Page 6 of Willowbrooke
“I will do everything I can to assist with the transition. It’s not my intention to cause issues as a result of my departure.” I could feel myself begin to tremble, holding back the anger I so desperately wanted to unleash on them. But there was no point in burning the rickety bridge that remained between us. Professionalism and the high ground were my only option.
“I’m disappointed in you.” Mom frowned before getting up to leave the room.
“You’re sure you know what you’re doing?” Dad’s eyes narrowed in on me. “If it doesn’t work out, I don’t know if there will be a place left here for you.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a threat or meant to be helpful.
“Even if I fail, at least I will have tried.” I shrugged, beforegetting up and leaving the conference room. I had hoped to feel lighter after the meeting, but instead I felt dread over the weeks to come, and their doubt had me second-guessing everything.
The news spread like wildfire through the office.
Adam found me during lunch, eating alone at my desk, like every other day, because nobody else was willing to cover the phones.
Adam was as attractive as he was charming. Just like Leo West, he looked great in a suit, but the similarities between the two stopped there. He prioritized self-care to maintain his good looks, spending time at the tanning salon, dropping more on skincare than my salary at the firm, and making sure every piece of clothing he owned was tailored within an inch of its life.
I supposed he had always been so well put together, but when I had first met Adam, he’d made it seem effortless. After having lived with him for over a year, I’d seen behind the smoke and mirrors, and it often left me wondering if the Adam I knew was truly an authentic version of himself, or a perfectly curated facade he had spent years manufacturing.
Adam vented about feeling left out of the loop. He was understandably upset that I hadn’t told him beforehand. But I hadn’t trusted that he wouldn’t tell my parents before I got the chance, or try to talk me out of it before giving my notice. I couldn’t have afforded either transgression, and while things between us remained delicate, I didn’t think I could get pasta betrayal like that.
I could have, and perhaps should have, stood up for myself and my decisions, but more often, as of late, I found it easier to let him say what he needed to say, rather than arguing my point. I thought Adam just wanted to feel heard and understood, even if I didn’t agree with him.
“Penny, I love you,” he insisted, squeezing my hand.
I looked up at him hopefully. I wanted him to be happy for me.
“But sometimes you make it hard to take your side.”
I felt my shoulders slump in defeat, my gaze falling to the floor.
I didn’t think there should be sides to a relationship. I thought we were supposed to be a team. It hadn’t felt like that in a while…in fact, I couldn’t really think of the last time it had.
“I didn’t want to put you in a bad position, Adam,” I lied. “This way, you can tell them that you didn’t know and didn’t have a chance to make me reconsider,” I tried to placate him. “Trust me, it’ll work out for you better this way. I know they’re getting ready to offer you that promotion you’ve been asking for.”
“Honey.” He pulled me into a loose hug, softening. “Let’s go to dinner tonight to celebrate.” He placed a soft kiss at my temple. “I know how big of a deal this is for you.”
“Bella Vita?” I asked. It was my favorite restaurant in the area.
“Sure,” Adam agreed. He paused for a moment. “But next time…”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
At the very least, I had one person firmly in my corner. Mina wasted no time helping me prep ahead of my first day, so I could go in overly prepared for whatever Leo West had to throw at me.
Using some templates she’d stolen from work, we drafted a master plan and proposal for the interior of the property, including an in-depth project timeline. She got a printout of her firm’s preferred contractors, under the condition that I not expose who had referred me. And finally, she had notes on all the inspectors to avoid for the project, so I’d be able to schedule an inspection right away, after getting Leo’s approval.
“You’re going to crush this.” Mina smiled across the table at our favorite cafe the Sunday afternoon before my first day. “Don’t think about your parents—they’ll get over it when they see how amazing you are. This is going to open so many doors for you, and it’s only a matter of time before they start taking credit for pushing you to do this.” She laughed.
I was ready, or well…I thought I was.
“You drink coffee?” Leo asked quietly while Ifollowed him to the kitchen.
Seeing him again after our first meeting had my head spinning a bit. He was even more attractive than I remembered. I hated that he made me feel so nervous. Just because he was good-looking and stiffly polite didn’t mean that my heart should be pounding in my chest the way it was. I wasn’t even available.
I had spent the long commute trying not to psych myself out over what I was about to embark upon and replaying how our original encounter had transpired. I was determined to get more insight into who he was and what he wanted out of this project.
The way he spoke, how he’d regarded me, even his posture demonstrated how on guard he was at all times. I could sense the walls he had erected around himself over a long period of time. I wondered what had happened to him that required such protection. It couldn’t just have been the recent loss of his father. I felt myself yearning to comfort him, despite the fact that I barely knew him. Iwantedto know him.
I remembered laughing at myself in the car, having thought for a moment that maybe we would grow to become friends. I wasn’t sure if Leo was even the type of person who could maintain friendships, because if he was as quiet and short with others as he’d been with me, it would have taken someone dogged and determined to be in his life to stick around long enough to see beyond the facade he had up to protect whatever he was hiding beneath the surface.
