"So, tell me about yourself."
My fingers flexed against the fabric of my jeans. "What do you want to know?" I licked my dry lips. Anxiety ate at me the longer I sat in this goddamn chair.
"Tell me why you're here to start." My therapist Regina sat across from me in her bright pink chair, a notebook and pen in her pink manicured hand. She waited patiently for me to gather my thoughts.
"I-" I looked up at the ceiling, smoothing the fabric of my jeans. "I'm here because lately, it feels like I'm losing control of my life again." The words that sat heavy on my chest flew out.
"And why do feel like that? What triggered this loss of control?" She nodded, encouraging me to expand.
I bit down on my lower lip, "My ex-boyfriend came back into my life a few weeks ago. I'm supposed to hate him, and I do. But he offered me a really good job and he's been helping me out lately. It's almost as if nothing has changed for him, and I'm the one still stuck in the past."
"What happened between the two of you that made you break up?" She crossed a tan leg over the other.
I looked down at the marble floor, embarrassed by what I was about to say, "he left me the night after we had sex. I woke up to a note telling me that he had to leave. Then he cut all connections off with me. I bumped into him a few years ago but I walked away before he could say anything."
"I'm sorry to hear that Jade," Regina frowned, her red lipstick bright on her small lips. "No one wants to be abandoned right after a special night. Did you ever bring this up to him?"
"No," I sheepishly shook my head. "I'm scared to know the answer. I've been mad at him for all this time I don't know if his truth will even fix anything."
"Do you still have feelings for him Jade?"
I snapped my eyes up to her and shook my head violently. "No of course not. He broke my heart, and I'd never get back together with him. Ever."
"It seems like you're in a compromising situation. Although it is natural for you to want to remain angry at him. It may be time for you to get some closure, especially since you'll be seeing him on a day-to-day basis." She scribbled in her notebook, jotting down notes.
"How do I do that?" I tilted my head. Closure did sound like something I needed. For a long time, I pondered over what Reid was doing all those years. I'd get angry all over again when I remembered how he left things or when I gave myself false hope that his answer would make me forgive him.
"For your peace and mind, you should talk things out with him and set some boundaries. Ask him to lunch and flat out ask him why he left. Whether his answer is valid or not, it may help you understand why he left and give you the closure you need. Think about it."
—
"Hey Jade baby, how are things going," Halle stopped by my office. A large smile split her face in half, a hand resting on her stomach. After Halle found out she was pregnant, her emotions were heightened and her hand stayed on her stomach.
"Good," I pushed away from my desk. "How are you Momma Bear?" I cheesed.
"Good, I wanted to make sure you were coming to my baby shower this Saturday it starts at noon."
"Yeah, of course, I'm coming. I already got your gift picked out for you."
"Okay Good, I'm glad. I want everything to go perfectly, this is my first baby after all. I want you to meet my husband Evan too. I think you guys would like each other."
"Looking forward to it," I giggled, watching her skip back to her desk.
Moments later I was making my way to Reid's office. My therapist was right, I did need some closure if I was going to be working here which means I needed the truth.
I raised my hand to knock on the door when the muffled sounds of voices arguing stopped me in my tracks. It sounded like they were arguing behind the thick wood. I pressed my ear against the door to hear them clearly.
"Reid you can't tell her anything. You hear me?"
"She deserves to know what we did Kai, what I did. I owe it to her after all these years"
"It's not safe. All you would doing is putting her in more danger. I get you missed what you had but you shouldn't have hired her. It's best to keep her in the dark."
"Last time I checked I was the one in charge and I could hire whoever I wanted. I don't need your opinion or your permission!"
"Well, you should have! Then I could have told you that you were out of your damn mind!" I heard the slam of a fist on a hard surface. I winced the sound echoing throughout the room. "If you cared about Jade you would have stopped thinking with your dick and left her the fuck alone."
"Don't you dare question my intentions," Reid yelled. "We needed a new Civil Engineer and I got us one. Like it or not Jade is what we need right now. She may hate me, but at least I know that she wouldn't betray us like the last one did. May I remind you, the one you picked?"
Betray?
"Alright guys, yelling at each other won't help anything. Let's talk about this another time. Reid, please just be careful whatever you do. Kai, we can trust Reid to make the right decision. We've been best friends since diapers." Dylan's calm voice carried to the other side of the door.
"Yeah, whatever," Kai began to sound clearer as if he was heading to the door.
I scurried away from the door, nervous someone would open it and find me on the other side at any time. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding when I made it back to the safety of my own office.
A knock on my door, made me spin on my heels, my spine straightening into a tight rod. Reid stood in the doorway, his eyes solemnly staring down at me. "Jade?" He raised a brow, "are you okay?"
"Yes, hi, what's up." I squeaked, casually leaning on my desk trying to look as cool and composed as ever.
"I came to ask about the Evergreens project. How are things with the new construction crew?" He closed the door behind him and took a step closer. A line or irritation lingered on his forehead, one that my fingers itched to smooth out.
"Good, things are going good, I have a scheduled visitation for tomorrow. You know to make sure everything is running smoothly." I nodded my head.
"Tomorrow? At what time?" His brows raised with interest.
"11 am sharp."
"Perfect, I have nothing on my schedule at that time."
My mouth dropped open in shock "You want to come with me?"
"Yes, I'd like to meet the new construction crew myself." He took another step towards me. "You wouldn't mind me going along with you. Would you?" his honey-colored eyes bore down on me.
"No, not at all," I gritted my teeth, my fingers tightly gripping the wood of my desk. My heartbeat quickened in my chest. I was going to be stuck in another car with him again.
Lord help us all.
His lips stretched into an attractive grin, "I'll see you then."
I relaxed on my desk the minute he left, the smell of caramel lingering in the air. I shook my head and rounded my desk, "what was I thinking taking this job," I grumbled to myself, plopping down on my chair.
--
The next morning as I was leaving for said meeting, I heard a knock on my door. Reid stepped in eyes bright and hair perfect as always. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," I slung my purse over my shoulder, "I'm ready."
He held the door open, gesturing for me to go first. I slide past him, my shoulder brushing past his chest on the way out. I could feel his presence behind me as we made it to the elevator and waited. The doors dinged open and we stepped inside. I tapped my fingers on the side of my thigh awkwardly as the box descended to the parking garage.
"No driver today?" I raised a brow in surprise. The headlights of Reid's car flashed, the doors clicking open.
"Nope," he opened the passenger's door. "I'm capable of driving myself around. You should know. I did teach you after all," he said as I slid into the sleek seats of the car. The interior was completely black, the jet-black leather smooth under my skin.
"Yeah, I wish I could forget," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
He tilted his head in thought as his eyes roamed over my body. I squirmed under his gaze, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "What?"
My breath hitched in my throat as he swooped down. His cologne punched me square in my face as he reached around my lap. His gaze flickered to something beside me. His eyes then met mine, heat searing in my stomach. He tugged on the buckle of my seatbelt and strapped me in with a soft click. I relaxed in my seat as he pulled away and shut the door with a thud.
A second later he was in the driver's seat backing out and leaving the parking garage. I stayed silent the whole ride, my attention focused on what was outside the window. The conversation I overheard from yesterday ran again in my head, my confusion growing thicker. How would the knowing the truth put me in danger?
We arrived at the construction site minutes later. Gary's crew was currently working on the building. Within a week the foundation was finally completed and the framework of the condo was in the works. I stepped out of the car, Reid following closely behind me.
We stopped by a table outside of the construction zone. I grabbed a hard hat and vest for Reid and thrust it into his hands. "So you don't injure that already hard head of yours," I smiled sweetly.
He scoffed, taking the items into his hands. To my surprise, he placed the hat on my head and wrapped the vest around me to put my arms through. "So you don't damage that pretty face of yours," he smirked handsomely and tapped on the edge of my hat so it fell over my eyes.
I lifted the hat from over my eyes and sent him an icy glare. "Whatever, just put the safety gear on and follow me."
"Yes ma'am," he quipped, doing as I said. He followed me to the designated area for visitors. I waved Gary over who was looking over a large blueprint with some other men. He said a final word to them before stalking over in our direction.
Gary, like Luke, was a man in his 40s his salt and pepper hair flattened under his hat and olive skin glistening with sweat from the dry heat. "How's it going Jade," he smiled, stretching his hand out to shake mine.
"Good, this is Reid Williams, the CEO of WilliamsCo." I introduced the two men.
Gary shook his hand, a polite smile on his face. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Williams, I appreciate the opportunity given to work on such a large project. I guess you guys are here to check up on our progress."
"Yes, that is correct," I laughed, shielding my eyes from under the blazing sun.
Gary stepped aside, "go ahead, I won't stand in your way."
I thanked Gary and entered the construction site to begin my inspection. My job was to ensure everything was in tip-top shape and that there were no issues with the building. I ignored Reid as I started conducting tests on the framework, to ensure the wood was installed and aligned properly.
"What are you doing?" Reid's voice crept up from behind me. I turned my head to see him crouched over my shoulder.
I shifted my attention back to my work, ignoring how close his face was to mine. I inhaled before answering, "I'm making sure your building won't collapse from cracks or poor workmanship."
"Hmm, I didn't realize you would be so involved with the construction part of the project. Is it safe?" His eyes wandered over my hands as they looked for anything alarming. He had taken a step back, letting me do my work. It didn't, however, fix the sweat running down my back as his hazel eyes drilled holes into me.
"Yes, I'm properly trained to do my job," I continued with my work. "Do you have anything else better to do than staring at my backside?" I looked over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing.
"I'm only observing your work, don't mind me," amusement laced his voice.
I scowled and turned my head around. I blocked him out for the rest of the time I was there. Almost two hours later I was finished with my inspection and heading back down. I was going over a few issues I spotted in my head when I stepped into a pile of loose debris, making me slip and lose my balance.
I expected to hit the ground on my back, but instead, I was lying in my boss's arms. The debris swirled around us the dirt clouding my vision from outside of Reid's eyes.
His heated gaze kept me frozen in his arms, my heart pounding in my chest. I was currently out of breath and at a loss for words, my chest heaving up and down. He reached out, his thumb lightly brushing over my cheek. I gulped raising my brows. "You had some on your face," He turned his thumb towards me, showing me the dirt that got on me.
I blinked, snapping out from under his gaze and jumping out of his arms. "Yeah, thanks," I blew out a breath and straightened my skirt that had ridden up on my thighs. I dusted myself off, checking for any remaining debris. I just had to wear all black today.
"You got some on your-"
I turned around to see Reid's eyes on my ass. I cursed lowly, heat flaming my cheeks as I brushed my backside off. "I'm going to go talk to Gary," I stormed off, embarrassment and irritation coating my skin.