Uber has arrived, and I’m grabbing my suitcase.
“Look. I have to go. But you need to call Derrick and go to that meeting. You won’t regret it.”
I leave before Bill even has a chance to reply, wheeling my luggage to the black sedan and hopping inside.
I’m still fuming at Derrick, but after my conversation with Bill, I’m starting to see why he had a meltdown in the first place. I just don’t see how he thought it was my fault.
I shrug off my speculations, deciding to focus on the future instead of my ridiculously shitty weekend.
And to top things off, now I get to look for a new job.
Just lovely.
26
Derrick
Jude has texted me multiple times, and my phone is ringing off the hook between him and Rhett. Instead of handling the situation maturely, I silent the damn thing, shocked I don’t throw it at the wall.
Everything is screwed.
My heart is torn in two from Bree’s little speech before she slammed the door behind her. I could hear her sobbing through the paper-thin walls, and all I wanted to do was hold her.
Then I was reminded why we were in this situation in the first place, and I held firm. I had to physically grab my jeans to keep my arms at my sides instead of reaching out to her like I wanted to.
The betrayal is still fresh since it’s only been a couple hours, and I haven’t had the desire to move an inch from my hunched-over position on the floor. I feel like my entire life has been turned inside out.
Like I just experienced a freaking hurricane, and I’m not sure I’ll survive the chaos it left in its wake.
I rest my head in my hands, furious at myself for how I handled my situation with Bree, but not knowing what I could’ve done differently.
Someone pounds on my hotel room door, the incessant noise only adding to my inner turmoil. I refuse to get up, wishing whoever is on the other side of the door will just go away.
A few minutes later I’m greeted with silence, and I savor the quiet like a fine wine, letting it seep into my bones.
The quiet doesn’t last long.
Jude swings the door open with Rhett hot on his heels.
“What the hell are you doing, mate?” Jude yells, his long legs carrying him to my heavy frame on the ground.
“You need to get up right now! We have a pitch to present you wanker!”
I groan. My head is pounding, and I feel like I just drank a bottle of whiskey. “Did Rhett not tell you? The presentation is off. Bill backed out.”
“Well, shithead,” Rhett interrupts, “if you had answered your phone like a normal human being, you would know that Bill contacted me again saying he’s interested in hearing what we have to say.”
My head snaps up in Rhett’s direction, scanning his face to make sure he isn’t bullshitting me.
“You serious?”
Rhett nods as Jude grabs my arm, attempting to pull me up. “Yes, you big fat shite. Now grab your computer, and let’s go!”
Jude is a pretty fit guy. We regularly go to the gym together, and I’ve seen the things he can bench press. But I’m a freaking giant, and his attempt to lift me is pathetic at best. I decide to help him a little by planting my feet and standing to my full height. Rhett’s news is rejuvenating my spirits, making me anxious to talk to Bill and see what the hell happened to change his mind.
I grab my laptop off the tiny desk in the room and practically sprint toward the elevator, my long legs eating up the distance, while Derrick and Rhett follow behind.
Looking at my wristwatch, I notice I’m about ten minutes late, and I pray I didn’t just screw up my chances all over again.
Jude, Rhett, and I pause before entering the large conference room, attempting to catch our breaths before stepping across the threshold.
There are three potential investors scattered around the rectangular wooden table in the center of the room. As soon as we enter, their mindless chatter ceases and their heads swivel in our direction.
Apparently, they’re ready for the presentation.
I hook up my laptop to the projector while jumping right into my introduction, and hope I don’t mess up this miraculous second chance.
Thirty minutes later, I have three signed contracts in front of me. Two are from rather small fish, though I’m still grateful for their investment. The third is from the big fish, Bill Rockford. He’s currently chatting with Rhett, as I grab my laptop and signed documents.
“Hey Bill! I want to thank you again for coming today. Mind if I ask what changed your mind?” I can’t help but voice the question that’s been running through my mind since Jude and Rhett banged on my door 45 minutes ago.
Bill smiles at my probing before answering. “Honestly? It was one of your employees, Bree Jensen. I heard she actually just quit, which is a shame.” He looks at me pointedly, knowing things didn’t end well between us. “Regardless, she was able to set a few misunderstandings straight and practically gave me your presentation word for word.” Bill smiles fondly, and I assume he’s remembering his conversation with Breezy. “If you want to thank anyone for making this investment happen, it should be her. She would be an incredible asset to any company. I plan on tracking her down and recruiting her next week.”
His words feel like a knife in my chest, twisting and turning, making me ache more than I ever have in my entire life.
I merely nod my head at his remark, unable to form words past the lump in my throat.
Rhett takes over for me, grabbing Bill’s attention and thanking him for the opportunity to work together.
Meanwhile, I try to digest Bill’s insight along with the betrayal I misplaced on the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. I can’t believe she stood up for me, for my company, after the things I accused her of.
Bill is right. Without her coming in to save my ass, this meeting never would’ve happened.
I’m a big guy, but in this moment, I’ve never felt so small and insignificant.
I hurt her. I blamed her for something she had absolutely nothing to do with. The question still remains. How did Bethany know about the presentation? And why was Bree eating brunch with her? Bree has definitely proven her loyalty, but I still need some answers.
I guess it’s time to go to the source.
I find Bethany mingling with a bunch of associates near her booth. She’s busy sta
ring daggers at an innocent hotel employee when I approach her from behind.
“Excuse me Ms. Winters, may I speak with you?” I try to keep my tone professional as I know there are other listening ears close by. But when I get her alone? All bets are off.
Bethany turns around with a flourish before her face pinches in recognition.
“Oh.” She glares. “It’s you.”
“Mind if I have a word?” I ask politely, but I’m already pulling her to an empty area near the exit. This conversation is happening, whether she wants it to or not.
Thankfully, Bethany follows without causing a scene, and I’m grateful that she cares about appearances as much as I do.
As soon as we’re alone, Bethany wrenches her arm away from me before straightening her spine and lifting her pointy little nose into the air.
“Congratulations. I heard that despite my best efforts, your presentation went smoothly,” she huffs indignantly. Her lips are pursed like she’s tasted something sour, and I assume it’s my success.
“How did you do it, Bethany? How did you know about the investors? And don’t say it was Bree, because we both know that isn’t true.”
Beth rolls her eyes before replying. “Fine. I overheard her chatting with Bill at the mixer last night. She was absolutely gushing about how amazing you are, and it was so pathetic to watch. As soon as you escorted her to your room, where I assume she’s sleeping her way to the top of the company,” she glares at me, “I approached dear old Bill and may have mentioned a little white lie or two.” She grins deviously, obviously proud of her manipulative actions.
“And why were you at breakfast with her? Why did you act is if you two were old friends?” I probe, trying to solve the final puzzle piece.
“Oh. That was just a stroke of bad luck on your part. I actually recognized her from high school. Her brother took me to prom my junior year. What a small world, right?” She winks. “So I approached her and tried to make small talk until you came searching for her. You were always entirely too predictable, Derrick.”