Page 128 of Home Game

She put her bags onto the island in a huff. “So where’s my new key?”

“Ryan has them,” I mumbled.

“Why didn’t he get me to order the lock change?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you know?” She was in a fine mood this morning. “All you do is sleep in and eat and waste space around here.”

I protested her accusation. “I’m looking for a job.”

“You mean another drive-thru job slinging greasy burgers?”

“It’s honest work.”

She tossed her purse on the island. “You don’t get it, doyou? Ryan is a sophisticated millionaire. He needs a partner who elevates him with looks, style, and grace. He needs someone to make him look good. He does not need you to drag him down. And if you think a haircut and a pair of earrings will change who you are, you can think again. Money doesn’t buy you class.”

You have the right to stand up for yourself.Ryan’s voice played in my head.

“You can’t talk to me like that,” my voice sounded muted. Unsure.

“I can talk to you however I damn well please. My patience is running thin. You’re using Ryan for his goodwill and it’s my job to make sure that stops.”

I felt tears build up behind my eyes. My impulse was to walk away, but I also wanted to be the person that Ryan thought I was.Strong. “My relationship with Ryan is none of your concern. You’re only his PA.”

She stuck her face in front of mine. “I make Ryan’s life easier. He needs me. One day he’s going to wake up and realize how indispensable I am to him. Don’t you forget that.”

“I told Ryan that you invited Terrance up here,” I spoke with a strength I didn’t feel. “And he wasn’t happy.”

“I didn’t invite Terrance up here. You invited him up here. I came home, and you were entertaining Terrance possibly even fucking him. It was hard to tell, but the signs were there.”

“That’s not true,” I stammered.

“That’s what I saw happen. Ryan will not be pleased when he hears what I saw.”

“He won’t believe you.”

She smiled and turned away. “We’ll see. But you better think about moving on, or I will do more than invite Terrance back.”

Fear rippled through me. She could not let Terrance back in here. I knew what he was capable of and if he was up here, he would leave behind him a trail of pain and destruction. I could not let Terrancenear Ryan again. Ryan caught him off guard last night. Next time, Terrance would be ready. “You need to leave.”

Her smile dripped with insincerity. “Funny, that’s my line.”

“You’re no longer welcome here.”

“That’s not really for you to decide, now is it?”

I stood up. “You’re fired.”

Where did those words come from?

Her blue eyes narrowed. “You don’t have the authority to fire me, and trust me, when Ryan hears my side of the story, you will be the one packing your bags.”

“He won’t believe you. And he’ll back me up.”

She moved as fast as Terrance. A squeak escaped me when she grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me towards her. “You will not say anything.”

As much as it hurt my head, I pushed hard against her chest, forcing her to step back and release my hair. We were both breathing hard. “You’re not allowed to touch me like that.”

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