Page 13 of Selfless

She lifts her hand and rubs her forehead. “I did but—”

“But nothing,” I say, interrupting her. She looks at me, and I give her a smile. “He’s the one you’ve always wanted. Don’t allow Conner to take something else away from you, Becca. He doesn’t deserve that much credit.”

She bites her bottom lip before smiling. “Okay. I’ll call him.”

“He’s outside your door,” he says. “I made the call for you.”

I stand. “I’ll let you guys be alone …”

“Actually”—he stands as well—“I would like to talk to you, Ashlyn. If you don’t mind?”

I nod and sit down slowly. He looks at Becca. “Alone.”

I swallow as she nods and walks to the front door before exiting the apartment.

I cross my legs and look anywhere but at Mr. O’Kane. He looks so much like Ryder it’s scary. And it’s just another reminder of what I fucked up on. “I’m assuming that Becca told you about Talia’s,” he says, getting to the point.

I nod. “She told me that O’Kane Enterprises is buying them.”

“I know the manager very well …” He lets his sentence hang in the air, and I swallow nervously. “I must say I wasn’t surprised when she called me a few days ago,” he says, eyeing me.

I shift in my seat.

“She informed me that you put your two weeks’ notice in.”

My heart rate picks up. I didn’t want anyone to know. Can she legally do that? Not like it matters. Anyone who has the last name O’Kane owns this town. I’m just a fish in their ocean. “I did.” I own up to it. I’ve never been a coward.

He shakes his head as if he’s disappointed in me. “I told her to disregard your request.”

My brows rise. “You can’t—”

“I did!” he interrupts me sharply.

I sigh, feeling defeated. Can’t I choose how to live my life? “With all due respect, sir, you can’t control what I do.”

He actually smiles at me. “I’m trying to protect you.”

I snort. “You are just prolonging the inevitable. You think I’m going to work for a company that my ex owns?” I shake my head. “I’ll pass. And I doubt you guys keep it a gallery.”

He stands as if we’re done and buttons his suit jacket. “Give me a month.”

I stand as well and eye him skeptically. “A month to what?”

“To give you something better than what you have now,” he says with confidence. As if putting my future in his hands would be a smart move.

“I don’t know …”

“I’m a man with many connections,” he adds.

I square my shoulders. “I don’t need your connections,” I say sternly. “I was taught that you get what you work for.”

He nods. “And I respect that. You’ve worked hard to get where you are now. And believe me when I say that Lauren was impressed beyond words with your interview, and that you have major potential. So I’m asking you to give me one month.”

I run a hand through my hair and let out a long sigh. One more month in this town that just continues to swallow me up and spit me out? Another month with the man I love living above me and wishing I didn’t exist? To someone else, four weeks is nothing. To me, it’s thirty days in hell. But he’s right. He has connections, and no one tells him no. Finally, I nod. “One month.” I agree as if I had a choice when, in all honesty, we both know I didn’t.

I turn and walk back to my room to change my clothes. I have somewhere to be.

**

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