Page 6 of Abyss

She huffs out a breath, as if wondering where to start, chuckling at the end. “Girl, my dad’s not easy to please. It’s why I’d never work for him! We’d kill each other!” She throws her head back, laughing as if she’s made the best joke before her eyes turn sympathetic. “I’ll recommend you for the position if that’s what you want—it would work out in terms oftiming for you, too—but . . . I don’t want you to hate my dad.”

I reel back. “Hate him? Why would I hate him?”

She sighs. “He’s the best man I know and the best father a girl could ask for, but . . . he’s also a big grump with soaring-high expectations when it comes to his employees. Me and a couple of his close best friends are the only ones who truly know him, but otherwise, he tends to keep people at arms’ length.”

Maybe her dad and I have something in common already.

I snort. “Well, as long as he’s even marginally better than the jackass who came into the restaurant last night, I should be fine.”

I try not to visibly cringe as I recall the gorgeous asshole’s face as he got torpedoed by a stray bottle cork. God, what a disaster. If Ineverthink about that incident again, it’ll be too soon.

“What?” Madison leans forward, tucking a blonde strand behind her ear.

“Never mind.” I shake my head. “Don’t worry about me hating your dad. If he raised someone like you, then he can’t be that bad.” My shoulders slump as I watch a raindrop trace its way down the window, merging with a larger droplet before meeting Madison’s gaze again. “Things are a little tight and . . . I need this.”

The overdue notice on the counter for this month’s rent curdles my stomach. Between Mom’s jobs as a customer service rep and Uber driver, and my paychecks from my TA position, we’ve been able to cover our living expenses, including rent, utilities, and food until now. But whatever was in our savings has been long depleted from Dad’s medical and funeral bills.

Money has been tight ever since I graduated and lost my TA position. And while relocating to a more affordable areaaround the Bay is an option, it comes with the cost of potentially downgrading school districts and compromising my brother’s education. Not to mention the huge adjustment Neil would face at a new high school as he gears up to be a senior next year.

Change isn’t easy in high school. I know that better than anyone.

Madison’s hand falls gently on my forearm. “Hey, I get it. I know how tough it’s been ever since your dad died.” I don’t clarify that it was tough long before that, too. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you the job with my dad. In fact, consider it done, okay?”

“Thank you.” I lay my hand on top of hers, closing my eyes, and once again appreciating the fact that she’s not treating me like a charity case by just offering me money.

She shifts, snorting. “Well, don’t thank me yet. This might not be the blessing you’re thinking it’ll be. My dad is—”

“You won’t hear a single complaint from me, I promise. If he agrees, the only thing I’ll feel is gratitude.”

Madison smirks, a playful glint in her eyes. “Let’s see if you’re singing the same tune in three months. And don’t let this temporary admin position fool you. It’ll pay well, but volunteering to juggle live grenades might be easier. But hey, more power to you if you can do it. Just remember, I warned you.”

Later, as I insert the key to unlock my car, watching the rain gently patter over the pavement, I can’t help but wonder if I’ve asked for more than I can handle. My gaze lands on a puddle near my tire, trembling with every falling droplet, much like my heart seems to be . . .

As if it can sense the approach of a much bigger storm.

Chapter Three

HUDSON

Maddy

Don’t be late, Pops. I don’t want to have to play the my-dad-is-a-workaholic-and-doesn’t-have-time-for-his-daughter card, but I’m not above it.

The corners of my mouth lift as the text bubble lights up on my phone, but movement in front of my office door catches my eyes.

Belinda taps the doorframe, her brows raised before she’s even asked the question. Even at five-foot-one and eight months pregnant, she commands attention. Besides the fact that the woman is meticulous at everything she does, her ability to look me in the eyes and not sugarcoat her words are the reasons I hired her to be my admin. Unlike everyone else, she doesn’t tiptoe around me. Hell, there are days I feel like I’m the one tiptoeing around her.

“You’re going to be late. And you know how much Madison hates that. If you leave now, you might still make it to dinner without getting an earful from your daughter.”

I shut the screen of my laptop. She’s right. No amount of work—from the slides I still have to do for the board presentation, to the contract I still need to revise for the new airport site my company’s excavating—is worth Maddy’s wrath. Nor is it worth missing out on a date with my daughter. Plus, I hate tardiness myself—timeliness being one of the first things I instilled in her as a kid—so I’d deserve her wrath if I was late.

Rising, I grab the suit jacket hanging on the back of my chair. “Why are you still here?”

Belinda locks a hand on her hip, her brown hair dusting over her shoulders. “And where else am I supposed to be? I’m here because my asshole boss refuses to leave until,” she turns her wrist to look at her watch, “seven-ten PM, and I feel bad leaving before him.”

I put my phone in my pocket and head toward the door, feeling like shit because the woman is literally on her feet and chasing one fire or another all day. Her doctor specifically told her to take it easy this month, given her spikes in blood pressure. I’ve asked her to work from home, but she refuses, stating she needs to be here or things won’t get done right.

And they call me a perfectionist.

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