Page 120 of Reconciling With the Rival

I’ve been holding all of that in for years, and now that it has been said, I can breathe better. I didn't realize how much weight it held over me until I purged it all from my system.

What doesn't help is that I miss them. Before all this shit happened, we had a nice routine going, and we talked every single day. Now, it feels like way too long since I’ve heard their voices.

I wish I could turn the part of me off that’s always looking out for them, but I can’t. It has been ingrained in me since I was a kid, and after so many years of always being the one to take care of others, I’m exhausted.

It’s tiring always being that person. One of these days, maybe I’ll allow myself to need someone like everyone seems to need me.

I sigh heavily as I finally get out of my car, hearing my name called almost immediately. When I turn and see Rae’s beautiful face heading toward me, I already feel like this morning is looking up.

“I brought you a coffee!” she smiles, stretching her hand out to me.

I almost burst into tears. “You’re a lifesaver.”

In my fog this morning, I forgot mine on the counter.

“It's Monday, Ells. I figured coffee can’t hurt. Why not start the week off right?” She smiles at me.

“I wish I had your optimism, Rae.” The two of us step into the elevator and when we get up to our floor, I can already feel this day looking up from whatever spiral I almost entered this morning.

But as Rae and I head to our offices, I can’t help but feel like everyone is staring at me. I feel crazy, but I feel their gazes hit my back as I turn the hallway to go to my office. I shake it off. I thinkI’m being paranoid. This week needs to be over already and it just started.

“I’ll see you at our meeting later?”

I stop in front of my door, confused because I don’t remember one being scheduled today.

“For our client, the chain restaurant?”

“Right.” It clicks as she mentions that. “Sorry, I forgot. It’s been a hectic few weeks.”

“It’s okay, babe. If you ever need to talk, I can shut my door, and we can pretend we’re on a conference call.”

I smile at her, thankful she’s here. If I didn't have her, I think I’d go crazy. “I might take you up on that,” I say as I swing my door open, only to find Leo already sitting in my office with all the lights off. “What are you doing here?”

“Ella, look, we need to—”

I set my stuff down on my desk. “Leo, you look like a fucking psychopath. Why were you sitting in the dark?”

“Because I have to tell you something, and I wanted to get to you first thing in the morning before anyone else did.”

That sounds ominous as shit. “Okay, I thought we were good? Is this some sort of ruse to get me to a secondary location and kill me, because Paige said—”

He shuts me up with his hand over my mouth, and I feel my back hit the wall. “Ella, just please let me explain.”

I shake my head out of his hold when I hear another voice clear their throat. Leo and I look over at the same time and see Brad leaning against the frame of my door that’s now open. I shove Leo away from me, and when I notice Brad smirking like the son of a bitch he is, I know something’s wrong.

“Brody wants to see you,” he says, looking right at me before his gaze shifts to Leo. “And you too, buddy.”

I almost roll my eyes at thebuddyterm. Of course, Leo has befriended these assholes.

“I just need to talk to Ella,” Leo says, not having moved from in front of me.

“It can wait,” I say, not wanting to leave Princess Brody waiting. He’s our superior, after all. Though, he couldn't even bother to come get us—he had to send his lackey to do it.

The men in this office wouldn't survive if they didn't have one another. Poor fucking bastards.

“Ella,please,” Leo grits out. “It’s important.”

“After, okay?” I say, moving out from the wall and following Brad through the hallway. For some reason, he walks us both all the way to Brody’s office, and the rock in my gut gets heavier as I sit down and notice Leo’s leg won’t stop bouncing.

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