Page 13 of Reverse Perspective

Me: Just meet me first thing, if you can. I need help getting some paperwork together.

Todd: And this is something the guys don’t know?

Me: No, and I’m going to pay you, so technically you can’t say anything. Okay?

Todd: I don’t want your money, Sadie. I will keep it between us. I can meet you at 8:30 before your meetings

Chapter four

Sadie

I spent all dayyesterday in my room. The guys came to my door several times to check on me but I wouldn’t let them in. I don’t wanna have that conversation with them where they tell me they are sorry they did that but it can’t happen again. After that, the awkwardness will roll in, and they will slowly slip away from me. Everything‘s going to end the same so I may as well just cut it off now.

This morning, I skipped running and got ready for work instead. They won’t notice that I left without them until they get back upstairs and find my note on the kitchen island next to the muffins I made in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep.

I am so fucking nervous about getting this paperwork together. I love this company and I love what we have built here but I won’t survive getting heartbroken by them. I’ve tried to wish away the feelings for over a decade, but they won’t go away. As long as I am in the same house, and the same building with them every single day, they will never go away. My lifehas always been consumed by nothing but them. How am I supposed to find a normal without them if everywhere I look there they are? Even sitting in my office, there are pieces of them here.

Dean has a habit of taking his tie off after meetings, and those frequently end up in my office. They generally congregate here on lunch as well. I’m sitting at my desk typing notes when I hear movement out in the hallway. I look up to see Mason standing in the doorway of my office.

“You left early,” he says.

“I did,” I say, looking back at my computer.

“Morning,” Dean says suspiciously happily. I glance up at him and he smiles as he sets a cup of coffee beside my computer.

“Thanks,” I say.

“Since we are all here,” Lance says.

“I have a meeting in a few minutes,” I say.

“Can we talk after meetings?” Dean asks.

“Maybe,” I say flatly.

“Better than no,” he says, gently, squeezing my shoulder before walking to the door.

“Sadie,” Lance says with a sigh.

“Not right now, guys. Just let me do these meetings first,” I say.

“Hi,” Todd says cautiously.

“Is your meeting with Todd?” Lance asks. Somewhere on his face, he knows I’m up to something.

“Yeah. Now go, please,” I say. They hesitate but eventually do walk out of my office, shutting the door behind them. “Lock the door, please. They are nosy.”

“What’s this about?” Todd asks as he locks the door and sits down at my desk with me.

“I want to sell my share of the company to the guys and quit. I have a contract with them and the only way I can get out of it is ifthey sign off and take my part,” I say. “I just need paperwork for them to sign and I need a witness to the signature.”

“Why?” he asks.

“Because it’s a legal document,” I say, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

“No. Why do you want to get rid of your part? The four of you grew this company together. Why are you getting rid of it?”

“I am just ready to move on to something else,” I lie.

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