Page 50 of Abyss

I was so blinded by my brother’s sudden appearance and hearing her laughter in response to whatever he was saying that I didn’t think about my tone. And then, in a low blow, I used her passion for baking as a way of making her feel bad.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

“You talk about loyalty and trust,” Jett continues, “but it goes both ways, brother. Employees need to feel like they can make mistakes without fear of losing their jobs. They need to be able to trust their management to have their backs, treating them as valuable assets, not cogs.”

His words cut through me, my breath catching as I take in his candid admission.

Jett moves past me, a frown replacing his usual boyish smile as he places a hand on the doorknob. “I’m fucking sorry I hurt you, Hud. I regret how it went down. I tried talking to you about more autonomy and a broader role, but you dismissed me every time. I reached a breaking point, so I left. And believe me, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

I see the sincerity in his eyes but stay silent, processing it all.

“I never solicited the other staff that left; they followed me on their own accord.” He takes a shaky breath, his face dropping with shame. “And as for Kenna—”

“I don’t give a shit about Kenna.”

“ButIgive a shit aboutyou. And giving a shit about someone meansnothurting them. I knew you guys were already on the fritz, but that didn’t change the part I played. We only hooked up that one time, despite what she might have made it seem like. But, drunk or not, I betrayed your trust, and I’m sorry. She resigned from my company a few months after leaving Case Geo, by the way.”

His eyes mist over. “You’re a better man than me, Hud. You’re loyal to a fault and driven beyond what’s humanly possible. You’re genuine, caring, and resilient. But morethan anything else, you’re one hell of a big brother. You’ve taught me almost everything I know. The one thing you never taught me was betrayal, and now I’m reaping that karma.”

My knitted brows must convey my confusion, prompting him to clarify, “Because there’s nothing worse than not having the big brother you’ve always loved in your life.”

I rereadthe message I sent her over six hours ago; the one currently still sitting onRead.

Me

I’m sorry. I was a jackass, and that was completely uncalled for.

It’s nearly seven, and I haven’t seen her since she left me and Jett in the room. I’ve even gone out to check her desk at least twelve times in the past hour. I know she’s around, given the empty platter I lent her is still on her desk, so either she actually had all those meetings to kick off the RCS work all day, like her calendar showed, or she’s become adept at avoiding me.

Either way, I feel like shit.

My ears lock onto the sound of soft rustling outside my office, near her desk, and I decide to shut down my laptop, quickly reaching for my phone and keys. I’m about to exit my office when I hear the distinct ding of the elevator.

Shit.

She’s leaving without saying anything. She’s definitely still pissed.

I hurry down the hallway, catching sight of her empty desk—no platter on the corner—before noticing the elevator doors closing behind her.

I press the button to call the elevator back up, my chest feeling tighter than a guitar string ready to snap.

Today’s been a strange day.

From replaying Jett’s words in my head over a thousand times to worrying about the way I dismissed Kavi, I haven’t gotten a single productive thing done.

It’s clear his apology was sincere. I know my brother well enough to know when he’s bullshitting, and he wasn’t. He knows he fucked up, and I have genuinely missed him.

But can I trust him again? And even if I decided to forgive him, would our relationship ever be what it was? Would I always be waiting for the other shoe to drop?

I look around the first-floor foyer as soon as I’m out of the elevator, hoping maybe I’ll catch her leaving, but there’s no sign of anyone besides the doorman.

Making my way to the basement garage, I jump into my truck and zoom out of the lot.

A slight drizzle coats my windshield as I scan the street. She must have taken a cab because she’d be crazy to walk this late in the evening when it’s still rain—

Goddammit!

I was wrong. Sheiscrazy enough.

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