Page 61 of (Un)Planned

The moment it escaped my lips, Calla’s whole demeanor shifted, like she was actively closing the walls around her heart. I couldn’t blame her; nothing about this situation would have been ideal for either of us. And she didn’t even know the worst part yet.

I inhaled slowly, continuing without meeting her worried gaze. “I told him no. At least, Itriedto tell him no.”

“Tried to? What does that mean?”

“It means he knows about us.” I lifted my eyes to meet hers. Her gaze had widened, her whiskey-colored eyes already filling with tears. I hated it, hated that I was the cause. “He gave me two choices: either lead the next office or return to LA and go back to my previous position. But either way, if I want to stay in New York, I’m going to have to find a new job.”

Calla let out a little gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. As she started to pace, she shook her head. “What evidence do they have? Maybe we can fight this, find some excuse for why–”

“I told Allen the truth.”

She turned, staring at me in shock. “Why would you do that?”

I stepped forward, taking her chin in my hand, crushing her lips to mine. “Because I don’t give a fuck what it costs me. I’m never going to deny how I feel for you. Never.”

“Theo…” Calla’s tears spilled down her cheeks, soaking into the fabric of my suit. As soon as they started falling, she pushed away from me, turning to take a seat on the couch. She curled her legs under her, staring out the window, as if the city held all the answers. I hated that expression, wishing I could say anything to take it away. But I had no solutions, no answers that would soothe the ache in her chest, not when the one inside of mine was tearing me apart.

“What happens now?” Calla whispered.

“I told Allen I needed to think about it,” I answered, sitting in the armchair across from her. Never before had we sat like this in my living room, and it hurt even more having the space between us. “I don’t know what to do, Calla.”

“And if you say no to both options?” She asked, still refusing to meet my eyes.

“Then I’m out of a job.” I pushed air through my lips. “But I’d be able to stay here. I don’t know if I’ll find something at the same level, but at least we’d be together.”

She glanced up at me, her warm eyes bigger than I’d ever seen before. But gone was the usual light that shined within her, and I hated myself for being the one to dim it. “Is that what you want?” she asked quietly, staring at anything else but me. “To stay here and start over?”

I swallowed. “Of course it is.”

“Theo…” Calla sighed as she stood up to face the window. She inhaled slowly then turned back toward me. “I think we both know that’s not true.”

I was on my feet before my brain could even process it, moving to be as close to her as possible. My hand found theback of her neck, pulling her forehead to mine. “I wantyou, Calla. No matter what else happens,youare the only thing I’m sure about.”

“Right now,” Calla whispered. “But this thing between us is so new, and I don’t want you to make a decision based on me.”

“What are you saying?”

She looked up, studying my eyes. Hers sparkled with unshed tears, making her irises even more vibrant. I wanted to stay like this, in this moment, the one before I knew everything would change between us. “If I wasn’t a factor, would you take the promotion? Would you want to lead the new team?”

I took a step back, hating that she voiced that question. It was one I didn’t want to answer, didn’t want to admit the words that had been playing out in my head. Because absolutely, I would take this job if she wasn’t here right now. I would have said yes without an ounce of hesitation. But none of that mattered, not while Calla was in my life.

“That’s not important,” I finally muttered. “It doesn’t matter what I would do in that situation.”

“It matters to me,” Calla whispered, her voice cracking. She shifted closer to me, placing her hands on my chest. “Theo, you know how I feel about you. Part of the reason I fell for you was your drive and ambition. I know what your career means to you, how hard you’ve worked for this chance. From the moment we met, you’ve been dreaming of an opportunity like this.”

“But that was before–”

She placed her hands over my lips. “I refuse to get in the way of your goals, Theo. I care about you too much to ever hold you back.” She lowered her hand, placing it back overmy heart. “So tell me, if I wasn’t in the picture: would you take the job?”

I sighed, closing my eyes as tightly as possible. “Yes.”

“Then you should take it.” Calla smiled up at me, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “For what it’s worth, I think they’re lucky to have you, Theo. You’re going to be incredible.”

“Come with me.” I took her hands in mine. “As my assistant, girlfriend, I don’t care what your title is, as long as you’re there with me.”

Calla shook her head. “I can’t. I want to, but then I’d just be building my life around yours. As much as I want to go with you, I can’t do that to myself, not when I’m just starting to feel free again. I need to carve my own path.”

I swallowed, hating the weight on my chest. It felt like I was being dragged into the depths of the ocean, and I had no one to blame but myself. Each breath was a struggle, and my eyes stung with the threat of tears. I cleared my throat, unable to meet her gaze. “Where does that leave us?”

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