“Then do you have an office for me?” He raises his eyebrows hopefully.
“Your old one is still empty.” I sigh. “I never felt right giving it to anyone else—it’s not like we needed the room. We had to let a few people go after you left.”
Lawson extends his hand. I shake it. The deal is made. It’s probably temporary, just a brief moment where he thinks everything is going to be okay before the other shoe drops.
“Thank you. I promise I’ll do everything I can to earn this.” A smile finally forms on the edge of his lips. “I assume I can start today?”
“Sure.” I exhale sharply. “I’ll have Joanna contact HR to make the arrangements.”
He may be starting today, but there’s still a lot to work out. Salary. Accounts. Rules that I’ve put in place since he’s left to make sure we don’t have to call Keaton every time a high-profile client is in town. Things will never be the way they once were. I’m literally playing with fire right now, but I don’t have a choice. The last thing I expected was for Lawson to walk through my door today. The only thing I can do is find a way to make it work—for now.
But I have to tell Kiana…
That’s going to be the hardest part. I have no idea how she’ll take the news. I assume she still loves her father despite everything he’s done. If he’s here, then he has no other way to provide for his family. I don’t think Kiana wants her parents to lose their home or starve because they handled their money poorly. She doesn’t have an ounce of cruelty in her, so I believe she’ll understand—but will we survive it?
It was easy to pretend that we were living in a bubble and our relationship was safely within the sphere. Now there is one giant pin ready to pop it. The pin could be pushed in by Lawson, or Kiana herself. Her father working for me again will be a constant reminder that the girl in my bed is my best friend’s daughter.
I won’t hide from it.
I’m falling for Kiana. The only way for our relationship to move from forbidden to real is to confront the problem head on. Maybe the problem could have been danced around like an elephant in the room we ignored when Lawson Brooks was safe behind those closed doors Kiana learned to despise. It won’t be possible now. I’m man enough to tell him how I feel about daughter, but I’m not the only one who will be impacted by that discussion.
I have to tell Kiana the truth and let her decide what is best—when it is best. The sooner the better if she feels what I feel. I’ll deal with the repercussions. Lawson won’t want to work with me, or for me, when he finds out what has been going on while his attention was elsewhere. At least he won’t ever know that his daughter was dancing on a stage. I’ve saved them both that heartache, even if I don’t get to hold her in my arms when everything is brought to light.
I’ll tell her tonight.
I hate it, especially after the emotional unraveling she experienced when we were in bed last night. Part of me that wants to ignore it, but I know that isn’t the right thing to do. Every day that passes will make it more difficult to hide, more difficult to explain when the truth is finally revealed. Kiana may not be brave enough to face it, and that may be our undoing. I hope it isn’t. I’ll endure Lawson’s hatred if it means I get his daughter’s love in return. It’s one heartbreak or the other, and my choice is easy.
I choose her.
Now. Forever. Even if it costs me my oldest friend.
Chapter Seventeen
Bram
My life wasn’t the one that needed to be saved, but I feel like I’m breathing new air. I can taste my freedom, and it’s the sweetest oxygen that has ever filled my lungs. It’s because of Bram. He’s the reason I no longer feel like I’m going to asphyxiate on my own breath or something far more putrid.
Hudson is safe. I’m safe. The disappointment my parents used to control me is no longer a vice that keeps me from living my own life. I was a fool to even let that part of my past exist in my present once I left home. I had my own apartment, paid my own bills, and I still felt trapped inside an invisible prison. Hudson’s debt took center stage when I should have been exploring the life I was meant to have.
Now I can. I have Bram to thank for that.
And I plan to show him a lot more gratitude than tears tonight.
After Bram leaves for work, I find myself alone in his house. I could stay here, but I really do need to go to my apartment to handle a few things. There are bills to be paid, and a change of clothes would be nice.
The taxi picks me up in front of Bram’s house, and the ride to my apartment feels more liberating than ever. There are some things to sort out. I’m having fun with Bram, but I will need to look for another source of income soon. The only good part of it is that I do have a little money in reserve—money that would have gone to Mr. Diaz as soon as it was time for the next payment.
I should save what I have, but it has been so long since I’ve bought something for myself that I decide to spend some time downtown before I
