All Chapters of Cruel Love Back in His Hands : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Kristine made it three steps away from the elevator before George's hand caught her arm. "Wait. Please." She yanked free. "Don't touch me." "I'm sorry. I just—we need to talk about this." "There's nothing to talk about." "Kristine, I didn't know you worked here. I swear I had no idea." She laughed bitterly. "Right. You just happened to take a consulting job at the exact company where I work. What a crazy coincidence." "It is a coincidence! Look." George pulled out his phone, scrolling frantically. "Nathan called me three days ago. Completely out of the blue. I didn't even know who he was." "You expect me to believe that?" "Yes! Because it's the truth!" He thrust the phone at her. "Look at the call log. Wednesday afternoon. I'd never heard of Caldwell Technologies before he contacted me." Kristine glanced at the screen. There it was. Wednesday, 3:47 PM. Incoming call from Nathan Caldwell. "So what?" She pushed the phone away. "That doesn't change anything." "It means I'm n

"Alright everyone, let's get started." Richard stood at the head of the conference table, looking between the assembled team members. "This is our first official project meeting with Dr. Mitchell on board. Kristine, you're up first. Walk us through the medical illustration concepts."Kristine's stomach dropped. She'd spent the entire weekend dreading this moment. Three days since George's first meeting. Three days of avoiding him in the hallways and eating lunch at her desk. Three days of telling herself she could handle this.She stood up, her tablet trembling slightly in her hands."So." Her voice came out shakier than she wanted. "I've been working on a series of medical illustrations for the patient education module. The goal is to make complex medical concepts accessible to people without medical backgrounds."She connected her tablet to the screen and the first image appeared. A detailed but simplified diagram of the human heart."This is the cardiovascular system overview. I us

Kristine jerked her hand away like she'd been burned."Don't.""Don't what? Ask you a simple question?""It's not simple and you know it." She grabbed the box of paper and turned to leave.George stepped in front of the door. "Please. Just answer me. Why did you leave?""Get out of my way.""Not until you tell me.""George, I'm serious, move.""So am I! Five years, Kristine! Five years of wondering what I did wrong, why you disappeared, why you wouldn't even let me explain!""You want to know why?" Her voice cracked. "Fine! I'll tell you why!"She threw the box of paper onto the floor. It burst open, white sheets scattering everywhere."I got photos! Okay? Photos of you and Claire at that medical conference! You were laughing together, your hand was on her back, you were going into a hotel room together!"George's face went white. "What photos?""Don't play dumb! Someone sent them to me the night before you were supposed to propose! Anonymous message, six photos, all of you and her lo

Kristine didn't go back to the office for three days.She sent an email to Richard claiming she had food poisoning. Then she turned off her location services, put her laptop on her kitchen table, and buried herself in work.The designs weren't going to finish themselves. And if she was working, she wasn't thinking about George's mouth on hers or the way her body had melted against him or how right it had felt for those few seconds before reality came crashing back.Her phone rang on day two. Nathan.She almost didn't answer. But Nathan would just show up at her apartment if she ignored him too long."Hey.""Where are you? I've been to your desk three times and Lucy says you're working from home.""I am. Food poisoning.""Bullshit."Kristine closed her laptop. "Excuse me?""You don't have food poisoning. What's really going on?""I ate bad sushi. That's what's going on.""Does this have anything to do with Dr. Mitchell?"Her silence was answer enough."Kristine." Nathan's voice went ha

Kristine stood in the hallway staring at the spot where Nathan had been. Her hands were shaking. Her mother appeared from the dining room."That was quite a dinner.""Mom, I have to go.""Wait. I want to talk to you about—""Not now. Please. I just need to leave."Kristine grabbed her purse and rushed out the front door. The cool night air hit her face and she took a deep breath. This whole night had been a disaster. Nathan's behavior. George's presence. Her mother's pointed questions."Kristine."She spun around. George was leaning against his car in the driveway."I thought you left.""I was going to. Then I decided to wait." He pushed off the car. "Walk with me?""George—""Please. Just a few minutes. There's a park at the end of the street."She should say no. Should get in her car and drive away. But something in his voice made her nod.They walked in silence for a block. The neighborhood was quiet, expensive houses with manicured lawns. Streetlights cast long shadows on the side