Page 3 of Selfless

“How long, Ryder?” she demands again.

“It’s over.” I growl. Does she think I’m playing some game with Ashlyn? I’m not like her. I either want all of her or none at all. I’m not playing hard to get. It’s over, and it hurts like fucking hell.

She stomps up to my desk, letting me know she’s not giving up on this, and I hold in a sigh. “How long before you buy Talia’s?”

My eyes widen at her words. “How do you know about the Anderson file…?”

“How could you do this to Ashlyn?” she asks, interrupting me. “You know what this job means to her.”

I sigh. “It’s business.” I decide to say, but I’ve been thinking the same thing since I found out where Ashlyn had her job interview.

“Business?” she asks with a huff. “God, you sound just like Dad,” she growls.

“I have a job to do.”

“And Ashlyn is going to lose hers,” she snaps. “When do you plan to tell her?”

I look away from her, and my eyes narrow on where I slept on the floor last night. I can’t talk to her. I just can’t. Call me a pussy. A dick. Either one would be true. “That’s none of your business.” I decide on.

She slams her hands down on my desk and I look back up at her. “I thought you were a good guy, Ryder. I thought you loved her. But now I see you’re not capable of that.”

My jaw tightens at her words. If only she knew just how much …

“You’re a lot like Mom in that way. All you care about is money.” My nostrils flare. I’m nothing like our mother. I would never do to Ashlyn, what she has done to our father. “So just so you know, if you do this, you’ll never get her back.”

Get her back? Doesn’t she understand that is not an option? Did she not see what happened in their kitchen? Is she honestly going to pretend that Bradley didn’t stay the night again last night at their place? “She was never mine to begin with,” I respond flatly.

“You’re right,” she says and then swallows. “She wasn’t.” Then she turns around and storms out just as quickly as she entered.

**

My day hasn’t gotten any better. In fact, it has gotten worse, if that’s even possible. My headache is still pounding, and the words my sister said before she walked out of my office keep repeating in my head. You’re right. She never was!

How did I not fucking see it? And why can’t I seem to let it go? I just continue to torture myself.

“Ryder, are you there?”

“Yes, Mr. Clevens,” I say into my phone, nodding my head as I try to hold it to my ear with my shoulder. My eyes scan over the papers that scatter my desk. I don’t even know what he said to me. “What was it you …?”

“I asked how much longer you think it will be,” he snaps, irritated with me.

“Maybe a week or two …”

“What?” he huffs. “You said it would be two days last Friday. It’s now Monday!”

Fuck! “I know, but things came up …” My eyes catch sight of a document with his name on it.

“What the hell has come up that it’s gonna take another two weeks?” he demands. He doesn’t let me answer. “Ryder, you know this deal is very important to me and my company. It needs to be done. Now!”

“Yes. I agree, but …” My life is no longer my own. I wish I could focus on what is important, but I can’t seem to focus on anything but the gorgeous blonde who somehow managed to make me fall in love with her just to break my heart.

“This is not acceptable,” he huffs.

“I know,” I growl, mad at myself. “I made the call. Now, I’m just waiting to hear back …” I look up as something catches my eyes to see Jaycent in my office. When did he come in?

“Ryder?” Mr. Clevens snaps in my ear. “Fix it or I will go somewhere else,” he all but shouts.

“I’ll take care of it,” I say, but he’s already hung up. I lift my head, and my phone drops from my shoulder and hits my desk with a thud. I don’t bother to put it on the receiver.

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