Page 26 of Jacob

Everything makes sense now.

This whole time it was really Jacob who was behind Owen’s thoughtful gifts.

I was right all along. Owen didn’t care for me the way I craved.

Leaning against the wall, Jacob continues to tap away on his phone, like he has done all day, every day since the night in the hot tub, trying to avoid the elephant in the room.

That elephant is me… well, us.

It’s been strained all week. We’ve filled awkward moments discussing projects and nothing more. I miss Jacob, my friend and confidant.

Barely sleeping a wink since our first night here, I’m so exhausted and every client interaction has required a hundred and ten percent of my attention.

All I want to do is go home so I can at least get away from Jacob for just a minute to wallow in the unfairness of us. If I’m this stressed and unhappy, then I can’t imagine what it must feellike for him: loving me from afar for all these years and having to watch me with his best friend.

That word. Love. It feels like a knife to my heart every time I think about his words.

He tipped my world upside down when he said it, and I’m not sure how things will ever feelnormalagain.

“Would it be easier for us if I left Baxter and Bain, Jacob?” I blurt. I think it’s the only solution.

“No.” His attention is still locked firmly on his phone.

“We can’t keep going like this.”

“Stop talking.”

“Austin, and his partner, Topher, our new clients, offered me an in-house branding position. They are considering setting up a new team,” I confess.

That gets his attention. “You are not leaving Baxter and Bain. We’ve already discussed this, and I made my feelings very clear.”

I don’t look his way. “They offered me a great package. Health, resettlement, rent for a year, I get to recruit my own team. Seven weeks’ vacation and an assistant.” I finally throw him a glance.

He looks like an angry bull about to charge the red flag. “Topher only wants to sleep with you.”

I roll my eyes. “They asked me to be a surrogate for them too,” I say cooly.

“What the fuck?” Heat bounces off him. Face reddened, veins pulsing in his neck, he’s about to blow.

“They aretogethertogether, Jacob. They are partners in every way.”

Ding.The elevator alerts us to our destination, and the metal doors glide open.

“You are not taking that job and you are not agreeing to be a fucking surrogate mom for two people you barely know.” He bangs the side of the elevator with his clenched fist as his angerspirals out of control, making me glad there is no one to witness his outburst.

“Forget I said anything,” I mutter, stepping into our suite.

He’s hot on my heels. “Forget?” He charges after me. “What the fuck, Skye?”

I swing back around, throwing my backpack onto the sofa. “Oh, so youdoremember my name?”

“Don’t,” he fires out, his voice sounding strained.

“Don’t what?”

“Just. Don’t do this.”

“So, should I continue to pretend you’re invisible? Like I am to you now? One minute you confess loving me, then the next you’re ignoring me.”

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