BAILEE Alex got a call from the office right after our conversation, and I used the excuse to escape the situation. I was in Brinley’s room to get her up and ready for daycare. I was very careful to avoid everyone in the house as I dressed her, grabbed a homemade breakfast bar for Brinley, and go
BAILEE “Your what?” Alex’s voice made all three of us jump and turn toward the doorway leading to the store. “You’re here!” I exclaimed with unreasonable excitement as I stood, my feet protesting the movement as my belly bumped the desk and stumbled back slightly. My eyes landed on the paper ba
BAILEE “That went better than I imagined it would,” Lacey said as Alex and Vivian left to return to the Elite office. My stomach growled as I stared at the brown paper bag on my desk, and I couldn’t resist rushing around to my seat to dig in. The paper crinkled as I opened it, and the smell of th
ALEXANDER Leaving Bailee was harder than I had anticipated. I had never cared before for anyone else’s input regarding how I ran my business as an individual. Their opinions on my actions were of little mind to me. The actions I took for the business were a different story. I would have meeting a
ALEXANDER “I told you she would break him,” Bash said, his voice coming through the speakerphone as I sat staring at Mason in my visitor’s chair. “She didn’t break me.” Mason snapped back, sounding appalled by the accusation. “You want her. You’ve never wanted anyone before, not for more than a
BAILEE I didn’t know the girl, but all day, I felt like I needed to call Vivian and apologize again for blowing her up like that, even though we had cleared the air back at the house. My careless accusation had caused her to get dumped and to fear for the security of her job within seconds of ea
BAILEE “I don’t think those are considered fan pages, then,” I mumbled instinctively, and Ben held my stare for a long moment before the corner of his mouth turned up, and he chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” “I’m really sorry you are having to go through that,” I said, walking forward an
Ben stilled, looking down at what he had just packed for a long moment before realizing I was being sarcastic. “Very funny. Look, I leave tomorrow, and I don’t want to forget anything or run out. If the press catches me leaving the facility and running to the store for anything, they will spin it an
HAVEN “Let me get this straight because I’m having difficulty understanding,” Suzie said, standing behind her desk with both hands palm down on it as she glared at me in the visitor’s chair. “One of our biggest clients of all time, the owner’s best friend, just left my gym on the verge of tears, an
HAVEN I watched as the blood left his face, his cheeks turning a chalky white. The sight was too much. He was wearing his heart on his sleeve, and I was ripping it off and stomping on it. His hands shook as he lifted them and shoved his fingers into his hair. My eyes closed, unable to continue
HAVEN Ben went through the motions of each exercise, counting each set, not arguing that he could do more than I asked him to, and had yet to make any sarcastic or inappropriate remarks. It was oddly uncomfortable to see him like this. Ben was the kind of man who would drop everything at a momen
BEN My fingers tapped against the machine I was leaning on as I waited for Haven. I didn’t like how she left, but I was eager about the conversation she promised me. The serious tone and her obvious anxiety had me excited. There were only two things that I could think of that would make her so an
HAVEN “Rob,” I breathed, gasping in shock as he grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the corner of the lobby behind the decorative pillar. He had always hated when I called him by his first name. He felt that someone as lowly as an assistant should show him the respect he believed he had earned by n
HAVEN I had barely made it to work on time and was panting by the time I ran inside, went down to the lounge to drop off my things in my locker, grabbed my tablet, and got back upstairs to the gym, where Ben was supposed to be waiting. Thankfully, he was there and didn't look angry that I was lat
HAVEN I had been ecstatic that Ben hadn’t been in the lobby when I left with Siri. Bonnie had gone up before us to check, and when she said he had left, I almost felt like I should thank him the next time I saw him. He had every opportunity to corner me with her and try to push the matter, but
BEN “You’re going back up?” Mason said, and I let out a deep breath and nodded. “It would be too hard to see her and not say anything. Plus, if I’m just staring at her, it might scare her.” I said, regretting the decision as soon as I made it, but I also knew that if I stayed down here, I would
HAVEN “She will be fine. I promise.” Bonnie said as I brushed the hair over Siri’s cheek to get it out of her face while she fought the urge to fall asleep on the break room couch. “I know she will. You are a good aunt. I’m not worried about leaving her with you.” I said, forcing a smile at my bes