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She hands me one of each. “Do you want the cookie dough, or the vanilla?”
I smile at her through my tears, grateful. “Cookie dough’s good.”
We sit together, bundled up in blankets. Reagan turns on the TV, picking the most innocuous show she can find, some reality TV fashion contest where nobody will be in love with each other. We eat the ice cream, and together, swear off men.
“It’s a waste of time,” I say. “There’s no point. Nobody ever wants to actually connect anymore.”
“Yeah. After all that long-distance bullshit, I think I’m going to take some time off from dating,” Reagan says. “I need it after that breakup. I don’t feel like getting back out there.”
“Me too,” I murmur, gazing down sadly at my barely touched ice cream. “My heart can’t take it.”
* * *
It only takes me two days to face up to the facts: it’s really over. And if it’s really over, then I know I can’t stay with Dynasty.
Back when the tension between me and Declan was just the residual heat from a one-night stand, I wasn’t about to let that push me out of this company, or out of the career that I wanted. I was willing to put my head down and push my way through the discomfort.
But now, it’s more than just discomfort. I’m shattered. My heart is broken, and if I want it to heal, I need it to happen somewhere else—someplace where I won’t have to catch glimpses of him in passing, or hear him speak in front of a crowd at company meetings.
I write up a professional letter and carry it to Gigi’s office after my lunch break.
Immediately, as I start to explain myself, I can see that Gigi is concerned about me—and not just professionally, but on a personal level.
“So, again, I’m really sorry to do this,” I say lamely, handing her the letter. “It’s just what needs to happen. I had a great experience working with Dynasty.”
Gigi inspects the letter, her eyes narrowing, then lowers it to the table and leans forward to give me a thorough once-over. She sighs, then says, “Are you okay, Sophie?”
I can’t help but cringe. It’s probably obvious that I’ve been spending a lot of time crying lately. My eyes are red and swollen constantly, and my skin is dry from the tears. And thanks to Hannah, everyone knew that I was dating Declan; it’s probably not a difficult leap to figure out what happened.
It’s humiliating. I can feel their eyes on me in the hallway every time I walk to my cubicle in the morning, and I feel like I can’t meet anyone’s gaze, even the people on my team.
I do my best to stay calm and professional, managing to keep the tears down. “I’m fine,” I tell her. “I really appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given here, but it’s time for me to move on.”
Gigi tilts her head, looking distressed.
“I need this change,” I add.
“I understand,” she says, and her tone tells me that she knows what this is really about. God, everyone knows about the breakup. “For what it’s worth, you’ll be missed around here. You were a valued member of the team.”
I nod, trying not to cry again. At least this time, the lump in my throat isn’t just because of Declan.
Chapter 51
Declan
“Declan, dear,” my grandmother says in a feeble voice. “Would you mind passing me the water again?”
“No problem.” I reach over for the Styrofoam cup that sits on the table beside her hospital bed, handing it to her. I have to help her tip it to her lips to drink—her hands shake too much to hold it steady.
She’s been here for around a week now, and they have moved her out of the ICU and into a recovery unit, where she has a room to herself. All of the expenses are taken care of, of course. I’ve got the best doctors taking care of her.
There’s a vase of flowers at her bedside, a gift that I brought her a few days ago, when she finally woke from the coma. She’s still disoriented, asking me a lot of basic questions about what happened and how she got here. The doctors tell me that the short-term memory problems will likely improve with time and rest.
I’ve been here to visit her as often as I can. I spend a lot of my time at the small desk in the corner of her hospital room, working.
And if I’m not here… I’m at the office, still working.
Not thinking about anything else.
