Page 18 of The Meeting
She nodded and looked down. That was true. She would have to sit down and crunch the numbers, which definitely wasn’t a strong suit for her. And never paying much attention to the financials made it seem like a daunting task.
His fingers grasped hers and she looked up, startled. A spark shot through her arm, warming her entire body. He immediately pulled away, looking just as surprised.
Clearing his throat, he grasped his coffee cup. “It’ll all work out. We’ll come up with a solution.”
Kailynn took a sip of her latte and smiled. She knew she would come up with a solution, even if it meant selling and possibly starting a new company from scratch. The weight of the unknown future rested on her shoulders. The thought of going through all the paperwork to start a new company sounded exhausting. Plus, she would have to come up with a new business name since she wouldn’t be able to use the existing one, which also meant losing her clientele if they sold the company to someone else. If they dissolved the company, it would be a different story, but regardless, it would be a long road to get back to where she was now.
She realized she was lost in her thoughts and glanced up to find Chase watching her. He smiled when they made eye contact.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked.
“I think so. It’s just a lot. Everything I’ve known for the last seven years since we started the company is being flipped upside down.”
“I can understand that. Losing your boyfriend and not knowing what’s going to happen with the company is a lot to take on at once.”
She looked at him guiltily. “If I’m being honest, I really don’t care that I’m losing Drew.” She laughed awkwardly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “That probably makes me sound terrible, but we stopped acting like a couple a long time ago. So long ago, that I don’t even remember when we stopped.”
“You aren’t terrible. I can relate to it really well, actually. The same thing happened between my ex-wife and me. We tried for too long.”
She recalled the conversation they had at the game night. “You were married for ten years?”
“Good memory.”
His smile could have melted her right then and there. Her eyes flickered to his lips, and she suddenly wondered if she would be able to taste his cappuccino on them.
She swallowed hard and giggled before looking down at her drink. The heat rose through her body, and she knew he could see it if she looked up at him. Hell, she was sure her chest was already splotchy from the dirty images flying through her head.
“It was six years too long,” he said, breaking the awkward silence that she was sure was only awkward on her end. “It’s a good thing we called it off, but we should have much sooner.”
“Why did you try to work it out for so long?”
He shifted in his seat. “It seemed like the right thing to do. Even though I fell out of love with her, I still cared about her as a person. Still do, if I’m being honest.”
Jealousy coiled in her stomach. She wasn’t jealous of the fact that they were married and split—she was jealous that he cared for that other woman. She wanted him to care for her that way.
Where the hell are these feelings coming from?
“Lucky girl,” she whispered. Once the words slipped out, she slapped her hands over her mouth.
His lips lifted into a smile, and he chuckled.
* * *
Kailynn walkedinto the apartment after leaving the coffee shop with Chase. He had to run back to his office, so they parted ways. Sighing, she flopped onto the couch and threw her head back. She didn’t know how she was going to come up with the money for Drew.
Maybe she could ask her parents. She dismissed the idea. Supporting herself was something she always prided herself on, and she wasn’t about to take handouts now, even though she knew they would be more than happy to help her out. After a lecture on responsibility, of course.
Her family had struggled financially when she was a child, but her parents now made more than they ever had. They were generous with their money and wouldn’t hesitate to help her. It would be the simple solution to the situation, but she didn’t want to ask. They deserved to keep their money, and she was an adult. She needed to solve her own problems.
The front door opened and Abi and Logan came in. “Hey Kailynn!”
She looked over at them and smiled. “Hey guys.”
“You look down. Are you okay?” Abi immediately walked over to the couch and dropped next to Kailynn. Logan busied himself in the kitchen, asking everyone what they wanted to drink before joining them in the living room.
Kailynn bit her lip. “I just met with Chase. Drew wants half of the company.”
“That’s not really a surprise, though, right?” Abi asked.
