IN BED WITH THE BOSS

“But why hasn’t he reached out either?” Vivian asked, dropping the knife and turning to face Megan, “He just hung up and never reached out again. He didn’t even try to hold on or fight for me. He left like he’d been wanting a reason to leave and I handed it to him.”

The tears were flowing again, and now she was sobbing. “Oh, I hate him so much, Megan. I miss him so much and I love him. I love him, Megan and I hate that I do”

Megan wrapped her hands around her, letting her sob on her shoulder until she was gasping softly.

“You could call him….” Megan suggested softly as she rubbed her back but Vivian shook her head.

“No” she said, “I have to let him go. With or without the other lady in the picture, it would never work between us. He doesn’t want a real relationship and I want more. I want a commitment and he’s not willing to give me that. I will have to get over him one way or another. Might as well be now. I just don’t understand why it has to be so hard.”

________

Scott entered the numbers into the spreadsheet, then several seconds later swore under his breath and deleted them. Dammit. He’d been doing a repeat of this same thing for hours now.

Hours, hell. His fingers fisted on top of the key-board. Days.

His concentration had been shot for seven nights and eight days. Since the seven nights and eight days ago when he last spoke to Vivian. When she’d announced she loved him, then left him without looking back. As an image of her smiling face, spine ramrod straight, glide elegant and proud, wavered in his head, he squeezed his eyes shut. Bowing his head, he didn’t will the mental picture away. No, he conjured it up over and over, punishing himself with the memory of the pain and soul-deep sadness that had darkened her voice, of the words that had driven daggers into his chest.

Of the resolve and strength radiating from her even through the phone that let him know if he didn’t say something, do something to prevent her from hanging up, he would never see her or hear from her again. Never inhale her rain-and-roses scent. Never have her body pressed to his, fitting like a missing puzzle piece. But he’d done nothing.

Instead he’d gotten angry and told her to leave if she wanted to. He’d been an asshole, and they’d both known it. He couldn’t even bring himself to show up at his own office.

“Damn you, Vivian,” he whispered harshly. “Damn you.”

Like he’d told her that day, he hadn’t asked for her love. Didn’t want it. People threw that word around to abuse, betray and abandon others. Just like Bruce had vowed that he loved his sister.

Love deceived, used and…died. It left pain and disillusionment and loss behind. It changed people for the worse, not the better. Intuition had warned him that if he allowed Vivian in, if he risked opening to her, when she left-because he knew that leaving was inevitable-the wreckage on him would be much.

He turned back to his computer screen and the report he’d been trying to finish for the past two hours.

His house keeper knocked and came in. “Mr. McCall, there’s a Mr.

Bruce Bennet here to see you. I told him that you were busy but he insisted-”

“Send him in,” Scott snapped.

What the hell was Bruce doing here? Scratch that. He didn’t give a damn.

For the first two days since Vivian called things off, Scott had tried to drown her out with alcohol. When that had failed, work had been his next attempt to erase her from his mind. Apparently, that wasn’t succeeding, either. While meeting with Bruce was most likely a terrible idea, he was also spoiling for a fight.

A grim smile stretched across his mouth. For the first time in days-eight days and seven nights, to be exact- he looked forward to something.

Seconds later, his office door opened, and the man he’d resented for years and actively hated since he’d harmed Sara stalked inside. Harsh lines etched his forehead and bracketed his mouth, and his eyes, so like his sister’s, blazed with anger and Scott wondered how Jennifer could be his sister and yet so different from him. His hands curled into fists at his sides. Seemed like Scott wasn’t the only one looking for a fight.

His smile widened.

“Good afternoon, Bruce. I’d say it was nice to see you again, but we both know that would be bullshit. So we’ll skip the pleasantries and get to what the hell are you doing here.” Scott leaned back in his desk chair and templed his fingers beneath his chin.

“You son of a bitch,” Bruce snarled.

“Well, that didn’t take long,” Scott drawled with a sigh, his voice heavy with mock disappointment. Rising, he flattened his palms on the top of his desk.

“What the fuck do you want?”

“Where’s my sister?” Bruce demanded. “I checked with Clara. She’s no longer staying there. So where is she?”

“I don’t know,” Scott replied calmly. Though inside, alarm clanged in his head. As far as he’d known, she’d still been with her best friend. Was she okay? Was she safe? The questions barraged him, but he forced his focus back to the man across from him. “Why do you care? You let her leave the only home she ever knew because she wouldn’t bend to your demands. Are you suddenly having an attack of conscience?”

Doubtful, since the man didn’t have one.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I need to speak to her. Last time we spoke, she made some… irrational accusations and threats. We need to clear this up. As a family,” he sneered.

Scott arched an eyebrow. “Threats?” Pride and admiration warmed him. “There’s an interesting turn of events.”

“You would find it funny.” Bruce scowled. “She wasn’t like this before. I’m thinking it’s the company she’s been keeping.”

“Thank you.” Scott dipped his head in acknowledgment . “And just for the record, your sister has always been strong. You were just too busy playing lord of the manor to recognize it. If you had, maybe you would’ve used her brilliance for the advantage of your family company instead of sticking her in some bullshit position. Then she might not have had to go form her own business, but could’ve helped yours grow.”

“You know nothing about Jennifer,” Bruce growled, shifting forward as if ready to leap over the desk. “Don’t pretend that your relationship,” he spat the word, “was real. She told me the truth about your blackmailing her into pretending you two were a couple. She also informed me about the file of lies you have on me.”

Shock reverberated through Scott. When she’d claimed that they were friends and that he should let things go, had she been referring to confessing to her brother about their arrangement?

Flipping these new revelations over and over in his mind, Scott returned his attention to Bruce. “You might have tried that argument with Jennifer, but don’t bother with me. Everything listed in that file is the least of your crimes. We both know who you are, Bruce. We both know what you’re capable of,” he growled. “You used my sister, then tossed her aside like she was something beneath your shoe. No, I take that back. You would’ve at least paused and scraped something off the bottom of your precious loafers. You didn’t even give her that courtesy. And for what? A grudge against me from high school? You broke her, and for you it was business as usual.”

“Like you broke my sister?” Bruce accused. “Eye for an eye? Don’t stand there and preach to me like you’re so self-righteous, when you turned around and did the same thing to Jennifer. You used her to get back at me. That doesn’t make you the hero in this story.”

“You’re right.”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Bruce’s mouth snapped closed, his eyes flaring in surprise at Scott’s quick agreement, before narrowing. He was probably wondering what Scott’s game was now. But there wasn’t any game. There wasn’t any trickery to slide another point home as if this was a contest to be won.

He’d used Jennifer. Oh yes, he’d justified it as righting a wrong against Sara, as protecting future women from being hurt by Bruce. But the truth couldn’t be denied any longer. His actions hadn’t been noble- they’d been selfish, vengeful…and reprehensible. Maybe unforgivable.

Not because of Bruce. He still had zero fucks to give about Bruce. But because he’d dragged an innocent into it. As blameless as Sara had been in Bruce’s schemes, Jennifer had been just as blameless. His mother’s warning haunted him, ringing in his head like a premonition that had come to pass. Even Jennifer had warned him too. He had ended up hurting others. He’d hurt Jennifer… And the most important person he’d hurt was Vivian… because he’d been selfish too in his relationship with her.