Chapter 8 : Running

 

Back in her office, Alex collapsed into her chair and stared at the ceiling.

The touch. God, that touch had nearly destroyed her composure completely.

Emma's hand in hers for two seconds, and Alex had felt everything come rushing back. The love, the longing, the desperate wish that she could go back and make different choices.

Her phone buzzed.

Maya: Hey! In town until Wednesday. Dinner tonight? I have something exciting to tell you!

Alex stared at the message. Maya. Right. Her ex was in San Francisco.

Alex: Can't tonight. Work crisis. Maybe tomorrow?

Maya: Tomorrow works! Can't wait to see you.

Alex set the phone down. She should feel something about seeing Maya. Nostalgia, maybe. Curiosity.

She felt nothing.

Because how could she feel anything when Emma Parker was down the hall, close enough to touch but impossibly far away?

Her intercom buzzed. "Ms. Richardson? You have a call on line two. Dr. Martinez from Bennett Pharmaceuticals."

Work. Right. She had a job to do.

Alex picked up the phone. "Dr. Martinez, thank you for calling..."

She spent the next hour discussing the case, taking notes, being professional and competent and exactly what Morrison had hired her to be.

But in the back of her mind, all she could think about was the way Emma had jerked her hand away.

Don't touch me.

Don't look at me like that.

Just don't.

Alex had broken something eight years ago. Something precious and irreplaceable.

And now she had to work beside it every day, watching it function without her, knowing she'd been the one to destroy it.

Her office phone rang again. And again. Client calls, associate questions, a hundred details that needed her attention.

Alex handled them all mechanically, her mind elsewhere.

At 5 PM, her email pinged.

From: E. Parker

Subject: Bennett Case - Deposition Schedule

Ms. Richardson,

I've scheduled depositions for Dr. Chen (opposing expert) and Dr. Martinez (our client) for weeks two and three respectively. Deposition prep sessions will be required. Please advise your availability.

I've also drafted the motion to invalidate patents. Attached for your review. Filing deadline is end of week.

Parker

Professional. Efficient. Cold.

Alex opened the attachment. The motion was perfect. Legally sound, well-researched, persuasive.

Emma had done in one day what should have taken three.

Alex typed a response.

From: A. Richardson

Subject: RE: Bennett Case - Deposition Schedule

Ms. Parker,

Excellent work on the motion. Minor edits attached. Please incorporate and file by Thursday.

For deposition prep, I'm available evenings this week and next. We should schedule strategy sessions.

Richardson

She hit send, then immediately regretted it. Evenings. Strategy sessions. More time alone together.

Her phone pinged. Emma's response was instant.

From: E. Parker

Subject: RE: Bennett Case - Deposition Schedule

Thursday 6 PM for strategy session? Your office or mine?

Your office or mine.

Such a simple question. But Alex remembered other times Emma had said those words. After late nights studying. After mock trial practices. After—

Stop.

From: A. Richardson

Subject: RE: Bennett Case - Deposition Schedule

Conference Room B. Neutral ground.

Three dots appeared on Alex's phone. Emma was typing.

They disappeared. No message came.

Alex stared at her screen.

Conference Room B. Thursday at 6 PM.

Three days away.

Three days to prepare herself for being alone with Emma in a room, working closely, pretending her heart wasn't breaking every time Emma looked at her with those guarded eyes.

Three days to remember how to breathe when Emma was near.

Three days until she had to survive it all over again.

Alex dropped her head into her hands.

She'd thought the worst part would be seeing Emma again.

She was wrong.

The worst part was seeing Emma and knowing she had no right to touch her, talk to her, be near her.

The worst part was living with what she'd destroyed.