Page 76 of For Wrath and Redemption
“Jonah said you weren’t feeling well. You skipped the show, and then Jo crashed in Tor and Cal’s suite. But then he looked kind of shocked to see you this morning, so I thought maybe you were sicker than he let on.”
“Oh. Yeah. I mean, no. I’m okay now. I’ll be fine. Thanks for checking.”
I make a mental note to get a refill on my anxiety meds. Then, maybe that won’t be a total lie.
“I told you to leave.”
Jonah’s words are hissed at me the moment the suite door shuts behind him. I prop my hands on my hips and scowl.
“And I told you I’m here to do a job. I’m not leaving until it’s finished.”
“Have you seen the tabloids lately? They fucking love me. Job’s over. Go home.”
He brushes past me, so I turn and follow him into the bedroom. Hestops abruptly, probably noting the absence of our glass partition, but I ignore his reaction.
“Someof the current headlines are great, sure, but every single article still questions you. They still feed into the rumors and speculations about your inevitable downfall. I know. I’ve read every single one of them. I have your name on an internet alert. I read everything right after it’s posted.”
Jonah laughs and turns to face me. His smirk is infuriating. I hate it even more now that I recognize the emotions he’s trying to mask. Cruelty to hide his pain. Snark to cover up his jealousy. I recognize it because I’ve lived it. I want to tell him that I get it. I want to give him kindness and understanding, but he opens his mouth and pisses me off again.
“Sorry, Davis, but your perfectionist ass is going to have to take the L on this one. If eliminating all tabloid rumors is your measure of success, this is one project you’re not going to get an A plus on.”
“This isn’t aproject, Jonah. It’s a commitment. I don’t bail on commitments. I see them through.”
He drags a hand down his face and groans again. “For fuck’s sake, Claire. You willneverget me to a point where I’m portrayed as an angel in the tabloids. It’s impossible.”
“I know that, but I can tip the scales in your favor. I want more praise than insults, and I know I can get it there. I know I can succeed in this. I know it.”
“If you’re worried about your job, don’t be. Lie.” His words are low and hissed, as if trying to keep from shouting. I almost wish he would. “Tell my father I’m fixed, and I’ll back it up. We can all just pretend like your little chess game panned out, and you can go back to playing dumb while he fucks you on his office desk.”
I grind my teeth and fist my hands. I want to slap him. I want to shake him. He’s so fucking angry, and he’s holding a goddamn grudge. Hehateshis father, and now he hates me, too. No amount of logic or truth will change that.
But I’m so fucking sick of being walked all over.
I can’t fight fire with fire, so I’ll throw some water on it and try again later.
“I’m going to refresh your memory since it’s been a long five weeks.I’ve been assigned to do a job. I will complete this job. If you make me leave now, you will regret it.”
“Right.” Jonah laughs. “Because if you go down, you’re taking me with you.”
“Fucking right, I will.”
Jonah wipes his expression of all emotion. Every feeling and thought, gone. A clean, blank wall has been erected, shutting me out entirely.
“You’re so fucking stubborn. You’re a stubborn pain in my ass.”
I don’t acknowledge the insults. Instead, I follow his lead. Emotions gone. Wall up. I hope he feels just as cold and dejected as I do.
“I’ve wiped the calendar this week. We need a break from each other, so I’ll stay out of your way. I only ask that you don’t do anything that will unravel the progress we’ve made. It would be more detrimental to you than to me.”
I don’t say another word. I just turn and leave. The moment I step into the hall, I nod at José, signaling it’s safe for him to enter. He nods back as he walks past me with his suitcase in tow. I don’t wait for the door to shut before I head down the hall.
Hammond opens the door before I have a chance to knock. He extends his hand, offering me the key card to my new room.
“Thanks for this.” I put the key card in my back pocket. “Sorry it was such late notice.”
“You gave me almost twelve hours. I’ve worked with much less.”
“Well.” I shrug. “I’m still sorry.”
