Page 95 of The Chase

She steepled her hands. “You aren’t happy in sales. But I also know you’ll never leave because you love working for the team. I put a good word in for you, and it’s why Quinn wanted your help instead of outsourcing.”

“Why?” I asked.

“When the marketing department was short-staffed and asked for help with a game day event, Debra said you were a great asset. It impressed her when you gave her some off-the-cuff ideas for content for our channels. Like the podcast! I know that was your idea.”

“The WAG podcast?”

“Yes! And it’s brought in a lot of female fans. That was your idea.”

I waved her off. “I gave her the idea. She took it and ran with it.”

“You’re more suited for that sort of thing. You don’t belong in sales. It’s why I told Quinn to ask for your help, because you’re capable at any job, even if you don’t like it.”

“Oh.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, oh! I wanted to talk to you before Quinn did. I like you a lot, Max. I don’t want to lose you as a team member, but I can’t watch a member of my team be unhappy.”

“You really think I should apply for this job?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here. Because I know you’re not sick, and you’re avoiding me and my brother.”

I sighed. “We’re done. He doesn’t have to say anything else to me.”

She groaned. “Oh my God, you’re both so frustrating!”

I gave her a quizzical look.

“Max, my brother thinks he’s the one who fucked up. Relationships are a give and take. You think Benny and I still don’t fight?”

I shook my head. “No way. You’re like the ‘it’ couple.”

She barked out a laugh. “Definitely not. We still fight, but now I get to ride his dick after it’s over. Tristan’s really trying, Max. I swear, you two are such a pair.”

“What do you mean?”

“You keep pushing my brother away because you don’t want to burden him. But when you do that, it brings up old shit for him. Makes him feel like he’s not good enough for you.”

“Natalie,” I spit out.

She nodded. “Don’t get me wrong—I love Nat. She was there for me when my ex kicked me out…but she was horrible to my brother in high school. I don’t think that pain ever left him.”

“I don’t want him to feel that way. He apologized via text, and I was so passive-aggressive, all I wrote back was ‘k’!”

Her shoulders shook with a laugh. “I know. It was supremely passive-aggressive. I’m kind of impressed.”

I groaned and put my head in my hands. “Rox, I think we’re done. I think he broke up with me.”

“You two are so annoying! He wouldn’t have apologized and wanted to talk if he wanted to break up. And he wouldn’t have asked me to bring you flowers.”

I wrung my hands in my lap. Maybe it was just a dumb fight over a misunderstanding. Instead of being grown-ups about it, we both said things we regretted. We needed to talk it out and apologize. TJ was really trying. God, I swear he was a saint to deal with all my stuff. How many times did I try to break up with him because of my issues? Did it all start with that first night we went home together and I tried to ghost him? TJ was persistent in chasing me, but if I kept pushing him away, one day, he wouldn’t come back.

I swiped at my eyes again. And gave Rox a muttered ‘thanks’ when she handed me the box of tissues off the coffee table. I blotted my eyes.

“You okay?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I miss him.”

“He missed you, too. He’s been a wreck.”