Above & Beyond ✔

34. The Aftermath

As the water dripped down my face and blurred my view, my mind ran a million miles a minute to weigh the options I had. I could be stubborn and get soaked —which meant I also had to sacrifice the electronic devices that were now sitting inside my bag, or I could jump into Blake's car and sacrifice my dignity. And as pathetic as I was, I groaned and opened the passenger door before sliding in. My car was broken down and I had no idea how much it would cost me, I just couldn't afford to ruin my phone and my freaking iPad right now.

If Blake minded that I drenched his leather seat, he didn't show it. He silently started driving while turning on the heating button and the fan to help me dry up faster. I wanted to say thank you but my pride prevented me from doing so. But again, it meant that I proved him right about me behaving like a child.

"Thank you," I said eventually.

"No problem."

And we fell into horrendous silence again. I tilted my head to the window, watching the blear objects in the pouring rain on the side of the street. The water cascaded from the sky like a quiver of arrows hitting the window glass, creating a melodious rattling sound.

Sitting in Blake's passenger seat in a downpour reminded me of the night when he took me home from the bar. The night when I was on an emotional roller coaster and didn't know how to get off the ride. What I did was tangle up one mistake to another until I didn't know anymore how to unravel them. I knew it was just a few months back but it felt like a long time ago.

Thanks to the heating fan, I was pretty dry when we reached my driveway. I was aware that the reason behind Blake taking me home was to continue what we had started at work. As much as I was tempted to grab the door handle and bolt out of the car, the small voice in my head ordered me to stay. I was done running; I wasn't that girl anymore. Once I decided to get into his car, I knew that I would need to deal with this.

"I've been thinking about what you said," I started, glancing at him while unbuckling myself. "You may be right about overstating my qualifications. I should have applied for this job fairly by competing with other candidates that were being considered. It would've been the best way to make sure no one can use it against me when I make mistakes."

"Jennifer–"

"I will submit my resignation, effective the day you find my replacement."

Blake groaned as he ran his finger over his hair. "We are not looking for a replacement, and you are staying."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"That is the idea!" Blake replied sternly. "Here is your chance to prove me wrong. You shouldn't just go back down and let all my words go straight to your head. Fight me back, kick my ass, because you know that everything I said was wrong!"

Shifting my gaze from the road, I narrowed my eyes on him. "Did you just admit you're wrong?"

"I did, yes." Blake turned off the engine and unbuckled himself. Since the fight we had this afternoon, it was the first time I could study his face closely. His jaw clenched as his lips made a straight line. When the headlight from the passing car flashed across his face, I could see the dejection glint in his midnight blue eyes. "I'm sorry for attacking your professionality. That was harsh and uncalled for. I know I can be cruel and insolent sometimes, but I didn't mean what I said."

"It doesn't matter if you meant it or not. Your words stung, a lot. It was just one mistake, Blake. You know I've been working my ass off to catch up with the work demand while tidying up Ashley's mess. And I've never missed a freaking day. What more do you expect from me?"

Blake opened his mouth to reply but I didn't give him a chance to speak. "And the hickey. Did you really think I purposely came to work to show it off? Who wasn't using the brain here? I'd been running around in a stressful morning, lacking food and drink, and I forgot about the hickey because it was just the last thing on my mind!" The more I talked the more I got worked up. My breath became labor from the building rage. "You even compared me to a striptease!"