Page 150 of Forbidden You

“I didn’t.” She shrugs. “I tried to move on every single time. I tried to live my life and at some points, I actually did. But every time he strutted back into my life and knocked me down with his beaming smile and flirty comments.”

“So you just kept breaking your own heart over and over again?”

She gives me a smile that tells me I’m fucked, but is encouraging at the same time.

“It’s the one and only flaw of the heart… its ability to switch owners in the blink of an eye. You can hold on as tight as you want, but as soon as it belongs to someone else, you can only pretend you control it. Because, in reality, you don’t have any control at all.”

“You are not really selling the whole love thing here, Charlie,” Jules huffs.

Charlotte ignores Julie, keeping her gaze fixed on mine. “If his heart is yours, he will come back. Eventually.”

“What if my heart is his instead?” The thought alone is terrifying, but I can’t stop it from flashing through my mind. What if I love him, but he really doesn’t love me?

“Then one day, someone else will walk into your life, determined to snatch you away from him.”

Her response settles me down a little bit.

I want to believe there is hope.

I just don’t want there to be hope without Bodi.

41

“What is this bullshit?” I glance around the boardroom, my eyes shooting lasers at everyone around the table. They all look at me with frightened expressions, completely frozen as if they are scared I’ll snap their necks if they move.

I might.

It will be the fucking highlight of this shitshow I’ve been trapped in for weeks.

“These are good authors, Bodi.” Viciously, I twist my head at Rachel, who’s clearly the bravest of the lot.

“Not fucking good enough!” I roar. “This is pulp. We can’t sell this shit.” I pick up the manuscript of the thriller they opted for the highest budget. “This! Predictable.” Then I pick up a romance, throwing it across the table. “This! Fluff.” My finger jabs into the options in front of me as I continue.

“I’m not spending a dime on this shit. You better find me something to blow my mind by the end of the week, or you can all find another job!” My rage is filling the room and when I storm out, I notice how their gazes are all fixed on the table.

I slam the door behind me, loud enough to echo through the entire floor, before I stomp back to my office.

How the fuck is it possible to run a company with an incompetent bunch of idiots? There are a million books released every week; it shouldn’t be this hard to find the next bestseller. Or at least give me something with the potential of becoming one with the right marketing.

When I reach my office, Agnes gives me a judgy frown that I decide to ignore.

“Mr. McKay, can I have a word?”

Clearly, she’s thinking otherwise.

Goddammit.

My lips fold together, tempted to give her what’s left of my wrath, but I nod my head instead. Luckily, I still have some common sense left in my sorry ass.

Her steel gaze finds mine, and I’m set back a couple years. Like a school boy, I blink as she softly steps towards my desk.

“For the last month, you’ve been raging through this office like a hurricane. It’s always been a joy to work for you, but lately, it’s been extremely stressful because of your loss.”

I push out a breath, refraining myself from rolling my eyes, because I know the woman is right. “I’m sorry, Agnes. You’re right. My father’s loss has taken its toll. I promise it will get better with time.”

“I’m not talking about the loss of your father. I’m sorry for you, and I know it has been difficult for you, but I’m talking about Kayla.”

Come again?

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