24. Get Along
Get Along
K ellan leaned against the wall, pretending to scroll their phone while keeping an eye on the corridor.
Cassie stepped out of the conference room without a word, her shoulders tight, her expression unreadable. Her eyes were red, though. Kellan caught that much. She didn’t look at them as she walked past, heading straight for her office.
They waited until the soft click of Cassie’s door echoed down the hallway. Then they slipped back into the conference room.
Alex hadn’t moved. They were still standing near the head of the table, arms hanging loosely at their sides, eyes fixed on the screen that now sat dark and blank.
Kellan closed the door quietly behind them.
“She doesn’t believe me,” Alex murmured, their voice rough.
Kellan nodded slowly. “She’s processing.”
Alex exhaled shakily and leaned back against the table. “I didn’t expect her to forgive me. I just… I hoped she’d believe me. ”
“She might,” Kellan said gently. “But it’s going to take time. You didn’t just upend her job… you got under her skin. Whether either of you wanted that or not.”
Alex let out a short, bitter laugh. “She told me she hated me.”
“She doesn’t,” Kellan said. “But even if she did… people don’t get that angry unless they care.”
Alex’s shoulders slumped. “It would’ve been easier if she’d just yelled at me. Told me to screw off and slammed the door. But the look on her face…” They trailed off, eyes shimmering.
Kellan stayed quiet.
Alex finally looked over. “Do you think she can forgive me?”
“I think,” Kellan said carefully, “you just tore down the wall between you… and now she doesn’t know what to do with what’s left.”
Alex stared at the closed door for a long moment. “Neither do I.”
***
Cassie shut her office door behind her and pressed her back against it, bracing herself with one hand as if the room might tilt sideways.
Her chest was tight. She wasn’t even sure she was breathing.
She’d gone in expecting more excuses, more spin.
Another attempt from Alex to somehow explain away the unforgivable.
And instead… Facts. Receipts. Emails. Alex hadn’t just told her the truth. They’d proven it.
Cassie squeezed her eyes shut. This should’ve made it easier. Should’ve helped. If anything, it should’ve lifted the weight she’d been carrying since the day she found out she wouldn’t be promoted.
But it didn’t .
Because the worst part wasn’t that she’d been passed over. It wasn’t even that Robert had manipulated the situation, or that Frank had sabotaged her on the way out. The worst part was that Alex hadn’t lied. They’d been telling the truth the whole time. And she hadn’t believed them.
Cassie shoved off the door and paced across the room, digging her fingers into her scalp, breathing hard.
You told them you hated them. The words echoed back at her like a slap.She hadn’t meant to say it.
Not like that. Not when Alex had just laid everything bare in front of her.
And yet… she had. She didn’t even know if she meant it.
The room felt too small, too bright, like the walls were pressing in. She dropped into her chair and buried her face in her hands. She’d been so sure. So damn sure that Alex was the villain in her story.
Now? Now she wasn’t sure what kind of story this even was anymore.
***
Cassie stood in her kitchen, the glow of the refrigerator the only light in the room.
She stared blankly at the open door, a half-empty water bottle in one hand, her thoughts a million miles away.
She hadn’t turned on the lights when she got home.
She didn’t need them. The guilt illuminated everything.
Her words kept replaying—sharp and cold and final.
She had looked Alex in the eye and told them she hated them.
And they hadn’t flinched. They’d just taken it.
Why did you do that? Because she’d been angry?
Betrayed? Cornered? Or because if she admitted they were telling the truth, she’d have to admit she’d been wrong ?
She twisted the bottle cap shut and leaned back against the counter, staring out at the darkened living room.
Alex hadn’t lied. Not once. And worse… they’d gone out of their way to make things right. Even when it wasn’t their mess to fix. You told them you hated them.
God.
Cassie closed her eyes, swallowing hard. She didn’t hate them.
She didn’t.
***
Cassie strode into the office like a woman on a mission.
Her jaw was set, her eyes focused, and for the first time in weeks, she felt clear.
She couldn’t undo what had happened. Couldn’t rewind time and say the right thing in that conference room.
Couldn’t snap her fingers and erase the hurt she’d caused.
But she could do something else. She could show up.
She could show Eddie what he should have seen all along…
that she was a leader. That she was ready.
That she’d earned the seat that had been taken from her.
She could show Robert that nepotism wasn’t the only thing that moved this company forward.
She could show Frank that his final act of sabotage had failed.
She could show Leah that putting faith in her wasn’t a gamble; it was a damn smart bet.
And she could show Alex… that she’d been wrong. That she didn’t hate them. That she respected the hell out of them. That maybe, she hadn’t stopped caring, even when she tried to.
Cassie reached her desk, dropped her bag into the chair, and turned on her computer. But before she got too deep into anything else, she grabbed her phone .
Hey, she texted. Can we talk? Need your help with something.
It was time to get to work.
***
Kellan knocked lightly on the open door before stepping inside, their usual easygoing energy tempered with a hint of curiosity. Cassie wasn’t one to ask for help unless she absolutely had to, and the tight way she held herself told them this was serious.
“Hey. Got your text.”
Cassie looked up from her laptop, motioning them in with a tight but grateful smile. “Thanks for coming. Close the door?”
Kellan did as asked, sliding into the chair across from her desk. They leaned back, studying her with open curiosity. “What’s up?”
Cassie exhaled slowly, as if bracing herself. “I need your help. And I need you to not laugh at me.”
Kellan raised both hands in surrender. “No promises, but I’ll try.”
Cassie gave a small eye roll, lips twitching toward a reluctant smile before her expression grew serious again. “I screwed up. Yesterday. With Alex.”
Kellan’s brows lifted, and Cassie could practically see the wheels turning in their head before they spoke. “You mean when you said you hated them and then stormed out like a hurricane?”
Cassie winced. “That would be the one.”
“Well, you made an impression,” Kellan deadpanned.
Cassie groaned, burying her face in her hands. “God. I was awful.”
“You were… passionate,” Kellan offered, their voice a little softer now .
“I was cruel,” Cassie corrected, lifting her head. “And I don’t think I even realized how much until I got home last night. I’ve been so wrapped up in being angry and hurt and…honestly? Scared. I didn’t let myself believe there could be another side to the story.”
Kellan tilted their head, their sharp gaze locking onto her. “And now?”
Cassie swallowed, forcing herself to put the truth into words. “I believe them,” she said quietly. “I believe Alex. I believe they didn’t know. And I believe they’ve been trying this whole time to make it right.”
Kellan nodded once, no hesitation. “They have.”
Cassie clenched her jaw, staring at the surface of her desk as if it held the answer to what came next.
“I want to fix this. Not just with Alex, but with the project, with the team, with… all of it. I need to prove I’m still the right person for this role…
even if I don’t get the title. And I want to help Alex prove this expansion plan is a smart investment, not some emotional Hail Mary. ”
Kellan studied her for a long beat, their expression unreadable. “Okay,” they finally said. “So where do I come in?”
Cassie hesitated, then let out a breathy, almost self-conscious laugh. “I need you to help me get a read on Alex. After yesterday, I don’t know how to approach them. I mean… I know I need to apologize, but I want to do it right. Without making it about me again.”
Kellan’s expression softened. “You want to make it count.”
Cassie nodded, a knot of nerves tightening in her stomach. “Exactly.”
Kellan leaned back, folding their arms as they considered. Then they smirked. “Alright. Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll talk to them. Feel it out. If it seems like they’re open to talking, I’ll let you know. But I think they’d really appreciate hearing all this straight from you. ”
Cassie’s voice dropped. “I want that too. I owe them that.”
Kellan offered a small, encouraging smile. “You’re doing the right thing, Cass. And if it means anything… Alex never gave up on you.”
Cassie’s throat tightened, emotion pressing against her ribs. She nodded, clearing her throat. “I don’t want to give up on them, either,” she admitted.
***
Kellan tossed their messenger bag onto the guest chair in their office, set their laptop on the desk, and immediately spun on their heel, feverishly typing on their phone.
No time for settling in. As they walked back toward the front of the hallway, they passed Cassie’s office again and tapped lightly on the open door.
“Five minutes,” they said with a wink, not slowing their pace.
Cassie barely had time to raise an eyebrow before Kellan was already past her office and heading down the hall.
They stopped at Alex’s office next. The door was open just a sliver. Kellan didn’t bother knocking, just pushed it open wider with a knuckle. “Hey.”
Alex looked up from their desk, their eyes a little bleary, like they hadn’t slept well. “Morning,” they said cautiously. “Everything okay?”
Kellan nodded. “Yep. How are you doing?”
“I—uh…” Alex began, but Kellan cut them off.
“Great. Can you come with me for a second?”
Alex blinked, their confusion obvious. “Right now?”
“Yes.” Kellan was already backing out of the office. “Come on. ”
Still confused, Alex stood and followed. Kellan led them down the hall and into one of the offices used as an editing bay. Once inside, Kellan motioned. “Please sit.”
Alex hesitated, but sat, their brow furrowed as they tried to figure out what was happening.
Without explanation, Kellan moved to the far wall and began lowering the blinds that covered the glass wall of the room. One by one, each slat clicked into place, obscuring the view of the hallway and shielding the room in a soft, diffused light. Alex’s eyebrows knit together.
“Uh, what—”
“Stay,” Kellan said, pointing at Alex like they were giving orders to a particularly well-behaved golden retriever.
Then they were gone.
Alex barely had time to adjust in their seat before Kellan reappeared at Cassie’s doorway. “They’re ready.”
Cassie blinked. “Who’s—?”
Kellan didn’t wait. They grabbed her gently but firmly by the elbow and steered her into the hallway.
“Kellan, what—”
“No time!” Kellan said with faux cheer, opening the office door and ushering her inside. Before Cassie could register who was in the room, Kellan had her by the shoulders and was guiding her toward a chair. “Sit.”
Cassie’s eyes widened the moment she saw Alex sitting there. Her stomach clenched, a mix of panic and anger tightening in her chest. “Kellan—”
“Shhh. This is happening.” Kellan’s voice was maddeningly cheerful, their stance completely unbothered by the emotional minefield they had just forced her into. Cassie barely had time to process before Kellan turned to Alex with a breezy command. “Alex. Say, ‘I’m sorry.’”
Alex’s mouth parted slightly, blinking as if they had just been yanked out of a completely different reality and thrust into this one. Their gaze flicked between Cassie and Kellan, still trying to catch up. “I—I’m sorry?” Alex managed, the words hesitant, confused.
Kellan spun toward Cassie next, pointing at her like a director demanding a cue. “Great. Cassie. Say, ‘I’m sorry, Alex.’”
Cassie’s spine went rigid. Her jaw clenched on instinct.
Apologizing wasn’t the problem… it was being forced into it like some kind of staged intervention.
She didn’t like being cornered. She especially didn’t like being cornered with Alex looking at her like that, their expression open and raw in a way that made her feel even worse.
“Cassie.” Kellan’s tone had softened, just a little. Not enough to let her escape, but enough to remind her why they were doing this. Because she had been wrong. Because she did want to fix it.
A beat passed, then another. Finally, Cassie exhaled. “I’m sorry, Alex,” she said, quiet but sincere.
Kellan clapped once, beaming like they had just pulled off a Broadway-level production. “Perfect! That was dress rehearsal. Now you’re live on Saturday Night!”
Cassie’s stomach dropped a second before Kellan pivoted dramatically toward the door. “Byyyeeeee!!” they sing-songed.
The door shut behind them. A distinct click followed.
Cassie shot up from her chair. “Kellan, did you just—” She grabbed the handle. Twisted. Locked. She snatched her ID badge off her hip, holding it against the security reader on the wall. Nothing. Her breath caught as she turned to Alex, eyes wide, realization fully setting in.
They were trapped. Together. And Kellan was gone.