Page 28 of One Quick Obsession

“And that’s great for the bottom line, but I don’t care right now. Go get some water, take a break. You’re going to end up getting sick of you don’t take a break.”

“I’m doing my job.”

“And you’re fucking amazing at it. All of us know it. Stop trying to prove that you’re the best at everything. You already are.”

Maybe if I hadn’t already been having a panic attack, his words would’ve meant something to me. But instead, I raised my chin, gripped my note in my hand like a lifeline, and pushed past him.

I didn’t know what it said about me that his words just then meant everything. That he believed in me.

But maybe I was just hearing what I wanted to hear.

I needed to be the best. Because if I wasn’t, that would be one more failure, and I could not let that happen.

Not again.

Before I could move down the corridor, he gripped my arm and pulled me towards him.

“Hudson,” I breathed.

“You’ve got this, Scar. Stop stressing out.”

“I’m not stressing.”

“Then don’t lie.” His mouth was so close to mine that all I had to do was go to my tiptoes and let him take me.

No that would be wrong. Oh so wrong. Not only was I working, this was Hudson Cage.

We didn’t even like each other. And yet that felt like a lie. Such a damn lie.

“Scarlett?” Denise asked from behind me, and I realized that if she kept moving towards us, she would be able to see. I didn’t know what this was, but nobody was allowed to see this. So I pulled back and lifted my chin.

“Thank you for your concern, but I can handle this.”

Hudson met my gaze, as if searching for something that wasn’t there, before finally letting out a breath and letting me go.

It was for the best. It had to be. Hudson Cage and I were merely neighbors. Nothing more. Nothing less.

And I was going to prove to everyone that I could handle this.

And that I wouldn’t fail again.

Chapter Eight

Scarlett

I sank into the soft chair and carefully accepted a glass of wine from Isabella. “Thank you. I think I’m going to name this wine My Best Friend.” I winked at the woman across from me. “Other than you, of course.”

Isabella just shook her head and lifted her wine glass. “To finally having a moment to relax.”

We clinked our glasses together, and I took a sip of the crisp Pinot Grigio.

We didn’t usually have time during the week for a girls’ night, but since Isabella would be leaving town soon to spend the next couple of weeks in Denver for her job as well as Weston’s expansion, it meant that this was the only time that we could make it work. And considering the day I had already been through, I was forever grateful for this moment.

“That bad, huh?” Isabella asked, and I nodded, staring into my wine.

“I nearly caved and called Luna to help me.” I looked up at my friend and sighed. “I don’t know what to do about Mom. I love her, and respect her, and admire everything she’s done. But she had a panic attack today because we had to go to her doctor’s office. It broke me, Isabella. I don’t know what I was supposed to do. Doc Henry is doing all that he can to help, and if it wasn’t for Allie being nearby on a jog, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to lift my mother into the car.”

“Allie didn’t mention that she was there.” Isabella set down her glass. “At least she didn’t mention it to Weston, as he would’ve told me.”