Page 47 of A Brilliant Spring

Brandt

I’ve officially given up. I can’t compete with someone like Theo. I remember the way her mother glowed the minute he stepped into the room. I just can’t do it. I’ve really got to move on.

I know she’s woken up. I’ve heard so many times from Rhys. He’s been really irritating, the amount of times he’s hounded me to see her, or at least reach out to her. But I can’t. It’s fucking embarrassing enough that I sat by her side for a week and then Theo saunters in like he’s entitled to Elissa. I’ve fucked up a lot lately, I know that. I was the one who pushed her away, but I can’t shake this feeling. I’ve lost her. And I’ve lost a piece of myself, and I’m trying to move on.

Every thought of mine encompasses her. What she’s wearing, what she smells like, what she’s thinking about…if she’s thinking of me. Certainly she’s heard about me being by her bedside, so why hasn’t she called? Messaged? Anything? Easy.

She’s moved on.

And it fucking kills me.

I can’t pretend I didn’t do this to myself, but she could have reached out over these last two weeks. I’ve been suffering, been in agony, terrorizing myself about if or when she’ll call. But she hasn’t. Rhys said she’s just taking time to deal with everything and heal. Yeah, sure. I get that. But she still could have sent me a text, letting me know herself that she’s okay.

As I’m wallowing in my self-pity and destruction, my phone dings.

From: Black, Elissa

Subject: Return to Work

Good afternoon, everyone.

I’ve been officially cleared to return to work after my accident.

I want to thank my mother, Collette, for stepping in when I was incapacitated and unable to work. I would like to see everyone at the board meeting on Monday, as there is a lot for me to catch up on.

I am doing well and hope to see you all there.

Thank you,

Elissa Black

CEO

Black & Wells Publishing and Press

Tightness restricts my chest as I read her words over and over. This is the closest I’ve gotten to any communication with her. A fucking work email. It may be petty, but I text my assistant and forward the email to him, asking him to confirm my attendance.

I spend the rest of my weekend in a drunken stupor, lazing around my apartment, nursing a hangover, and repeating that process. I need to drown myself in something else, other than this hollow feeling that’s suffocating me. I need to flush her out of my system, so when I see her on Monday, I don’t break. I don’t crumble. Or at least, she can’t see that I’m breaking.

•••

Monday comes and I’m in no better shape. I contemplate skipping the meeting altogether. She won’t miss me, the company board won’t miss me. They haven’t for the last two months.

The end-of-April air is temperamental. It’s chilly in the morning and warm in the afternoon, which makes it a bitch for me to decide what to wear. My smooth, charcoal grey Armani suit is tailored to perfection as I slide it onto my body, the fabric hugging and sculpting my every muscle. My white button-down dress shirt underneath is a soft, light linen, cooling my burning, nervous body. I slip on a navy TAG Heuer Carrera and fasten it around my wrist, then shove my wallet and phone into my pants pocket. My fingers glide and tease my hair to perfection, and I stand gloating at the mirror.

I feel confident and ready to face Elissa.

That feeling quickly shatters as she walks into the conference room, looking more beautiful than ever. Her radiant cinnamon hair falls in loose curls down her back, and my fingers itch to lace my hand through her strands and wrap them around my wrist. She’s wearing a white skirt with a slit up the middle, and her black scoop neck tee fits snugly against her chest and highlights the swell of her breasts, teasing me and reminding me how they felt in my hands. My heart thumps wildly in my chest at the memory. Her long, lean legs have lost some of their tone, but look just as delicious as they did before the accident. My mouth salivates as this gorgeous woman clicks her heels around the table, making her way to the front of the room.

When she smiles at the room, it’s like everything melts away and it’s just us. Time stands still only for us. The beating of my heart pauses as our eyes connect, and I’m swallowed whole by her oceanic eyes. I’m tumbling and twirling in the undertow, her gaze drowning all my senses. My heart clambers to be with her, and it pounds like it’s going to leap out of my chest. All I want is to connect with her again. My cock strains against my zipper, pulsing to be near her. My lips ache to brush against her skin and feel the way she shivers when I touch her.

She breaks our eye contact, and my resolve shatters. I’m left a broken mess in the middle of the boardroom, and the glint in her eyes as she looks away gives off a vibe of mischief and…longing? I blink those thoughts away and convince myself I’m just imagining it. The rest of the meeting passes in a haze, because all I can do is stare at her beauty and wonder how the fuck it all went wrong.

“Projections show that stocks are up thirty percent since your recovery,” one of the analysts chatters.

“Collette decided we should focus on marketing this quarter…”

“The new division has been thriving under Selena’s watch and we think she should be promoted officially…”

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