Page 121 of Burn

Placing my hand on Caleb’s chest, I stand between him and Nixon. I certainly don’t want a repeat of what happened at the bar, here in front of my father. Especially not after a mistake like this.

My father reacts before I can and points at Caleb. “Now you listen here, young man, you will not tell me how to talk to my own daughter like you have any say in her life.” My father takes an intimidating step in Caleb’s direction. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk out of my hotel andnevercome back here.” And then he turns to me, pointing in my face. “I don’t know if he’s the one responsible for the way you’ve been behaving lately, but it’s been brought to my attention you’ve been slipping on your job. Do you understand what this means? Do you truly get how much money you’re costing the hotel by being negligent about something so important?”

My fists clench and teeth grind at the dig. My head jerks to my father, his intense eyes anchoring me to my place before him. “What do you mean it’s been brought to your attention? Who’s been reporting to you on my performance?”

My father’s glare shifts to Nixon, then back to me. “It’s fairly obvious what’s going on around here. I don’t need anyone to tell me what goes on in my own hotel, but yes, Heather has noted your lack of attention as well as some of our VIP guests.”

VIP guests. He means Nixon. I should have known.

“Seriously, Dad? Nixon tattles on me and you go running to my coworkers to check up on me? I’m not sixteen anymore, and the only reason Nixon is telling you any of this is because I wouldn’t have sex with him.”

“What did you think was going to happen, Mila?” Nixon casually buries his hands in the pockets of his black suit, his gruff voice acid on my skin. “Me telling your father about my concerns for your professional well-being is simply a lifelong friend expressing worry for the choices you’re making. Every time I see you, you’re sneaking into storage closets and your office with him. You’re making choices that are completely irresponsible toward your career.”

“And by choice you mean you? That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You’re just mad ’cause I won’t fuck you.” My voice carries through the lobby, louder than I want it to but I’m pissed. How dare he put me in a position like this all because I wouldn’t have sex with him. As much as he’s attempting to deflect that as the reason, I know it’s the reason.

Nixon snorts, dragging his eyes over my body. Beside me, Caleb tenses, his body vibrating with subdued anger. “You have nothing to do with it, Mila,” Nixon says with a sick smile. “I can find better, I assure you.”

Caleb chuckles under his breath, shaking his head as if this is now entertaining to him. “Yeah, sure you can.”

“That’s it.” My father snaps back at Caleb, his voice a blistering warning. “Get out of my hotel right now.”

I open my eyes and slowly slide them toward Caleb, who still has the same expression on his face. He’s waiting for me to defend him, tell my father this has nothing to do with Caleb, but I can’t.

Not knowing what else to do, I step closer to my father with my palms raised. “Look, Dad, I understand I made a huge mistake, and I’m sorry. I swear, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Yes, you will. And that starts with him leaving my hotel. You want to be treated with respect in the hotel industry, then you have to demand the respect. No one is going to respect you if you’re taking random men upstairs to the penthouse suite.”

All the blood leaves my face. I can’t look at Caleb. I can’t. And my father is testing me to see if I’ll react to that statement.

My stare flicks to Nixon who winks at Caleb. “Doesn’t look like you’re welcome here anymore.”

Caleb’s eyes move across the lobby until they land on mine, beside him. I’m crushed by the look on his face, the one of rejection. He stares for several seconds, and I can’t look away. I don’t want to. I want him to understand everything I’m not saying.

But he doesn’t. His stare shifts to my father and his chest expands with a deep breath and a gentle shake of his head. “Have a good day, sir.”

Caleb doesn’t look at me again. He doesn’t need to. Everything he wants to say is directed at me through what he’s about to do.

Twisting, he faces the door. It’s then, even ten feet away, I can see him shaking, his body vibrating.

I flinch. My chest constricts in response to my heart beating so fast, so hard, it’s painful. I put my hand on my stomach and release all my breath in one heavy sigh.

I know I shouldn’t, but I run after him wanting to explain myself. He didn’t go far. I thought for sure he would have left, but he’s standing there on the other side of the valet parking, waiting, his hands locked behind his head as he paces the sidewalk.

The street is quiet, an unusual sight for this city early in the morning. Cars hit potholes, splashing water up over the sidewalks at our feet, but we don’t pay attention to it.

While I’m attempting to make sense of what happened, his mind seems to be far from anything substantial. Maybe it’s his hands buried in his pockets or the way his eyes never quite meet mine for any length of time.

His jaw tightens. “Did he fire you?”

“No.”

He looks at me with a cold expression, one I don’t recognize.

“Caleb, I’m sorry I didn’t—”

“No,” he shakes his head. He starts to walk away toward his truck, but I grab his wrist. When I refuse to let go, he lifts my fingers from around his wrist, releasing me. He watches my arm fall limply to my side. “You don’t have to explain.” Those five words punch my heart because his eyes contradict them. “I get why you did what you did, but you should understand why I’m walking away.” His words are slow and precise, begging me to listen to each one. “You just stood there like an ashamed little girl who got caught fuckin’ the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. I’m not that guy. I refuse to be treated like that, and if you want to, that’s your business, but it’s not me.”

“Caleb, it’s not like that. I’ll go in there and tell him everything.”

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