Page 102 of Hashtag Holidate
Vic
Stop fucking ignoring me!
Do not turn down the offer of a lifetime because of your dick.
Another offer like Solenne will not come around if word gets out you declined it.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “He saw texts from my business manager about my job offer.”
Maya’s eyes widened. “What job offer?”
“Global brand ambassador for the Solenne Collection. Travel the world, live in luxury resorts, basically everything I’ve worked toward for the past five years.” The words tasted like ash in my mouth. “Everything that would take me as far away from Legacy as possible.”
“Oh my god,” she breathed. “You’re actually leaving?”
“No!” The answer exploded out of me. “I told Vic no yesterday. But I don’t know if Maddox scrolled up far enough to see that.”
Maya’s face crumpled. “So he thinks you’re leaving?”
“How could he?” I sank onto the stool behind the counter. “If he honestly thinks, after everything we’ve talked about, that I’d just leave without so much as discussing it with him… he must still think the worst of me. That I’m a fancy city boy with a temporary life, always moving on to the next perfect thing.”
“He doesn’t,” Maya said firmly. “I’m positive Maddox doesn’t think that about you anymore.”
“How do you know?” I demanded. “He’s spent weeks reminding me—and you—that this was temporary. That I’d leave eventually.”
Maya bit her lip like she wanted to argue but couldn’t.
“Even if he thought I wanted the job, why the fuck would he justleave? Was this his way of protecting himself?” I tried calling Maddox’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. In deference to Maya, I tried to keep from biting out a curse. “That…jerk. Why couldn’t he have at least talked to me?”
Maya grabbed my wrist. “Adrian, stop. You don’t know what he’s thinking. Maybe something came up?—”
“And he couldn’t throw an explanation over his shoulder on the way out?” I laughed, but it came out hollow. “Classic Maddox Sullivan. The moment things get complicated, he freaks out and starts building his walls as high and as thick as he can.”
Maya’s face dropped because she knew I was right.
I tried texting him.
We need to talk. The job offer isn’t what you think.
Please call me back.
Maddox. Please. Just give me five minutes.
After a minute, I finally got a response.
Maddox
Meet me at the Starlight Spectacular tonight at 7pm.
I stared at the phone, trying to decide if I felt relief or dread.
Are you mad at me?
Maddox
Furious. And annoyed. Disappointed. And hurt.
My hands shook as I started to type another message, but I couldn’t go through with it. I was too scared to push him over text and risk him changing his mind about meeting me.
