“You’re joking,” she said, her mouth hanging open at him. He knew he shouldn’t have said anything, but the damn words spilled out of him before he could stop them. He hadn’t wanted Devyn to know all of that so quickly, but part of him did. He was tired of hiding it all from her. He wanted her to know the truth if there was any way they could have a future together. But still, he couldn’t help the way his face burned and the regret swam in his stomach.
“I knew you’d think it was stupid.”
“I don’t.” Devyn placed her hand on his chest. Her brown eyes connected with his and he saw the passion behind him. “It’s not stupid. It’s insane.”
She shook her head, but Chad looked away before he could see the way her lips tugged up on either side. Her words warmed his face, embarrassing him for sharing too much with her. No one had ever understood his dream. Not his sister. Not his friends. Certainly not her. He scolded himself for believing otherwise.
“Me too,” her words were soft.
If he hadn't been listening closely he would have missed them. Me too. The words stopped him. Her sweet voice slipped out only loud enough to hear over the soft hum of the TV.
“I used to tell my sister I would build an empire,” she said pushing off the couch to sit up straight. “I wanted this job for the same reason. I wanted the experience because I want to be a CEO someday. I don’t know what I want to do exactly, but I want it to be more than what I am now. I don’t want to be a manager at someone else’s company. I want whatever I do to be mine. I don’t want to work my ass off to make someone else rich. Maria has always said I should just be grateful for the life I have and the amazing job I have, but she doesn’t get it. She has always been content just living, but not me. I’ve never wanted a life of contentment. I know I’m destined for greatness. I can feel it. I can make a difference, but I just can’t figure out how I’m going to do it yet.”
Chad’s heart swelled, and in that moment, he knew it was over. He couldn’t walk away after the bet. He brushed his fingertips over her arm before moving his hand to her face. He cupped it and pulled her forward. Their foreheads met, the contact between them making him crazy. The world didn’t matter. With the two of them, anything was possible, and now that Chad knew that, he would never let her go. He hadn’t started to fall. He had. He was already there.
He tangled his hands in her hair and pressed her mouth to his.
12
Devyn normally woke up every morning to an alarm at 5:30 sharp, but something was wrong. Her alarm didn’t go off, but there was something playing. It wasn’t her alarm. It was a phone. She uncurled herself from her bed— no — from Chad. Her body had been curled around his on the tiny couch they had shared the night before. Her eyes adjusted to the room, searching for the sound that was coming from across the room. The screen lit up the entire room, and she was surprised it hadn’t woken Chad up. She grabbed it, clicking the sound button on the side of the phone silencing it in her hand. The caller ID was hidden. What was someone doing calling her an hour before her alarm went off? Her body stiffened because there was only one person who would call her at this hour.
She hit the lock button, ignoring the incoming call. She let the phone buzz in her hand and when it finally stopped she unlocked the screen. A notification popped up on her screen. She had received a voicemail from her unknown caller.
Then her phone started ringing again, the flashing screen lighting up the couch. If she didn’t watch, it would wake Chad, who was somehow still sleeping soundly beside her. She hit decline on the unknown number, sending whoever was trying to reach her to her voicemail. If it was Alex, Devyn hoped this sent a message to her. To fucking stop it. The phone started ringing again. Her eye twitched. Devyn clenched her jaw, tightening the grip around the device. She wasn’t in the mood. She hadn’t slept this good since before she got her job. She peeled herself off the couch and walked into the other room. She slid her finger across the screen, answering the incoming call.
“Who is this?” Devyn made the words sharp, harsh to make a point to whoever was on the other line, even though she had a good idea.
“Don’t play dumb,” Alex’s voice came through the other end, making Devyn grit her teeth. Alex’s shrill voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Devyn had grown to hate their phone calls in the few short months she had been working under her. Alex made impossible demands and just expected Devyn to play along. She was getting tired of the way Alex would send her on wild goose chases for things the company couldn’t have. She had been biting her tongue for too long.
“It’s four in the morning,” Devyn said, hoping the stern tone she had taken on would be enough to sway this conversation to ending.
“Okay?” Alex said. Heat flooded her cheeks. Devyn didn’t think she could hold back her temper this early in the morning. Maybe if she had gotten up on her own. “Truthfully Devyn, I don’t care what time it is.”
“Well, good for you,” Devyn retorted, her voice dropped an octave. She had never talked back to a superior in her entire life, but after every line Alex crossed, Devyn knew this was the last one. She was done with her shit. She
