Page 13 of Broken Halo
It was worth every penny and the blood, sweat, and lack of sleep from working seventy hours a week to double-time my way up the chain. Never did I think I’d land my ass here, on the top floor of the Montgomery high-rise. With the package Jen gave me, I could pay that house off, keep my condo, and buy two vacation properties on opposite sides of the Earth if I felt the urge.
But I don’t have time for any of that shit.
As much as it turns my stomach, I press call to put the process in motion. I don’t know when I’ll have time to go through her stuff but the thought of hiring someone to come in and do that feels wrong.
I make an appointment with the realtor for next week. After burying my mom today, that’s the soonest I can stomach it.
And my fucking father is out of jail. If he even thinks about wandering into town, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Then there’s Ellie.
Making eye contact with her today for the first time in ten years was enough to throw me into a tailspin, but walking into her house? Actually speaking to her, sharing the air she breathes … was almost too much. It brought back everything.
Every fucking moment, the good ones, and especially the ugly ones that’re seared into my soul, are wounds still as raw as the day they were carved there. By the way she acted toward me today, it seems she feels the same … though I’m not sure why.
She was the one who made decisions for both of us.
Our nightmare might’ve begun because of me, but she was the one who ended it and she did it with a finality that can never be reversed.
We not only lost each other, we lost everything else, too.
* * *
Ellie
“Do you need some help?”
I look across my desk at the girl I’m interviewing for my office manager position. I brought Griffin with me today because, honest to God, after yesterday, I’m afraid to take my eyes off him. I was about to leave him with Chloe this morning, but in the end, I just couldn’t do it and gave her the day off. Again. Carl and Teresa have always had their cruel, passive-aggressive ways, but the day Robert died, they ditched the passive and the aggressive. Now, they’re nothing but hostile.
Griffin slept better last night but he’s late for his nap and this chick is eyeing me like she’s not sure the job will be worth the effort when her potential boss can’t even get it together enough to conduct a simple job interview. I’m pretty sure my parents ran out of brainiac genes by the time they had me. I have no idea how Jen runs an entire corporation, and if it weren’t for his lack of patience with people in general, my brother, Cam, could’ve done it if he’d wanted to. He runs his own business and makes it look like a walk in the park with a new wife, cooperative children, and obedient pets.
I, however, am in over my head and don’t know what to do about it. I’d throw in the towel and call it quits if I weren’t in desperate need for a distraction from every-fucking-thing right now. With construction banging all around me, no proper office, no phones, no signage, and sawdust dancing through the air, I see why this girl—barely old enough to be a woman—might think I need help. I can see why anyone would think that.
Basically, I’m in desperate need of everything.
“I know things seem a little haywire.” I look down at her résumé because this is the sixth interview today and I can’t keep anyone’s name straight at this point, “Quinn.” Odd name, but whatever. I come from a long line of weird-ass names. Quinn is put together and making the best possible impression, unlike me, who’s frazzled on a good day. I reach over for Griff’s sippy cup and he finally quits wrestling in my arms and devours his juice. I give up and a tired breath escapes my lungs. “You know what? Yes. Yes, I do. I need a helluva lot of help. Your résumé says you’ve had experience with payroll?”
She tips her dark-haired head and her eyes slide to the side. She almost winces when she looks back at me. “I helped with payroll in my last job. I guess I should have specified that.”
I can’t help but give her a small smile. Her résumé isn’t impressive in the slightest and the only reason I called her for an interview was because of the payroll experience, but now that she’s here, I can’t help but like her. She’s young, friendly, and just proved she’s honest. I need honesty in my life right now more than I need legal representation.
Who am I kidding? I need both.
“You’ve had a lot of jobs,” I note as I hold the résumé up and look at the long list of part-time positions she’s held in the last year alone. On paper it doesn’t look good, but for some reason I don’t care. Don’t even ask me about the other applicants. Their experience might be more impressive but they were more watered down than light beer. I don’t have the desire to share conversation with them over a cup of coffee, let alone work with them every day.
She shifts in her pencil skirt, not able to hide the discomfort radiating from her in waves. “I have two years of college under my belt, but it didn’t take. Despite my parents pushing me, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I’m a hard worker—I swear. I just want something full-time in a small office.”
Authentic and candid. I like it.
And from one drop-out to another, that’s something I can understand.
I toss her résumé to the desk and lean back in my chair because Griffin is starting to give in to his lack of sleep. “Well, compared to me, you’re a payroll genius. I know dance—that’s it. Hopefully I’ll be able to pull off one or two recitals a year but I don’t know if I’m organized enough to even do that on my own. I need to learn all the things. Are you willing to figure them out with me?”
Quinn’s young eyes light up. “I am.”
“Then it looks like you and I are gonna fuck things up together before we get it right.”
“Thank you, Ellie.”
