Page 83 of Boss with Benefits

"No," he said, his voice rising. "This is over." He nodded his head like he was deciding something right that moment. "You don't have to worry about work, okay? I'll let Prathi and the team know I'm taking time off to take care of my mom. And you can handle your family stuff with the support of your friends and family. I'm not the one for you."

"Yes, you are. You're the reason I haven't gone insane with all my family drama. I've been so blind. You and I are good together. I want you more than anyone I've ever been with. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I need you."

"No, you don't!" he barked. A visitor down the hall flinched and scurried in the opposite direction. "I'm a wreck, Rachel. I'm not good for you, and you're definitely not good for me."

Fury blurred my vision. "So you're just going to shut me out? Real mature."

His face hardened. "Nothing is ever easy with you."

I shook my head, my voice breaking. "That's because you make everything hard, Derrick. It doesn't have to be. Don't do this. I don't care about the mess. I thrive in the mess. I want to be part ofyourmess and you can be part of mine."

He looked at me, but I could see he was already gone. "Goodbye, Rachel."

A sharp pain lodged in my throat, and I trembled with anger. "I thought you were one of the strongest people I knew," I ground out over my devastation. "But I was wrong. You're a coward, Derrick Jackass."

He didn't respond, just turned away, staring at the closed door of his mother's room, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

40

RACHEL

Ihadn't seen or heard from Derrick in three weeks. Three excruciating weeks. He hadn't answered my calls or messages, and it was driving me insane.

How had I become that girl. The desperate one who checked her phone every five minutes for a message and stalked Derrick’s socials all day every day. Every ping from my phone was a moment of hope and then a devastating crash when it wasn't him.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I just got back from a derby bout. It was brutal, but my team had won, which was the only thing keeping my spirits somewhat buoyant.

I dropped my gear by the door, pulled off my skates, and scrolled through my emails. My heart stopped when I saw the subject line of one of the new messages:Test Results Are In

I immediately called Eva.

"What's up?" Eva asked.

"The results are back. Can you come over? I don't want to look at them alone." My voice shook, the adrenaline from the bout now replaced with anxiety.

"I'll be there in twenty," Eva replied without hesitation.

I quickly texted Brad and my mom and told them the results were in and asked them to join me on Zoom so we could look at the results together.

I opened another new text and started typing Derrick's name, but then I remembered, and I turned my phone over, leaving it unsent.

Eva arrived, her face flushed from rushing over. She plopped down beside me on the couch, her eyes wide with anticipation. I opened the Zoom call, and soon Mom’s and Brad's faces popped up in separate boxes on the screen.

"Amma, this is Brad. Brad, my mother, Maya."

They had an awkward hello, and then I interrupted. "Do you want anyone on the call, Brad?"

He shook his head. "I haven't told anyone yet. I thought it best not to until I know...more."

"I get it," I said, my heart pounding in my chest. "Is everyone ready?"

"Are you ready?" Eva asked, squeezing my hand.

"No."

Everyone laughed.

"But there's no point waiting."

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