Page 41 of Pucking My Off-Limits Billionaire Boss
I look up from the plans, meeting her gaze. "Yeah, we are. And we're doing it well."
We're tired, but there's a fire in us that keeps us going. This project, this dream of ours, it's becoming something more, something worth fighting for.
In these quiet moments, I find myself watching Lucy. The way she bites her lip when she's thinking, or the little sigh of satisfaction when a problem is solved. It's these small things, these glimpses of the person she is, that keep drawing me in.
"We'll show Andrew," she says with a determined nod, breaking the silence. "We're not giving up."
I smile, feeling a surge of pride. "Not a chance. We've got this, Lucy."
The evening settles around Cedarwood Tavern, the sounds of construction finally quieting down. It's just Lucy and me in the dimly lit corner of what's soon to be the heart of this place. The air is thick with the scent of sawdust and fresh paint, but there's another layer tonight—something unspoken, hanging heavy between us.
I take a deep breath, knowing it's time to address the ghost that's been lurking in the background ever since Lucy walked back into my life. "Lucy, we need to talk about... well, about us. About what happened back then."
She looks at me, her green eyes reflecting the dim light, a mix of apprehension and something else – maybe a readiness to finally hear what I've kept buried for so long. "Jake, you don't have to—"
"But I do," I interrupt, my voice firmer than I intend. "You deserve that much. I left because I was scared, Lucy. Scared of how deep my feelings for you were and scared that I'd hold you back. You were always meant for bigger things, and I... I didn't want to be the one to clip your wings."
There's a moment of heavy silence between us. Lucy looks away, her fingers tracing the edge of a blueprint spread on the table. "I always wondered," she starts, her voice tinged with a mix of wistfulness and hurt. "After that night we had... why you never asked to see me again. It hit me hard, Jake. Harder than I ever admitted. I know we agreed it was just going to be a one-night thing, but still. Maybe I’m being silly or selfish.”
I feel a pang of guilt, understanding the depth of her feelings now. The night we shared had been magical, a connection that I had never truly let go of, but at the time, I’d been too wrapped up in my own uncertainties. I hadn't realized how much it had affected her, how my silence could have been perceived as rejection.
"Lucy, I..." I start, struggling to find the right words to explain the turmoil I had been in back then. My silence wasn't about her; it was about me not being ready to acknowledge what I truly felt. But looking into her eyes now, I know I need to make things right. "I'm sorry. I should have reached out. I should have been brave enough to tell you how much that night meant to me."
I move closer to her, my heart heavy with regret. "Lucy, you were always enough, more than enough. It was me who wasn't ready. I loved you, and I think I always have. But back then, I was a guy heading to LA with just a hockey stick and a head full of dreams, and you were about to start a new chapter in Seattle."
I pause, trying to convey the depth of my past fears and uncertainties. "I knew the only thing I could offer was a long-distance relationship. And I believed, perhaps wrongly so, that you deserved more than that. You were so driven, so ambitious. The last thing I wanted was to be a burden or a distraction on your journey."
Looking into her eyes, I realize how much I've missed in not being brave enough to face those challenges together. "I should have been honest about my feelings, should have fought for us, regardless of the distance. I just didn’t want to hold you back.”
Lucy finally meets my gaze, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "But you never held me back, Jake. You could’ve a part of my dream, a big part. Losing you, it felt like losing a piece of myself."
I reach out, tentatively taking her hand. "I'm sorry. For all of it. For leaving, for not being brave enough or smart enough to tell you all this before. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. You mean more to me than any dream I've ever had."
Our eyes lock, and in that moment, something shifts. The hurt and misunderstandings of the past start to give way to something new—a chance at a future we thought we'd lost.
"Jake," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the soft hum of the evening. "I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I don't want to face it without you."
I grin. “And neither do I.”
***
The office in the back of Cedarwood Tavern feels more like a war room today. Max, Hailey, Lucy, and I are huddled around a cluttered table, strewn with papers and photos. The atmosphere is tense, charged with a collective determination to end Andrew's manipulative games. Amidst this intensity, Max and Hailey are in on our secret—they know about the façade Lucy and I have created, our pretend relationship devised as a shield to protect Lucy from Andrew’s advances.
Max sifts through a stack of documents, his eyebrows raised in surprise. I had brought these papers, the results of a private investigation I initiated into Andrew's business dealings. The private eye had done a thorough job, digging into the labyrinth of his financial empire.
"It's clear Andrew's been pulling some strings," Max says, holding up a sheet. "Look at these delayed shipments and inspection reports. They all trace back to his influence."
I nod, recalling the detailed report. "The private eye pulled a list of holdings managed by Andrew’s hedge fund. Many of our suppliers are on that list. It’s more than a coincidence."
Lucy leans in, examining the documents. "What about the inspection issues?"
“That’s the clincher,” I reply. “The investigator found a notable name on Andrew’s firm’s published list of political donations—a Chief Construction Inspector for the city. Plus, there’s a trail of contributions to political campaigns, including some officials from the inspection’s office.”
Hailey, looking over the documents with her lawyer’s eye, whistles softly. "This is substantial. If we can draw a clear line between Andrew’s financial activities and our project’s setbacks, we’ve got a strong case."
Max shakes his head in disbelief. "Talk about underhanded tactics. This guy’s been orchestrating our problems from behind the scenes."
Lucy’s face hardens with resolve. “We need to expose this. No one should have the power to manipulate people’s lives like this.”
