AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER13
Quinn
I’ve been dreadingthis day for weeks.
Today is the day I lose everything I've worked for years to keep afloat. Today is the day the man I thought I was falling in love with is coming to the bank to take said dream away from me.
“Are you okay?” Andy asks as we step out of my car and walk toward the bank.
I shrug because how am I supposed to answer that? In the past few weeks, I've come to terms with what's about to happen. I've gone over this moment in my mind, but nothing prepared me for the pit that is growing in my stomach or how much my hands are shaking.
“You know I can come in there with you,” she says softly.
I give my best friend a quick hug before walking backward away from her. “I have to do this by myself. I have to face this head-on.”
She nods, silently letting me know she's here if I need her, and I love her so much for it. I turn around and take a deep breath, opening the front doors to the bank and walking across the tiled floor toward the information desk.
“Can I help you?” a very nice older lady asks.
I tell her who I'm here to see, and she motions down the hall, mentioning that they are already waiting for me. They. That means Wes is already here, and I can't figure out if seeing him will be the thing that breaks me or the thing I need to finally get over him.
Just as I turn the corner, I see Brad standing in the doorway of his office.
He gives me a smile. “Quinn! Good to see you. This way.” He motions for me to enter his office.
Wes is sitting there in a navy-blue sweater that sticks to his skin, his hair a mess, and those green eyes boring into mine. I fight for breath. How can he look awful and still be sexy as hell? That doesn't seem fair.
“Angel,” he mutters, standing from his seat on the other side of the table.
I shake my head, not ready to talk to him yet.“Let's get this over with.”
Brad nods, taking out the papers I need to sign, and gives Wes and me a pen.“Now, I know Wes and I have talked at length about his purchase of the pub, but Quinn, you and I haven't had the chance to do that.”
“I’m sorry, I just haven't been ready for that conversation,” I say, guilt wracking my insides because he has called a few times. Not as much as Wes has tried to get in touch with me over these past few weeks, but enough times that I'm pretty sure he got the idea that I was ignoring him.
“That's quite understandable. But I did want to explain the terms of the purchase to you as stated by Mr. Hunt.”
My eyes flick to Wes, whose features are stone-cold, making it impossible for me to read him.
“Mr. Hunt will only purchase the building that O’Malley’s resides in if the pub stays intact as is,” Brad states.
My intake of breath causes Brad to flinch and our eyes to lock, but I motion for him to continue. I can feel Wes staring at me, but I fight the urge to look his way.
“Mr. Hunt has also asked his lawyer to draw a contract for the both of you to sign with regard to the operation of O’Malley’s going forward.”
“Okay,” I whisper, not trusting the flutter in my stomach at what this could mean for me.
“I will let you look at the contract in a second, but I wanted to discuss the key points if that's alright with you.” When I nod, he continues, “Mr. Hunt will be a silent partner, which means he will have no say in how O'Malley's is run. That is all up to you.”
I chance a glance in Wes’s direction, but his eyes are cast down at his hands resting on the table in front of him.
“Mr. Hunt absolves all rights to the operation of O’Malley’s and would only wish to be a landlord of sorts. He has also made a clause stating that in case of a falling out between the two of you, a mediator will be brought in to figure out legalities and that you will have a fifty percent stake in the pub.”
I nod again, still not believing this and fighting the tears threatening to fall.
“Are you all right, Miss. O’Malley?” Brad asks.
It's only then that Wes’s eyes shoot to mine, and I see just how much he's been suffering these past few weeks.
