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I’ve heard that name before. Kace, Finn, and Elias were in love with her. She seemed to reciprocate at the time. They were building a relationship with her until she betrayed them. She broke their hearts. It turned out that she was only ever after their money and prestige. They didn’t talk about her much, but when they did, I could see the dull pain in their eyes as they remembered those times. I know Kace was still recovering from that hot mess when we first met. And Tanya is well aware of all of this.
“Yes. You’re not Trinity,” Tanya says. “Listen, Amaya, you were happy together. I could see it. It was written all over your faces. The stolen glances, the constant excuses y’all found to be around each other. The gifts they had me send to your room or your studio, every week.”
“Oh, Tanya, no, we’re just friends. ” The lie feels sour on my tongue.
She chuckles dryly. “Okay, honey. Just friends. Sure. Anyway, point is, you’re not Trinity. You’re a force to be reckoned with, a good woman who gave them much needed balance. Once you left, it’s been hard for them to even get through the day.”
Well, that makes me feel even worse. Infinitely worse than when I first walked in. I shake the thoughts away and give her a soft smile.
“They’re capable men. I’m sure they’ll figure something out,” I ultimately say. “Are they still in the meeting with the board?”
She looks at me for what feels like a whole minute without so much as a blink, then exhales sharply. “Yes. But they should be done soon,” she says, checking the wall clock. “You can wait for them in Kace’s office, if you want. It’s quiet and private. The meeting is in their executive lounge.”
“Thank you, Tanya.”
“Stop by for coffee, er, tea when you’re done?”
“Sure.”
I leave the reception building with a heavy heart and head into the executive wing. Walking through the glass corridors, I let the sunlight pour through me, praying to the universe for enough clarity to land this plane safely. I need their help, and I can’t afford to hang on to my pride for much longer. It’s already been chipped away enough.
“Shit,” I murmur as the executive lounge doors open wide just as I am about to go into Kace’s office. I freeze in the doorway, watching as the board of directors pour out into the hallway. A dozen men and women in their forties and fifties, each of them carrying an air of opulence and authority. A couple of them look particularly familiar.
Then Ramada comes out, laughing as she’s joined by Kace, Finn, and Elias.
They don’t appear worried or stressed. Not even a little bit. They exchange pleasantries and bid the board goodbye as they gradually leave through the corridor leading back toward the reception building. I stay where I’m at, breaking into a cold sweat and shaking like a leaf all of a sudden.
“Amaya,” Kace stills when he finally sees me.
My brain freezes. Nothing works anymore. The looks in their eyes. The instant desire. The surprise. The darkness that follows as they remember how I left things between us. The resentment—which I completely understand. And then there’s my guilt. My anxiety. My frustration. Ah, and there’s my damn pride rearing its ugly head.
“What are you doing here?” Ramada asks, looking at me like I’m that cockroach she thought she killed but made its way back into the kitchen, nonetheless.
“Excuse me,” I manage and bolt away.
Damn this fight-or-flight thing, it’s constantly set on flight lately and it’s making things a million times harder to face and resolve in an otherwise solvable situation. I hear Ramada’s nasally voice echoing somewhere behind me, but the sound of rushing footsteps has me looking over my shoulder. They’re coming after me. Kace. Finn. Elias. They’re not letting me get away this time.
“Dammit,” I sigh and finally stop, slowly turning on my heels so I can face them.
22
Amaya
“You were about to run off again, weren’t you?” Finn asks.
The way his green eyes scan me from head to toe makes me feel naked. Helpless. Soft as molten pudding. I can barely speak. “No, I just… it looked like you were busy. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You drove all the way here,” Elias says. “We wouldn’t want your time to go to waste. How can we help?”
I look at them with a sense of disbelief. After everything I’ve done, they are asking me how they can help. “I came to ask for a favor. I know I don’t deserve one but—”
“What is it?” Finn asks.
Kace won’t take his eyes off me. It’s setting my skin alight, every pore blazing. I can’t focus.
“I need a letter of recommendation after all,” I say, my voice trembling. “I found a good job in Sacramento, but given my short period of employment here, they asked for a letter of recommendation.”
“Did you give them a reason for quitting your job here?” Kace asks.
