Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“Morgan,” he starts just as I speak.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss.
Brax winces. “I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t know how to find you. I just knew that you worked here.”
“And so you decide to get a job in my building? At my place of employment?” I demand, my voice full of … something. I’m not sure why I’m so mad at Brax, but I can’t control my emotions. “You’re the one who didn’t want to pursue anything,” I hiss under my breath. “You let me get on a plane and was pretty clear that you wouldn’t be in touch—”
Brax just shakes his head. He holds up a hand to touch me but puts it back down again immediately.
“Morgan, I want to talk to you. I want to talk about all of this, but not here.”
Of course, I agree. I want, no I need, to talk to him, to know what the hell is going on and if he’s actually planning on staying in New York. Or if this is all just a ruse to visit me and then leave me heartbroken once more.
I decide to be honest with Brax. “I don’t know if I can talk to you,” I say in an even voice. “We’re co-workers now, and that kind of conversation isn’t appropriate. Nor is it normal.” It’s painful to speak the words out loud, but he needs to understand just how hurt I am. How much I’ve longed for him. How I thought he was a piece of my past, but never my future.
Brax closes his eyes. “Please, give me a chance, okay? After work today. We’ll talk. We can get everything out in the open. Please.”
“You can’t just show up and do whatever you want,” I hiss again, although his presence is exactly what I want.
“But now, I’m here,” he responds in an even tone. “After work? I’m begging you, Morgan.”
I hesitate but then give him a small nod, too scared that if I speak again, I might start crying.
Fortunately, I hear Michael’s steps as he rounds the corner back into the break room. If he notices the weird tension, he doesn’t say anything.
“Well, that tie will be soaking for the next bit. Nice to run into you, Morgan, and thanks for entertaining the new guy for a minute there while I was occupied. But now I have to get him back to more appointments and paperwork. Braxton, shall we?”
“Yeah, sounds great. Morgan, nice to see you.”
Brax backs out of the doorway, keeping his gaze trained on me until he disappears. As soon as they’re gone, I wheel around and grip the counter with both hands, my breath coming out in short, ragged spurts.
Why the hell is Brax here?
He claims it’s for some job, but more than anything, I hope it’s for me. That he’s had a change of heart. That he really does care about me more than he ever let on.
It has to be…
Because if it’s not, if he’s just come to visit or apologize but do nothing to change our situation, I’m not sure if I’ll ever recover.
Please, please, please…
I glance at the clock hanging above the doorway. It reads 12:03.
Five more hours until I know what fate has in store.
12
Brax
The day drones on.
Periodically, I catch sight of luscious chestnut curls but it’s never Morgan. Her section of the office is a maze of cubicles, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to spot her, or from counting down the minutes until we can talk again.
Michael, the HR representative who’s been showing me the ropes throughout the day, has been a great host but I’m ready for our time together to end. I need to find Morgan and fix everything that I somehow managed to screw up for us.
If she’ll let me, that is.
I have no doubt that I messed up what could have been a relationship. Hell, I pretty much refused to even try to visit her, much less keep in touch in any way. I used a bullshit excuse that our lives were too separate, too incompatible.
The truth is, I wasn’t sure that I was ready to give up my life on Mirago.
Until my life walked away from me and came to New York.
“I’ll have you do the online training once IT sets up your computer access, which will probably be Monday,” Michael’s voice interrupts my thoughts.
“Sounds like a plan,” I agree.
I’ve done my best to focus on the onboarding process. While I absolutely came to New York for Morgan, I really have signed on to work for the city, as strange as this concept is to me. So I need to pay attention to the meetings and paperwork. Still, the job is secondary. Foremost in my mind is a beautiful brunette who currently hates my guts.
“Great. And you’ve met some of your team. Jane already helped you set up your badge, and you’ve already talked with the tax department,” Michael continues, not really needing my input but talking out loud nonetheless.