Page 49 of Billionaire's Desire
All my instincts scream for me to say no. To tell Hilda to leave, but I push them down.
“Yeah. She needs the rest.”
“We have a staff meeting in the morning. I don’t think they would appreciate it if she was late.”
I want to argue that I can get her there on time, but I don’t.
“Come on, sleepyhead,” she says, her voice soft and coaxing. “Time to head home.”
Maggie stirs and blinks, looking disoriented for a moment before she remembers where she is. “Hilda?” she says, her voice hoarse.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Hilda says, smiling. “Come on, let’s get you back to your bed.”
I watch as Maggie sits up slowly, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She looks so small and fragile at this moment, and I feel a sense of protectiveness wash over me.
“Are you okay to go?” I ask.
Maggie nods, looking up at me with a grateful expression. “Thank you for everything,” she says. “I really appreciate it.”
I smile, feeling a sense of warmth in my chest. “Of course,” I say. “Anytime.”
As Hilda helps Maggie to her feet, I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and hand it to her. “Stay hydrated,” I say, smiling.
Maggie nods, taking the bottle and tucking it into her bag. “Thanks,” she says.
I need to let her go, let her process tonight as I do the same.
Something major happened tonight, with her, with us and I know she will need to sleep on it.
As they disappear down the hallway, I lean against the doorway, feeling the weight of exhaustion and sadness settling in. But even as I feel the weight of the day’s events dragging me down, I know that I’ll see Maggie again soon.
A text chimes in.
It’s from Finn.
Finn: It’s one day at a time. I’ll call you in the morning.
He has no idea how true that statement is.
And now that I know he is okay too, I get changed and settle into bed.
This was a long ass day and I need the rest.
Chapter 9
Maggie
Iwakeupthenext morning still wearing the party dress from the night before. As I get up and stretch, the events of the previous night come rushing back to me. My heart aches as I remember everything that happened, but I know I need to get ready for the day ahead.
I take a quick shower and change into my work uniform, trying to push aside the feelings of grief and sadness that threaten to overwhelm me. When I’m done, I head over to Hilda’s bed and gently shake her awake.
“Hey, wake up,” I say, my voice soft.
Hilda stirs and blinks, looking up at me with sleepy eyes. “What time is it?” she asks.
“It’s time for our staff meeting,” I say, trying to inject some enthusiasm into my voice.
Hilda groans and sits up, rubbing her eyes. “Ugh, I’m not ready for this,” she says.
