Chapter 38
Oliver
I stare at Rina as we leave Hugh’s office, the heavy door closing behind us with a finality that rings throughout the hall.
Even though she didn’t lose her job, the meeting has left its mark. It’s there in the slope of her shoulders, the tight line of her mouth, the way she keeps her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if her mask might slip if she looks anywhere else.
I want to reach for her, to take some of the pressure off, but I don’t know how to touch her right now without pushing too hard.
My gaze stays pinned to her profile as we walk in silence. “Are you okay?”
She doesn’t glance at me, just gives a small shake of her head. “I don’t know. I feel kind of… numb.”
She keeps her composure, but her fingers tremble as she laces her hands together. It’s the only sign she’s hurting underneath all that control.
What she really needs is to be anywhere but here.
“Do you want me to take you home?”
Her gaze slices to mine for the briefest second, filled with determination even though I can see the tremor running beneath it.
Just when I think she might give in, she shakes her head. “No. I need to stay and get some work done.”
Of course that would be her response.
That’s what Rina does when she’s breaking. She hides behind her job until the cracks have been shored up.
Part of me wants to scoop her up, carry her out of this building, and lock the world away until she finds her equilibrium again. But I bite back the urge, knowing she needs to feel like she’s standing on her own.
“Are you sure?” I press gently, giving her one last out.
“Yeah, I am.” Her tone is quiet but steady, laced with a stubborn edge of steel that manages to twist something deep inside me with both pride and frustration.
“Okay.” I nod once, keeping my tone even. “I’ll swing by in a few hours to take you and Kia back to the penthouse.”
“That sounds good.” She takes a step toward her office before hesitating and glancing back over her shoulder. The corners of her lips tip up slightly, as if even that small movement costs her. “Thank you.”
The tight coil inside me eases just a little. “I’m always going to be here when you need me.”
Her throat works around a swallow, and her eyes shimmer with thoughts that remain unspoken before she slips inside her office.
The hallway goes still as the door closes behind her.
Even the steady rush of the vents sounds too loud.
My hand twitches toward the handle before I catch myself.
She needs space, not another person crowding her when she’s barely holding it together.
Even though it kills me to do so, I stay put.
I drag a hand through my hair and lean against the wall, the cool surface grounding me as I try to gather my thoughts. My gaze drifts to Rina’s office again, and the image of her walking away and shutting me out cuts deep.
I’m built for action.
For fixing what’s broken.
Standing here, knowing I can’t resolve this for her, might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
I don’t know… maybe this is what love really looks like. Not the big moments, but standing in a hallway, useless, watching someone you care about fall apart, and knowing there’s no way to put them back together again.
It’s the determined click of heels cutting through the silence that pulls me from my thoughts.
I don’t have to look up to know it’s Evelyn.
A faint trace of expensive perfume reaches me a second before she does.
She doesn’t hurry or fidget, just glides toward me with the kind of unshakable poise she always carries.
Her green eyes lock on mine as she comes to a stop. “Are you all right?” she asks, though the way she studies me says she already suspects the answer. “That was a difficult meeting.”
“I’m fine.” I straighten. “Thank you.”
Curiosity flickers across her face. “For what?”
“For saving Rina’s job.” Even when my voice wavers, I don’t look away. “Hugh would’ve fired her on the spot. I don’t know what you said or did, but I appreciate it.” I nod toward the closed office door. “She appreciates it.”
“Rina is extraordinary at what she does.” Evelyn’s tone is even and measured, but there’s conviction beneath it. “Over the past four years, she’s helped build the Railers brand. Hugh might not realize she isn’t so easily replaced, but I certainly do.”
I nod, turning over everything she just said.
Even though it’s none of my business, the question slips out before I can stop it. “So, what’s it going to cost you?”
Her lips curve, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “That’s not something you need to worry about.”
Then, rather smoothly, she steers the focus back to me. “You care about her.”
It’s not a question.
It’s a truth laid bare, spoken with quiet authority.
“She needs someone who won’t run when things get complicated.” Evelyn’s gaze sharpens before it turns assessing. “And they will. Hugh will want this contained, but we both know that’s going to be nearly impossible.”
I brace myself for whatever might come next, but Evelyn only studies me, as if weighing me on an invisible scale.
“Don’t let her push you away,” she says. “If there’s one thing I know about Rina, it’s that she will. Whether she means to or not. I’m counting on you to be smart enough not to let her do it.”
The comment lands heavy before sinking deep, the ripples spreading through me long after she moves past.
Rina’s spent years teaching herself to stand on her own, to never ask for help. She thinks needing someone makes her weak. But I’ve seen the toll it takes. The way it wears her down, piece by piece, every time she tries to handle everything on her own.
She can push me away as much as she wants, but I’m not going anywhere.
I’ll continue carrying the weight beside her until she realizes she doesn’t have to bear it alone.