Chapter 27 #2
“Dude, stop whatever it is you’re doing and answer your damn phone,” Brantley says through the walkie-talkie app.
Groaning, I remove my arm from over my face and hit the button.
“Fuck off,” I grumble.
He tries calling again, and I ignore it.
“Seriously, answer the fucking call, or I’ll send police to your place for a wellness check. Don’t think I won’t do it,” he warns.
“I’ll call you later,” I lie, knowing full well I won’t.
Instead of responding, he calls.
Goddammit. Why does my best friend have to be a nosy fucker?
“What do you want?” I mutter as I answer the FaceTime.
“One sec.”
Two seconds later, both Mason and Eli join the call. Lovely. This is exactly what I wanted to do after watching my future crash and burn around me.
“Seriously?” I hiss, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
“What’s wrong?” Mason asks, frowning.
“What’s wrong is you fuckheads won’t leave me alone,” I snap.
Eli’s eyes narrow. “What did you do?”
“Who says I did something?”
“Uh, your face. You look guilty as fuck,” Brantley tells me.
I raise my hand and give him the middle finger.
“Spill, or I’ll call Iris,” Mason says.
“You want to know what’s wrong? Fine, I’ll tell you. I told Iris that I loved her, and she kicked me out of her place.” I leave out the bit about how much I fucked it up.
“Bullshit,” Eli says with no hesitation.
“Yeah, I’m with him. There’s more to it.” Brantley nods.
Mason raises a brow. “Give us the full story, don’t leave a detail out.”
“I don’t want to,” I huff.
“He fucked up.” Brantley shakes his head.
“He totally fucked up. I can call her and get the details,” Eli offers.
“You know what? Call her. Maybe she will answer for you,” I mutter.
“Oh fuck. You messed up bad. Tell us,” Mason demands.
“She got a box from Astor Conglomerate while I was there. I went to tell her about moving to Boston, but then she opened the box, and I was hurt. She said she wasn’t taking the job, but that led to how we were both keeping secrets, and by the time I told her about Boston, she was too hurt to be happy.
She asked me to leave and give her time to think. ” I admit.
“And you did tell her you loved her?” Brantley asks point-blank.
“I did. I told her I have always loved her and always will.” I frown.
“Well, at least you said the words. You gave her something to think about. Don’t give up so soon. She will come back.” Brantley sounds so confident.
I wish I felt the same.
“I’m not giving up. I have called her and sent her texts. She’s reading them but not responding. I’m trying not to seem so desperate, but I can’t let her go without a fight. I don’t think I can live without her.” I rub my hand down my face.
“I’m glad you aren’t throwing in the towel. It means you really do love her,” Eli adds.
“Dick. Of course I love her,” I scoff.
“I mean, we know that. We have known it for years. Just like we know she loves you too. It’s always been there. I can see why she is hesitant now, though. Big changes are happening, and her head is probably feeling like it is spinning. If she asked for time, give her time.”
I sigh. “I know. She doesn’t like her job as CFO, though,” I admit.
Mason grimaces. “Ouch. What does she want to do then? Do we have somewhere else we can put her?”
“I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me. She was too upset about everything.
I did put some feelers out. I even called the asshole from Astor Conglomerate and asked what she was interviewing for.
” I wince at the memory of that conversation.
“He didn’t want to tell me at first, but when I told him I loved her and I wasn’t letting her go without a fight, he finally admitted that they want her as a liaison between hotels and guests.
We don’t have anything like that. I think after the move we could go to the board and create the position.
Especially if I could prove that it would benefit the company. ”
“We can do it together. We won’t lose her,” Mason promises me.
Before I can say anything, there’s a knock on my door.
“Someone’s here,” I tell them.
Before I can even stand, I hear the keypad, then the lock turning. There’s only one person who has a code besides me.
Iris.
“I gotta go. I’ll call you later.” I hang up before any of them can say anything.
I turn back to the door and stand as she slips inside.
“Iris.”
She freezes, like she wasn’t sure I was home. “Hi. I hope it’s okay that I’m here.”
My heart clenches as I watch her shift from side to side, her anxiety clearly getting the best of her. It’s so unlike her that I don’t know what to think.
“You are always welcome in my home. If you’d move in, I would make space for you right now. I owe you an apology. I fucked up. I didn’t want to tell you like that.”
Iris shakes her head, making my heart drop to the floor.
“Stop talking,” she says, making me shut up.
I watch as her shoulders roll back, like she’s bracing herself for something.
Oh god. This is bad. So fucking bad. She’s going to leave.
With a determined look, she walks over to me.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
Instead of answering, though, Iris reaches up and grabs me by the back of the head. She presses her lips against mine as my hands find her hips.
This.
This is how I thought it would be when I confessed my feelings. Maybe the guys were right, and we can find our way back from my blunder. All I know is I’ll never tire of having her lips against mine.