Page 158 of Dear Grumpy Boss

“Is it enough?”

Luca answered first. “It’s good. I never thought I’d see the day Weston was willing to give up some control over Andes.”

Elliot picked up his coffee. “It makes sense if you think about it. Weston wasn’t able to see the big picture because he was bogged down by the details. He missed things he shouldn’t have. That’s what led him here. It put his company in jeopardy, which he won’t want to repeat.”

Luca slapped his arm. “He would have kept doing the same thing. You know why he’s restructuring. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

Elliot brought his cup to his mouth. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Have you spoken to him?” I asked.

“No, and I won’t.” He set his cup down and flicked lint off his sleeve.

“You won’t?”

Elliot leveled me with a steady, blunt gaze. “No. He knew when he chose to be with my sister I would pick a side if it fell apart, and it wouldn’t be his. A discussion won’t solve anything. I would be surprised if he expects to have one.”

Elliot never pulled punches, and I felt this one more than any other he’d lobbed at me. Weston and I had been so careless, falling in love and damning the consequences. And now, here I was, staring the consequences in the eye.

A lifetime of friendship could be thrown away.

“And if I forgive him?” I pressed.

“If he does something to prove to you he’s worth forgiving, we’ll be right.” He angled forward suddenly. “I see your gears turning. You can’t be in a relationship with him for my sake. That will never work.”

“Obviously. I just wanted to know where your head is.”

Luca chuckled. “Elliot would never admit it, but he’s been off-kilter the past week. He actually walked out of the gym locker room dressed for work in a black suit with brown shoes.”

I winced. “Elliot would never.”

Luca’s head bobbed. “He did.”

Elliot turned, the hinge of his jaw jumping and ticcing. “I never said I was happy with the current circumstances.”

Luca mouthed, “Off-kilter.”

The topic moved on to safer pastures whilemygears keptturning. Truthfully, they hadn’t stopped since the roof. The way he’d looked at me, owning up to everything he’d done wrong, holding me like he couldn’t stand another second apart, the email waiting in my inbox…

It wasn’t only last night, though. All week, he’d been relentlessly present, which I was certain hadn’t been easy for him considering everything going on.

Our waiter dropped our food off. I’d skipped breakfast and ordered a chicken salad sandwich. I went for the pickle first, and Luca chuckled.

I raised a brow.

He winked and watched me, amused.

“What’s so funny?”

“You and your pickles.”

Elliot almost smiled. “She’s been a maniac for them since she was little. Our dad used to sacrifice his pickles to Elise every time we went somewhere and one was on his plate.”

Luca tapped his chin. “I’d wondered why I’d caught Weston sliding you his pickle when we had lunch last month.”

I shrugged. “He always has. He doesn’t like them.”

Luca chuffed, and Elliot stared at me, unblinking from across the table.

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