Page 37 of Unraveled

Yeah. So did Audrey.

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

Carter tapped his foot anxiously, every nerve ending buzzing with anticipation. The phone on his desk rang, and he snatched it up. “Cross.”

“She’s in conference room A,” Mrs. Hodges said on a sigh. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

He hung up and straightened his suit jacket as he drew in a deep breath. He was insanely nervous. Mrs. Hodges had told Audrey there was a discrepancy in the billing and that she needed to correct the paperwork. It was true, to a point. He had foregone his usual fee, charging only what the firm required and nothing extra. He didn’t want a dime of Audrey’s money. He wanted her fair and square, and he wanted them to start with a clean slate.

Grabbing the envelope on the corner of his desk, he headed out of his office and down the hall toward conference room A. He had chosen this room specifically because it was designed to accommodate only a few people. The last several times Audrey had been there, they had met in the larger room. He didn’t want a single reminder of Scott or her divorce that day; only them.

He paused a few feet from the doorway and drew a fortifying breath before stepping inside and closing the door. Audrey’s eyes went wide and round as he seated himself across from her.

“What are you doing here?”

He lifted a brow. “Last I checked, I work here.”

She darted a glance toward the door. “Your assistant said she would be right back, so⁠—”

He stopped her with a shake of his head. “She’s not coming back.”

Her mouth opened, then closed. She blinked once, then her eyes became narrowed slits. “You set this up.”

“I did,” he admitted. “I knew you wouldn’t come otherwise.”

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t know that.”

One brow arched toward his hairline. “Would you have?”

Her gaze skittered away, and he could see her tongue sweep over her teeth as she contemplated lying to him. Finally, her conscience won out. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Fine.” She exhaled, long and slow. “Probably not.”

“I know,” he said softly. “That’s why I enlisted her help.”

She looked at him like he was stupid. “Why?”

“Because I need to apologize.”

She stared at him for a moment, then turned her attention to the table. “It’s fine.”

The two worst words in the English language, right behind the two he was about to say. “I’m sorry.”

So totally inadequate, they didn’t begin to conquer the hurt he’d caused her. She deserved so much better than the way he’d treated her. Stung by jealousy, he had immediately turned his attention to the woman in the bar, hoping that Audrey would see him with her and make her realize what she was missing. But that look of hurt in her eyes had only made him feel guilty. He had made it seem as if Audrey were replaceable, which was the furthest thing from the truth.

“I… lost my head when I saw you with him. Kane and I go way back, and…” He trailed off, not wanting to dredge up drama from twenty years ago. Those pretty blue eyes met his, but she remained silent. “Anyway, I was jealous, and I wanted to hurt you. It was stupid—I was stupid—and you didn’t deserve it.”

She nodded a little. “Thank you. And I… I could have handled it better myself.”

That wasn’t technically an absolution, but she hadn’t bolted for the door to escape him. They had a long way to go, but the fact that she remained seated across from him gave him hope. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Finally, he broke the silence. “I actually do want to give you something while you’re here.”

He slid the envelope across the table to her, and she stared at it. “Is this…?”