Page 83 of Home Game

But I felt it deep in my bones.

Storm had told me that I deserved better. IknewI did. But I’d been so dead set on keeping myself in the company that Dad helped build that I hadn’t realized that that company barely even existed anymore.

This was no longer my dad’s legacy. It was nothing he would have wanted.

Nothing I wanted, either.

“Career suicide,” Cutmore said, giving me a beady glance as I stood up and walked toward the office doors.

“Maybe,” I said. “But staying here would be far worse.”

My hand was shaking as I pushed out through the doors of his office. Panic settled under my skin, but beyond it, there was some deeper, truer feeling.

Relief.

Like I was flying.

Deep, total relief, on a level I hadn’t felt before.

“Yikes,” Landry said casually as I swung by his office and peeked my head in. “From how you look, I’m guessing the meeting didn’t go well? Cutmore give you a bunch of scut work as punishment?”

“It’s over,” I said.

He cocked his head to one side. “What?”

“Landry, if I were to start my own marketing company,” I said, “Go off on my own, and build something from the ground up… would you follow me?”

Landry grimaced. “Meeting go that badly? Evenyouare fantasizing about quitting? I’ve never heard you say that.”

I swallowed. “Not fantasizing about it. I already did it.”

Landry watched me for a moment. “No shit.”

“No shit,” I said.

I held out my hands, showing him that they were still shaking.

“Wow,” he finally whispered as it dawned on him that I really meant it. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I didn’t plan on it. But he was already being unsupportive, and then he brought up my dad’s name, and I just—Icouldn’t, Landry. I couldn’t.”

Tears were breaking off from my eyes again as I stood in the doorway. Landry got up and came to give me a hug, holding me.

“Well, then, you did the right thing,” he said. “And I would follow you to a brand-new company at the drop of a hat, Emmett.”

I laughed and sobbed all at once, pulling back. “Thank you, Lucky. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know I have to.”

“I knew you could do it, by the way,” he said. “I always knew that you’d be a great business owner if you went off on your own. I just never thought you’d be willing to leave Lux Marketing.”

“This place isn’t what he built, anymore,” I said. “But we can create something that’s close. I sure fucking hope we can. It’ll besmall at first, and it’ll be a while before we can get a large base of clients, but it’ll be worth it, Landry, I really think it will—”

“It will,” he confirmed.

I swayed on my feet, reaching back and leaning against the wall of his office. “Jesus, this has been a wild 24 hours.”

“You’re telling me,” Landry said. “I think you need a vacation.”

“Right,” I said. “Hey, maybe I’ll quit my job.”

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