Page 34 of When You're Gone
His parents had arrived at the hospital in the early afternoon. Watching his mom see her dad in such dire condition had rocked Rhett to his core. He barely had time to talk to his parents before he and Tori had to head back to his apartment so he could get ready for the meeting with the board of directors.
His instincts had been spot-on. The board unanimously voted to promote him to Interim CEO for a three-month term. Once the interim period was over, either Jonathan would resume the role, or Rhett would be promoted permanently.
The board had received a general update about his granddad’s condition based on what his mom had chosen to share. But Rhett had been at the hospital all morning and afternoon. He knew after just a few hours of listening to the doctors’ hushed tones that his granddad would never be the same. He was uniquely positioned to know how the next few months would most likely play out.
There was a sickening dichotomy to having one of his biggest life goals within reach, but at the expense of his granddad's health. He knew things would never be the same.
He had planned to go back to the hospital after the board meeting, but his mom insisted he go home to Tori and get some rest. There was nothing more any of them could do for Jonathan. The hospital expected to hold him for several days to run various tests and assess the full extent of the damage. He would need extensive rehab once he was released. The prognosis was dire. It was hard to know what to even hope for. The whole situation felt like the beginning of the end.
Rhett’s fingers itched to hold something. He struggled with so many aspects of his sobriety—he knew it would be an uphill battle for many years to come. Even when he could tame his urges and control his mind, he desperately missed the weight of a crystal lowball glass resting in one hand when he was under pressure.
He pulled out his phone and shot off a quick text to his sponsor to distract himself for the last few minutes of the drive. His apartment was only a few miles from the office by design. He would be home—he would be with her—in just a few minutes.
He smiled when he found a message from Tori waiting for him.
V: What time do you think you’ll be back? No rush, but I’m making risotto and want to have it ready when you get here.
Ev: Hey beautiful. Just now seeing this. I’ll be home in 5 minutes.
The flight had been tense. He didn’t know what to make of her reaction at the airport. She acted like she had no idea he was next in line for the top position at NorfolkStar. Her ignorance hurt almost as much as her reaction.
He had spent most of the flight feeling anxious, worried that she was going to change her mind about coming here with him. But then he remembered he had woken her up at five am, on her birthday, and rushed her out of the house. She needed time to process. He needed to give her grace. They were together, and they would figure it out. Everything was just coming at them too fast.
He felt responsible for how little she knew about his career. When he wasn’t in Hampton, he spent long hours at the office and put in extra time on the weekends. Really, his whole life in Virginia consisted of working, working out, and attending various work functions and networking events. But he always tried to keep work at work when they were together. He never felt bad about shutting things out and letting his assistant manage his inbox when he was in Hampton because he was so utterly devoted to his job when he was here. He had mastered the art of compartmentalization. But at what cost?
It was time to let the different pieces of his life blend together. With everything changing so quickly, they needed to present a united front. If he could just make her see what it could be like… what they could be like together…
She wanted to finish school, but with her dad set to put the house on the market and the fact that he wouldn’t be able to visit her nearly as often now, they needed to revisit that conversation. He hoped she was willing to consider moving here in the near future, even if it was faster than they had planned.
He said goodnight to Charlie and exited the car with a renewed sense of optimism. Everything still felt heavy, but he didn’t have to carry it alone. Tori had come with him today. Having her here was all he needed. Her presence consoled his pain and galvanized his resolve. He could do this. He could take on this role, maintain his sobriety, and live up to the expectations of the company and his family.
He entered his apartment and announced himself, not wanting to catch her off guard. “Hey, V, I’m home.”
“In here,” she called from the kitchen. He shed his suit jacket and stepped out of his shoes. He walked in and found her standing at the stove, stirring a pan as she shifted her weight from hip to hip.
He sidled up behind her and ran his hands down her sides before hugging her from behind.
“Hi, beautiful.” He kissed her on the cheek before trailing more kisses down her neck. “Do you know how happy it makes me to have you here? That smells amazing, by the way.”
She craned her neck to the side and gave him a soft smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “How’d it go?” she asked cautiously.
Rhett kissed her temple before pulling a water bottle from the fridge. His whole body relaxed in proximity to her. God, what was it between them that had such a strong hold on his disposition? Just standing in her orbit calmed his mind and soothed his nerves. He leaned back against the counter to face her, assuming the one-legged bartender lean.
“As expected. I’ve been named interim CEO for the next ninety days. If Jonathan isn’t back to work then, the job is mine.”
She slowed the rotation of the wooden spoon but didn’t stop stirring as she turned her head to face him. “Congratulations, Everhett. That’s an amazing accomplishment. I’m proud of you.”
Her words were positive, but her tone fell flat. If he hadn’t spent the last decade memorizing her mannerisms and tells, he would have missed the stiffness in her spine that told him she was trying not to cry.
“What’s wrong, V? And don’t tell me nothing… I know damn well when my wife’s not happy.”
“I’m notnothappy. I’m just… processing. There’s no way Jonathan will be able to return to the office in three months, if ever. We both know that after everything at the hospital today.”
He nodded solemnly. It was a painful truth, but it was the truth, nonetheless.
“That means you’re now the head of a huge company.”
He took a swig from his water bottle and nodded. “It does. I know it’s faster than we wanted, but we always knew it was going to happen this way…”
