Page 87 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

“I’m not important to you?”

He shrugged and looked me over like I disgusted him. “We had fun, but we both knew this could never go anywhere. Find yourself a man without any criminals for relatives, someone who won’t drag you into danger.”

I wanted to be that woman who remained rational and acknowledged that he might be acting out of fear, but I was too hurt to feel rational about anything.

I was too hurt and too intent on protecting what little bit of heart and dignity I had left.

I straightened my shoulders and steeled my expression, returning his coldness with my own. “I’ll do that. Please do your best to remember to act professionally when we’re at work. I’ll be looking for a new position, but until I find one, I’ll expect you only to contact me for business-related discussions.”

Something like regret flickered over his expression. “Jill, you don’t have to—”

“My condolences on the death of your brother.” I stuck my hand out for a shake, falling back on the brisk politeness I’d been raised on.

He looked at my hand and any regret I might have thought I’d seen vanished. “Thank you.”

Then he turned and left, his footsteps and the thud of the crutches ringing out on the hard wood floors like gun shots, the bullets ripping through my heart. He didn’t shake my hand, didn’t touch me, and he didn’t look back.

I don’t know how long I stood in that dining room, watching the empty doorway he’d walked through, don’t know how long it took my bruised heart to start beating normally again, but I do know that when my mother called my name, it wasn’t sorrow or heartbreak that filled me, it was pure, unadulterated rage.

How dare he? How dare he make me fall in love with him and then throw it back in my face? How dare he convince me to let him in, convince me to lower my defenses and then walk out on me?

I should have been the one dumping him. I should have been the one walking out on him. It had been my plan, hadn’t it? I was going to walk away from him, because he’d kept a huge part of his life from me.

I’d been planning to guard my heart around him and keep my distance, but then I’d met his dad anyway, I’d met his sister and he’d said he’d needed me and I’d relented. I’d thought maybe I’d been wrong, that there was more to his withholding. I’d let my guard down, I’d opened myself to him, and he’d marched right in and ripped me to shreds.

He may have hurt me, but I wasn’t going to wallow in sorrow or heartbreak. He didn’t deserve it. I’d stuff it all down and I’d move on with my life, because he hadn’t earned the right to hurt me.

“Honey,” Mom said, stepping into the dining room. “Is the casserole ready to go in the oven?”

I spun and forced a smile. “It is. I’m on my way in to do that now.”

She stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, perceptive as always. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

I shrugged. “Alex and I broke up.” I forced my smile bigger. “I mean, technically we were already done, but now it’s nice and official. It’s great to have closure, isn’t it?”

She frowned. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I know you really cared about him. Are you sure he wasn’t just upset about his brother? He might not have even realized what he was saying.”

I remembered the chill on Alex’s face, the disgust, and I nearly choked on it. I shoved the emotion down. He might not have grown up privileged, but he was just as bad as my ex-fiancé, seeing me as an object, something to use and discard when he was done with me. A toy worth nothing but disdain and hate after its usefulness was done. “No, Mom,” I said. “I’m sure he’s upset about his brother, but he’s also definitely done with me. I wouldn’t have gotten involved with him at all if it hadn’t been for your doctored cookies, anyway. We were never meant to be.”

She stared at me blankly. “Doctored…Cookies? What on earth are you talking about?”

I patted her shoulder. “It’s okay, Mom. I figured it out. You gave me some of your pot-laced cookies to get me to loosen up and have some fun. Mission accomplished.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. “Jillian Grace Reynolds I would never drug you without your knowledge.” She pressed a hand to her chest and her eyes went glassy. “How could you even think that I would…?”

She was serious. My heart sank. I’d never been drugged, which meant I’d had an entirely clear head when I’d given into Alex. And I’d just accused my mother of…Oh, no.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I just…I felt funny after I ate them and I…I’m sorry. If I’d really thought about it, I would have known you wouldn’t do that to me.”

She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have had to think about it, Jill. What kind of mother do you think I am?”

“I think you’re a wonderful mother,” I said. “Come on, let’s finish up that casserole so we can get started on the pies.”

She shook her head. “I think…I’d rather be alone right now, Jill. Why don’t you find something else to do for a bit?”

She turned and walked back into the kitchen. I pressed a hand to my stomach, feeling like I might throw up. I’d really screwed up, and I had no idea how to fix it.

“Wow,” May said, appearing seemingly from nowhere to stand next to me. “Never saw that coming.”

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