Page 57 of Frozen Flames

She lets go of my hand and stands up. An imminent fight is underway. There’s no way around it.

I’m so sorry, Gemma.

She looks like she’s about to be sick.

“Who kissed who first?” Her breathing is erratic, and she looks like she’s seconds away from a full meltdown.

I shake my head, my thumb and forefinger tracing my eyebrows. “She did. I didn’t stop it.”

I enjoyed it.

I enjoy her presence, Gemma!

She takes deep breaths, her eyes staring at a random place behind me. “She’s fired.”

“No. No, she’s not.” I shake my head again. “She’s not fired. She’s the best I’ve ever had.”

Fuck, why did I say that?

I can tell from the look on her face that the words can’t be taken back. If she could plunge a dagger into my heart right now, I’m positive she would.

I can’t fire Claire. I refuse to.

She can’t leave me.

Gemma turns around abruptly, no doubt to go to her room, before she whirls back. “What does she have that I don’t?” She whispers the words, her voice shaking and stumbling over them.

“What?”

I want to plead with her that it has nothing to do with her and that she’s perfect in her own way. But I can’t do that, because that wouldn’t be the full truth.

She’s hurt me in a lot of ways, and I’ve hurt her back.

“Don’t play coy, Harvey. What is it about her that puts asmileon your face? Why can you lethertouch you? Why can you lethersee you walk? What have I ever done to you?”

She absolutely destroys me with her words.

Each one of them slices through my skin, the heat of my upper body ready to penetrate down into my veins.

She’s about to cry.

I play all her words on repeat, and I wonder how she can be so observant yet say nothing.

Have I imagined things with her boss? Am I ruining a good thing here?

“I did everything,everything, that I could to be there for you and put your needs first. EVERYTHING, HARVEY!” She’s almost shouting now, and I’m fucking shocked.

I don’t blame her one bit. I deserve her wrath. I deserve all of it.

I did this to us.

She storms off down the hallway, presumably to go to her room. I’m shaking from her outburst and from the night’s events.

She’s going to leave me.

I know it, I can feel it. She already left me—she just hasn’t made it official.

I know I screwed up, and there’s nothing I can do but take responsibility. I must own up to my mistakes. I have to figure my shit out.

---