Page 23 of Dirty Filthy Billionaire: Part 2

“With that Brody guy? I bought his drinks.”

“No, at the office. You yelled at everyone and now everyone knows I’m teacher’s pet. Now they really hate me.”

“They don't hate you, and anyone who acts the way those people who put up that sign did will be fired immediately. It’s a policy of any business. We can’t have a hostile work environment.”

“So I should thank you?”

“You can if you want,” I say. “But you don’t have to, honey.”

She looks at me and smiles. She scoots closer and rests her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around mine. We both take a deep breath and, in unison, let it out slowly. I close my eyes and hold her like that for the rest of the ride. I feel calm and good and—Jesus, I feel fucking content.

“Mr. Bridges,” Gerald says from the drivers’ seat. His voice has a note of urgency to it.

I open my eyes and look at the window. We’re half a block from my building, and there are fire trucks covering the street.

My skin goes cold.

“It’s okay, Mr. Bridges,” Gerald says. “It’s the building next door. It looks like they’re close to containing it. It shouldn’t affect your…”

I stop listening. I get out of the car, roughly waking Mia.

“Oh my god,” she says, looking at the flames licking out the windows, some of them twenty stories high. “I hope no one is hurt.”

I’m looking at the flames too, but it’s not this building I’m seeing. It’s my old home, the farmhouse, engulfed in flames that are too far gone to do anything but stand back and watch with utter horror of knowing what has happened. Knowing that everyone I loved was trapped inside and would never get out. That it’s all my fault. If it hadn’t been for me, Samantha would never have been there, and her insane father would have never started the fire that killed his own daughter and my entire family.

“Lucky it’s not your building,” Mia says beside me. She links her arm through mine. “Hey, you okay? I'm sure your building will be fine.”

I shrug her arm off me. Having her near me makes me realize how careless and selfish I’ve been.

“Christ, Mia. I’m not worried about my building. I’m worried about the poor people in the one that is actually burning.”

“No, I know,” she says. “Of course. I’m just saying that…it’s okay. You look really freaked out.”

“Should that be so surprising?” I snap, looking at her.

“No, I…”

“Put it in the papers: Weston Bridges is actually capable of concern for victims burning to death in high rise fire.”

“Sir,” Gerald says, “they’re saying they got everyone out safely. They’re just trying to contain the damage now.”

“See?” Mia says, rubbing my arm. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. Are you listening? Smell that fire? It’s not okay.”

“Weston,” Mia begins carefully. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

I don’t answer, because if I do I will explode. I wanted her to be here at my place tonight. The thought makes me sick. I feel like I am the cause. If she stays too close to me, she’ll end up hurt again and again.

When will I learn?

“Talk to me,” she says. “Tell me what’s wrong. You can tell me anything, Weston.”

I turn to her and say, “What did I tell you? Not to question me.”

“Hey. I’m not playing games. This is different…”

“No. You do not get to question me. Do not ever do that again. Do you understand me?”

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