Page 7 of Selfless

I reach my arms out wide. “You have a life here. A man who loves you and your family.”

“You’re my family,” she all but shouts. “Please let me prove it to you.”

I look away from her because I’ve already made up my mind. I’m moving back to Seattle. But I tell her, “Okay.”

She leans down and hugs me tightly. She knows I’m lying, and I hate that I’m going to have to hurt her. Because she truly is my sister. My best friend. Now that I’ve lost Bradley, she’s my only friend.

She walks out of my room with her head down and sniffing. And before I can sit on the end of my bed, I find myself running to my bathroom feeling that nausea again.

**

Tuesday morning went about as good as Monday did. But I managed to drag myself into work after another night of no sleep. I stared at my phone for hours. Just waiting for a text or call from Ryder. And just like yesterday, it never came. But unlike yesterday, I have to go to work today.

“Wow, honey!” Thomas says as I walk past him and fall into my chair. “You look like crap.”

“Thanks,” I mumble.

I haven’t washed my hair since Sunday, and no amount of makeup could cover the dark circles under my eyes.

“What’s going on?” he asks, leaning over my desk with a look of worry on his face. “I know you called in sick yesterday, but it looks like more than a cold.”

I sigh. Of course, I can’t go a day without him wanting to know what is really wrong.

“Oh, no.” He comes around the desk quickly and plops down beside me. “I know that tune. You’re having boy trouble.” I remain silent. “Is that why you were pissy yesterday when I called you?” He had called me last night to check on me. I wasn’t up to chatting, to say the least.

“I’m fine,” I say, refusing to look him in the eye.

“You are a little liar,” he says, giving my shoulder a little shove.

“Sweetheart, believe me, men come and go. You need to get out there and get some booty.”

“That’s the reason I’m in this position in the first place,” I say dryly, and he laughs as if I’m funny. I turn my body and face him in my chair. “O’Kane’s is buying Talia’s,” I tell him, expecting him to stop laughing, but he doesn’t.

“Oh, hun, that’s been a rumor for years.” He waves me off.

I frown. “A rumor?”

He nods. “Well, not O’Kane’s specifically. But the fact that Talia’s is going to be bought out.”

My eyes widen. “And what do you plan on doing when that happens?”

“I’m not worried,” he says with confidence that I don’t have.

He reaches out and places his hand on my shoulder. “It will all be okay. You’re stressing too much.”

“You sound like Becca,” I tell him.

He gives me a big smile. “Then you should listen to us. We can’t both be wrong,” he says, removing his hand from my shoulder and then shrugging.

And I hate to tell him that he can.

“Good morning, everyone!” I look up to see our boss, Mrs. Mills, walking down the winding staircase. She smiles brightly at us as she hits the last step. “We have a private showing in two weeks,” she informs us. “I will need you both to stay late every day next week.”

Thomas nods as I tell her no problem. “Good,” she says, placing her purse over her shoulder and walking to the door.

I get up from my chair and all but run over to her. “Mrs. Mills, may I have a second of your time?” I ask nervously.

She looks at me, and her brows pull together. “Is everything okay, Ashlyn?” she asks, noticing the change in my tone.

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