“I’m so sorry, Colin,” I say on pure reflex, knowing I sound exactly like his former employee again. “I should’ve checked on him sooner. He’s been doing so well that I haven’t needed to—”
“Don’t do that, Elle.” His voice is much softer now. “This isn’t your fault. Are you still at his apartment?”
“Yes.”
“What’s the standard procedure for someone going MIA like this?”
“Well, if nobody knows where he is and hasn’t seen him for this long, I would contact hospitals in the area and then the police department.”
“Stay at his apartment,” he says amidst the sound of more activity. “I’m on my way. I have a key. We’ll go inside and see if we can find anything. If not, then I’ll go to the police.”
“Okay.” I let my head lean back against the wall. “I’ll call the hospitals while I wait.”
“Thank you, Elle. I’ll be there soon.”
With that, Colin ends the call, and I let my hand drop into my lap, still clutching the phone. I haven’t had any morning sickness for weeks, but right now, I could seriously puke. I reach into my purse and fish out my water bottle, then chug half of it, and start making more calls.
It’s only about fifteen minutes and four futile calls later that I hear footsteps padding up the hall in a cadence that I feel wholly familiar with. I look to my right, and there he is.
The man I haven’t seen in approximately two months because he has the good graces to not overstep the boundaries I erected on the day I told him. The man I know, thanks to Celia’s gossiping, has been quietly grieving the loss of something I know he wants. The man who is the father of my daughter, but is willing to forfeit his place in her life out of respect for my needs.
Despite all of those things, Colin doesn’t have any hard looks or sharp words for me as he approaches. He merely stops next to where I’m still sitting on the floor, and holds out his open palm for me in an invitation to help me up.
Kind of like he did with the arrangement that landed us in this complicated situation, but that ultimately set me free from the awful life I was trapped in.
After ending the call with Elle, I miraculously avoid slamming my fucking office door and shove the phone in my pocket. Marching down the hall, I stop long enough to knock on Dalton’s open door and poke my head in.
“I have a family emergency,” I announce as he glances up from his laptop. “I can’t make the meeting with Irving.”
Dalton tilts his head to one side as a frown tugs at his full, yet sagging cheeks. “It’s literally in fifteen minutes, Colin.”
“I know.” I raise my eyebrows. “And I have a literal emergency.”
He eyes me for a second. “I’ll have to take you off the account.”
“I know,” I say again, slipping my hands into my pockets. “That’s fine.”
Dalton’s gaze lingers on me for a couple of beats, before he turns back to his screen. “Okay. I hope you get it sorted out.”
He’s going to end up firing me one of these days. I already know it. Archer has created way too manyfamily emergenciesover the past few years, and despite how much money I bring into this place, Dalton can’t keep an unreliable sales director on board. I wouldn’t. Nobody in their right mind would. It’s only a matter ofwhenif Archer keeps this shit up, and I just have to be prepared for that.
It only takes me about fifteen minutes to cab over to Archer’s apartment, and after rounding the corner on his floor, Elle comes into view. She’s seated on the floor, shoulders hunched as she appears to be slumping in defeat, and Ihatethat she has to deal with this shit. I hate that it undoubtedly makes her feel exactly what I’ve been feeling nearly my whole life—that she’sfailedhim.
Nobody has failed him butme.
I approach her, and she catches my gaze when I’m about halfway down the hall. She shouldn’t be seated on the disgusting carpet like that, and I would scoop her up into my arms if I could. But I can’t, because that’s not the kind of relationship this is.
Thereis norelationship, so I offer my hand instead.
“Hi,” Elle says as she takes it, and I give her a gentle pull as she stands up.
“Hey,” I return, and then I’m suddenly lost somewhere. She’s standing up straight, and the classy, business casual dress she’s wearing fits her just the right way to put the subtle, but unmistakable change in her figure on full display.
Right at the level of her navel is rounded fullness that declares to anyone who might see her that she’s not a singular entity right now. Someone else is tucked safely right inside that little bump at her center, and I don’t think I’ve seen anything sweeter in all my life.
The tension at my brow tells me I’m staring, and I need to stop, so I flick my gaze to her face. Her seafoam green eyes hold just the slightest sheen. I know everything about this is hard for her, too, because she really is a kind, good-hearted woman who doesn’t want the awful complications of any of this any more than I do. But just wishing the complications didn’t exist won’t make themnot exist, so I redirect my focus back to the task at hand.
Clearing my throat, I turn to the door and fish out the key. “How’ve you been?”
