4. Brett
Brett
The conference room at Gateway Property Solutions was bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon sun, the city skyline of Chicago visible through the glass walls as shadows stretched across the room.
It was an hour before quitting time, and the day had been long, but Jerritt was still grinning like an idiot, clearly enjoying himself way too much.
“Alright, let’s talk logistics,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “We need to finalize the permits by Friday, or we’re screwed on the timeline.”
Vahn nodded. “I spoke to the zoning board earlier today. They’re willing to expedite if we can confirm the structural changes in the revised blueprints. I sent the updates to the architect, but we need to get a sign-off from Olivia’s team before the end of tomorrow.”
Jerritt flipped through a folder, scanning the numbers. “The real problem is the supplier—if they don’t deliver on time, we’re looking at a serious delay.”
“I’ll handle it,” I said. “I’ve got a contact who can push the order through if needed.”
Vahn glanced up. “You sure? It could bite us later if we start throwing favors around now.”
‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” I replied. “Right now, the priority is keeping this thing on track.”
Jerritt drummed his fingers on the table. “The investors are watching this one closely. If we pull it off, we’re looking at some serious expansion opportunities. If we don’t?—”
“Not an option,” I said firmly. “We’re making this happen.”
Silence settled for a moment as we all absorbed the weight of the project. Then Jerritt smirked, breaking the tension. “Speaking of making things happen—how’s it going working with Olivia?”
Vahn sighed, rubbing his temples. “Here we go.”
“It’s fine,” I muttered as I scowled at him. “Lay off it.”
“Can’t. It’s my duty as your friend to point out that you’ve been acting differently since she came back into your life. Kind of like… oh, I don’t know, a lovesick college kid.”
I scoffed. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Is it, though?” Jerritt leaned forward, tapping a pen against the table. “Because I seem to recall the two of you going at it when we were at the hotel. It was pretty intense.”
“I’m always intense.”
Jerritt turned to Vahn. “Back me up here. Brett’s been different. More… pent-up. And not just about the project.”
Vahn shrugged. “I mean, he does seem a little extra broody. But that’s kind of his thing.”
“I’m right here, guys.”
Jerritt grinned. “Oh, we know. We just enjoy watching you squirm.”
I exhaled sharply, “You wanna know the truth? Fine. Back in college, I wanted more with Olivia.”
Jerritt’s eyebrows shot up. “I know.”
Vahn shook his head, unimpressed. “So why didn’t you?”
“Because I had a ‘bad boy’ image to uphold.” I shot Jerritt a look before he could open his mouth. “And Olivia deserved better than that.”
Jerritt let out a bark of laughter. “You are such a dumb-ass.”
“Excuse me?”
“You had a shot with a woman like Olivia Shaw, and you passed it off because you needed to brand your ‘bad boy’ image? Who the hell are you, a whiskey label?”
Vahn sighed. “Yeah, that’s actually kind of ridiculous.”
“Appreciate the input, gentlemen. Really helpful. I know I screwed up, but at the time, it seemed to be what I needed.”
Jerritt sat back, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “So, are you gonna do something about it now?”
“I’m handling it.”
“Handling it?” Jerritt snorted. “Be honest—how often have you thought about her today?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Oh, it’s extremely relevant. Because if you’re thinking about her that much, and you actually get her alone in a room… well, let’s just say that ‘handling it’ will turn into a very different situation.”
Vahn folded his arms. “If it’s difficult for you, I can take over the project.”
My jaw locked. “Not happening.”
Vahn gave me a long look. “You sure about that? Because I’ve seen how you look at her. And if this is some revenge-fueled attempt to prove something?—”
“It’s not,” I said sharply. “This is my shot to show her I’m not the guy I was back then.”
Jerritt whistled. “So it’s a long game, huh? You planning to dazzle her with your real estate empire and emotional growth?”
“Something like that.”
“Or,” Jerritt said, grinning wickedly, “you could just stop playing games, pin her against the nearest flat surface, and remind her exactly what she’s been missing.”
Vahn groaned. “Jesus.”
“What? I’m just saying that life is short. And you, my friend, are a man of action.”
“This is business,” I said, voice tight. “Not some high school crush.”
Jerritt smirked. “Oh, buddy. If that were true, you wouldn’t be so defensive.”
I exhaled slowly, my patience thinning. “Are we done here?”
Jerritt chuckled, pushing back from the table. “Sure, sure. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Tangling with Olivia is like juggling with hot coals.”
Vahn nodded. “Yeah, and we both know what happens when you get burned.”
I stood, grabbing my coat. “I don’t burn.”
Jerritt’s laughter followed me out the door. “Famous last words, Collins.”
I tossed the stir-fry in the pan, the sizzle cutting through the condo’s silence. Phoenix sat by the counter, ears perked, waiting for something to drop. Chloe sat at the kitchen table doing her homework, pen in her mouth while concentrating.
“So, how was school?” I asked, plating the food.
“Fine.”
“What’s fine?” I pushed a plate toward her, then sat down across from her.
She shrugged as she pushed her books aside. “Just… fine.”
I exhaled through my nose, stabbing a piece of chicken. “Any tests coming up?”
“Next week, I have a test in English.”
“When are you studying for that?”
Chloe took a healthy spoonful of mashed potatoes and ate it. “This weekend.”
“Good. Did you win?”
She blinked at me. “Win what?”
“The algebra test. I assume school is a gladiator match.”
She rolled her eyes. “Dad, no.”
“Okay, but you do still want to be a cop, right? Because if you’re failing math, I gotta rethink my strategy for your bail fund.”
“Daaad,” she groaned but cracked a small smile. “I got a ninety-six.”
I grinned. “I always knew my superior intellect would pass down. When did you find out?”
She fixed her eyes on me. “A few days ago.”
“And when were you going to tell me?”
“Today. What’s the big deal?”
I shrugged. “I could see if it was a bad mark, and you were afraid to tell me, but that’s great! I’m proud of you. Next time, tell me when you find out, okay? I’m in this with you.”
She nodded. “Deal.”
Progress. Still, I wished she’d just talk to me—really talk. I hated that this wall was between us, and I knew exactly where it came from.
Lauren.
I tapped my fork against my plate. “Hey, let’s go to the park. Phoenix could use a run.”
Chloe arched a brow. “You want me to go outside? It’s winter.”
I gestured at the floor-to-ceiling windows, where Lake Michigan looked like a frozen wasteland. “It’s Chicago. We suffer for sport.”
She shook her head, but after a moment, she sighed. “Fine, that means I can stop doing homework.”
The park was quiet, and the cold kept most people away. Phoenix tore across the snow-covered field, kicking up flurries as she chased after the tennis ball Chloe threw.
“She’s so fast,” Chloe said, watching the dog with something close to admiration.
“She takes after me,” I said.
Chloe gave me a dry look. “You nearly died running after the coffee cart last week.”
“That’s not the point.”
She snickered, but her expression softened as she watched Phoenix leap for the ball again. “I miss her.”
My chest tightened. I knew exactly who she meant.
Lauren.
I swallowed, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets. “I know.”
“She didn’t even say goodbye,” Chloe bit out, eyes locked on the dog. “One day, she just… left.”
I exhaled. This was the closest she’d gotten to admitting how much it hurt.
“She’s missing out,” I said carefully. “You’re amazing, Chloe. You always have been.”
She let out a sharp breath like she was holding something in. “Then why wasn’t I enough?”
My gut twisted. I crouched beside her, ignoring the cold that seeped through my jeans. “Listen to me. Her leaving had nothing to do with you. It never was. Some people just… aren’t built for staying.”
Chloe was silent for a long moment. Then she said, “Did you love her?”
I hesitated. “I thought I did. But loving someone means showing up, and she didn’t.”
Chloe nodded slowly, absorbing that. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “I don’t think I ever want to love someone who could leave like that.”
I reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You won’t. Because you know better.”
She gave me a small, wobbly smile. “Yeah.”
We sat there for a moment, watching Phoenix pounce through the snow. Finally, I stood and dusted off my jeans. “Come on. We gotta head back before I freeze to death. Can’t have people saying I was taken out by winter.”
Chloe grinned. “I’d tell everyone you fought a polar bear.”
“Damn right. And won.”
She slid her gloved hand into mine as we walked, and my heart swelled.
Phoenix trotted ahead, her breath puffing in the cold air, while Chloe and I walked side by side. She clutched the leash, chin buried in her scarf. “I bet Phoenix could catch a bad guy if she had to.”
“Oh, no doubt. She’d probably get a medal.” I smirked. “But she’d also demand extra belly rubs.”
Chloe giggled. “Fair trade.”
We made it back to the condo, and the second we were inside, Chloe kicked off her boots, flopped onto the couch, and grabbed the remote. “Movie night?”
“Movie night it is,” I confirmed as I set down my keys and got out the popcorn maker. “What are we watching?”
“Something dramatic.” She grinned. “But not, like, boring dramatic.”
I gave her a look. “You’re twelve. Your definition of ‘dramatic’ concerns me.”
“Don’t be a dad about it.”
I shook my head and sat beside her, Phoenix hopping up to claim her spot at my feet. The movie was in the top ten—kid reunites with his dad after ten years apart. Heartfelt and full of emotion. It was precisely the kind of thing I wasn’t in the mood for, but Chloe was hooked.
Halfway through, she spoke. “Do you think Mom will ever come back?”
I should have expected the question, given what we talked about earlier. I rubbed my jaw, exhaling slowly. “Chloe, I have no idea.”
She shifted, turning to face me. “Do you think she will?” She said it more seriously.
I hesitated. I wanted to tell her what she needed to hear. But I also wasn’t going to lie to her. “Yeah, I think she will, but I don’t know when. Could be next year. Could be ten years from now. You need to be prepared that it could be never.”
She was quiet for a beat. “I know. I want to yell at her and ask her how she could abandon us. I also want to forget her completely.”
I reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
“And you have every right to feel that way. The best I can come up with is to live each day and only think of her as a memory, almost like she passed away. That way, you won’t keep yearning and expecting her to come, which will only result in disappointment.
Also, if she does return, then it will be a pleasant surprise.
” I wasn’t sure about the ‘pleasant’ part, but I was trying to sound optimistic.
She sighed and seemed to consider my words. She rested her head against my arm and said, “You’ll always be here, right?”
“Kiddo, there isn’t anything in the world that would make me leave you. Nothing.”
Her lips twitched. “That’s pretty dramatic.”
“You were the one who wanted dramatic.”
She snorted and turned back to the screen. She was yawning by the time the credits rolled, so I nudged her toward bed. “Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Dad.” For the first time in about a year, she came over to me and gave me a huge bear hug. Naturally, I hugged her back, but I could feel her sadness deep in my heart. I was all she had.
Phoenix followed me to my room, curling up at the foot of my bed like she always did.
I stared at the ceiling, Chloe’s question gnawing at me.
I did think Lauren would come back, but there was a part of me—one I didn’t like admitting existed—that I hoped she never did.
Chloe deserved better than someone who walked away without a damn word. And honestly? So did I.
But then my thoughts shifted to Olivia.
I let out a breath, scrubbing a hand down my face.
Olivia Shaw was back in my life. At work, sure, but still back.
And despite every rational part of me telling me to keep things professional, I couldn’t stop the way my chest tightened at the thought of her.
I remembered how she used to roll her eyes at me in college and how her hair used to slip over her shoulder while sketching, utterly lost in whatever design she was working on.
Best of all, I remembered how she constantly challenged me and never let me coast on charm alone.
Clearly, that part of her hadn’t changed, but I wondered what had changed.
She was the one who got away, and somehow, I was stupid enough to let her. Back then, I was too damn reckless to realize what I had in front of me. The only thing that made it okay was the fact that I now had Chloe.
It meant something to me to show her I wasn’t that guy anymore. And this time, I wasn’t giving up on her.
I wasn’t going to rush it, either. Olivia wasn’t the type to let someone bulldoze their way back in. But I was playing the long game. Because if there was one thing I was sure of, it was this—I wanted her back in my life, whatever that looked like.
Phoenix huffed, stretching out across the bed. I reached down and scratched behind her ear. “You think I’m an idiot, don’t you?”
She heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes back like she’d been waiting for me to catch up.
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Yeah. Me too. But it’s gonna be different this time. I swear.”
I wasn’t just thinking about Olivia. I was thinking about Chloe. About the life I’d built for her. About how, for the first time in years, I wanted more for myself too.
And this time, I wasn’t walking away.