Page 103 of Unbossly Manners

There was silence but I knew she was still connected because I could hear her soft breathing.

“I thought he—I mean, I thought you two—um, never mind. It’s none of my business. He’s just horrible at taking his antibiotics all the way through. I hoped you could stay on top of that. Make sure he’s taking care of himself.” She sighed heavily. “Evie’s staying with me for the time being. She seems to think I’m the one who needs the extra support.”

Kat snorted but there was sadness in it. “Also…”

I bit my lip, waiting for her to continue. The entire conversation was perplexing. The fact they hadn’t talked, that Kat needed extra TLC from her daughter, that Kat assumed I was the closest person to Jackson at the moment.

“I just wanted to say sorry if I made a shamble of things,” Kat said. “I didn’t realize I wasn’t ready to let go of my old life when I suggested you two get together.”

I shook my head, trying to formulate a response. In the end, I said, “It’s okay. Love’s messy.”

“Thanks, Peyton.” There was the sound of a door opening and traffic. “I’ve gotta run, but take care of him, okay? It’s a lucky thing to be loved by a man like him.”

She hung up before I could respond. I stared at my phone as if it could unlock the mystery.

I flipped my phone over and shook myself mentally. There was nothing to do. If Jackson loved me, like Kat seemed to think, he knew where to find me.

Of course, I didn’t really believe he was in love with me. And I wasn’t about to ask him. It wasn’t my style to stand in the middle of a room like Bridget Jones and confess my love and hope that he reciprocated.

Something bounced off the back of my head, and a little ball of paper landed on the table next to my laptop.

“Yo, Peyton,” Analise said. “I’ve said your name like five times. Where did you go?”

“Sorry,” I said. “I was in my head.”

“No shit.”

She walked around the desk and rested against the edge next to me. “There’s gonna be an announcement in a few minutes. Come on.”

I followed her to the front of the small stage. We took a seat in one of the sofas facing the platform. Other employees trickled over, sitting on meditation pillows, office chairs, and any other surface they could find.

It reminded me of the self-defense class that Derrick had taught at Jackson’s insistence and I smiled.

Isaac climbed the couple of steps to the platform. His hair was disheveled and he had dark circles under his eyes. It couldn’t have been easy for him to realize the guy he was sleeping with had been using him to bring down his company.

“Hey.”

I jumped at Jackson’s voice.

“Hi,” I said. My heart doubled in speed.

His brow was healing and his large bandage had been replaced by a single strip.

“You’re looking better,” I whispered.

Derrick was at the edge of the platform discussing something with Isaac as we all waited.

“I called you,” Jackson said. “A lot.”

Someone bumped him and his arm brushed mine. Heat rushed down my skin.

“I wasn’t ready to talk,” I said, my eyes on the stage. I couldn’t risk all the feels that would arise if I looked at him, so I averted my gaze.

“There’s something I want to tell you.” His hand brushed mine.

Isaac clapped his hands to draw our attention.

“I know it’s been a crazy week,” Isaac said. “I don’t want to give you whiplash but I have some big news.”

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