Page 105 of Coming Home Country
Evie’s voice brought me back to reality. “What the hell are you still doing here, Tucker? Go get your girl. Show her that you’re not giving up, that you’ll fight to the ends of the earth to be with her. And if that’s not enough, you have her give me a call, and I’ll explain the miserable scene I witnessed today, how I watched the hope dim from your eyes when you found me on your front porch when you thought for a brief moment it might’ve been her.”
Fuck, my chest twisted just reliving that. “I don’t need my big sister to fight my battles.”
“Then fight them yourself! Stop sulking and take action!”
The pain of Bex’s rejection barely thirty-six hours ago was still so fresh in my mind, and if she turned me away again, it would wreck me.
Would you be any worse off than you are now?
Evie was right. I had to do something. Sitting around moping wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
Decision made, I rose to my feet.
It was Bex or bust.
Chapter 30
Bex
Mywelcomehomewasbeing told that I no longer had entry access to my building as the doorman handed over the key to a storage locker. I wish I could say I was surprised, but truthfully, the only shock was that Aaron hadn’t trashed all of my belongings rather than having them moved.
Checking into a hotel, I should’ve spent the evening catching up on work emails and putting the wheels in motion on finding a new place to live, but instead, I kept running over the heartbreaking scene I’d played a part in earlier that morning.
I’d known Tucker would be wrecked by the news of my indefinite departure. The idea of causing him pain made me nauseous, and there had been half a second when I debated sneaking out before he woke. But that would have been wrong. We’d never gotten a chance to say a proper goodbye the last time I left town, and I refused to play the coward.
The anguish in his eyes haunted me every time I closed mine. The echo of his cries as he begged me to stay was still ringing in my ears.
It had taken every ounce of my strength to walk out that door when all I wanted to do was run back into his arms. Inside my head, I chanted over and over that my life was in Chicago and that I needed to go back.
But your heart is in Oklahoma.
Bringing a pillow to my face, I let out a scream that would rival that of a wounded animal.
Leaving Rust Canyon might just be the biggest mistake of my life.
My first stop when I walked through the doors of Brooks and Andrews was the HR department. Only to discover that I needn’t have bothered.
Had Aaron told everyone at the firm that he was the one who had ended our relationship? Yes.
Did it bother me? Not in the slightest. If that’s what he needed to soothe his wounded ego, then he could have it. All that mattered was that I wouldn’t be stuck with him for the rest of my life.
Though it did become an issue for me when I was called in for a meeting with the senior partners and the company psychologist because they’d heard my extended absence was due to a mental breakdown. According to Aaron, I’d fallen to pieces after being dumped, and he worried that I might be a danger to myself.
Asshole.
At the end of the day, I had no one to blame but myself. I knew better than to get involved with someone I worked with, so this was the price I paid whenthings went south.
After jumping through a million hoops to prove I was of sound mind, I was allowed to return to my desk.
Awareness prickled as I walked through the office. I could feel all eyes on me, but I kept my head held high. If they wanted to see a show, they would need to head down to the Theatre District after hours.
Closing the door to my office was pointless when the walls were made of glass, so I left it open. Sinking onto my desk chair, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to center myself.
I could do this. I was good at this. My personal life had no bearing on my ability to practice law.
When I opened them, I was disappointed to learn my caseload had been significantly reduced, which meant it would be more difficult to hit my minimum required billable hours for the month. They might not have fired me for allowing Aaron to dip his pen in the company ink, but they were going to make it impossible for me to keep my job.
The writing was on the wall. I needed to look for a new position before the partners were forced to fire me. Going out on my own terms was the far better option.
