Page 75 of Until We're More
Brad smoothed a hand down his red-and-blue-striped tie. “Funny enough, I was glad you called the meeting because I was going to tell you that there’s an open position in Denver, and that after everything you’ve done here, I recommended you for it.
“I’ve been asked to remain and oversee things here, and with the branch being so new, the only position I could offer you here would be more of a beginning one. Naturally, you’d get more freedom than the newer team members, but it’d be a step down as well as a cut in pay. If you go back to Denver, you’ll be taking over my old job.”
Going from marketing associate to associate brand manager had been my goal for a while, my next step on my way to brand manager, strike the associate. Excitement and sorrow crashed, leaving me…I wasn’t sure. Conflicted to say the least.
“It’s a big promotion,” Brad said. “New title. Office of your own. Significant pay raise.”
In other words, I could have my dream job or my dream guy. Not both.
How did one possibly go about choosing one over the other?
Chapter Thirty-Four
Liam
“Dude, you’re so happy these days,” Brooklyn said as I walked over to where she was sorting through canvases in the gallery where she worked. “Did you want to thank me for that now or later?”
“Nope,” I said, and she smacked my arm.
Honestly, Iwashappy. Exhausted and busy, and it’d been hard to find time with Chelsea this past week, but luckily she lived with me, so that made it easier. We’d made our way through a whole lot of positions and places around the apartment, and no matter how much sex we had, I couldn’t get enough of the needy noises and having my hands on her, and basically, I was really fucking happy.
“It’s okay if you’re still too emotionally stunted to express your gratitude.” Brooklyn lifted a huge canvas, and as much as she gave me shit for not expressing emotions, she had a problem asking for help. I let her struggle for a couple seconds before grabbing the top of the painting and guiding it onto a nail on the wall. “Thanks. Chelsea’s coming tonight, right?”
“Yeah, she’s supposed to meet me here in a few.” Juggling my usual tasks while in training-camp mode was kicking my ass, and I definitely owed her a good time as soon as this shindig was over. Last night I’d come home to find her crashed out in my bed, a candle burned down to the bottom of a glass and lingerie that’d barely covered her ass. I’d been completely exhausted from training and never-ending stacks of paperwork that refused to die, but certain parts of my body woke up, even as my limbs screamed for a break.
Then I’d realized the reason she hadn’t answered the “Honey, I’m home” joke that I liked a little too much was because she’d fallen asleep waiting for me. I’d tucked her in next to me, hating that I hadn’t shown up after she’d gone to all that trouble and promising myself I’d make it up to her.
Along with the movie I still owed her, since the other night I’d fallen asleep during the opening scene. If I thought of the texts I’d also failed to return today in order to be done in time to show up to this, the list would get even longer, and I decided to check on my sister now, so I could focus on Chelsea later.
“You ready for Dad, Mom, and her husband to be in the same space?”
Brooklyn shrugged. “As ready as I can ever be for that, I guess.”
Mom had been to one of Brooklyn’s other art shows, but she’d never brought her husband before. They lived in Arizona, where Mom lived the life she’d been deprived of while married to a professional fighter.
And speak of the devil, she and Larry were walking in now. I’d only met the guy a few times. Seemed nice enough, but he was definitely worlds apart from Dad and the rest of us. He was a lot like that Kevin guy, actually, a fact that made a rock form in my gut.
For a second, I struggled to figure out why. He was out of the picture and the girl was mine, but a thought I’d done my best not to think about rose up.
Chelsea would be better off with a guy like that.He could give her things I couldn’t. Be there for her in ways I’d never fully be.
Every night I came home so late, and a lot of times it took me hours to return her texts, which made me feel like I wasn’t supporting her the way she was supporting me. She had the fridge stocked and ordered in healthy meals I didn’t come home for. She claimed she understood, but how long until that would get old? She’d been dragging this week thanks to how often I woke her up and how little sleep she was getting. I wasn’t getting as much as I should, either, and today during training it’d showed. Neither of us could keep up this pace much longer.
But we only have one more week…
Unless I gave in to temptation and asked her not to go. I wanted her to stay, as selfish as it was and in spite of it meaning she’d be constantly getting drawn into family drama, where she had to experience that same hurt she did every single time she was around her mom.
I’ll help her through it.
When I’m actually around.
Since I didn’t want to think about all that, I crossed the gallery to greet Mom and Larry.
“Good to see you again,” he said as I shook his hand, and Mom gave me a hug.
“Hey,” I said as I hugged her back. “You look good. Happy.” Now I sounded like Brooklyn. Not sure why I chose that word. Apparently it was on my mind. How much I liked being happy. How to stay that way. How to make sure Chelsea was also experiencing enough of it.
“I am. And of course I’m always excited to see my kids.” A tiny, bitter part of me wanted to saywhy now?I was in high school when my parents split and she moved to Arizona, so it wasn’t like it’d scarred me or anything, but Finn and especially Brooklyn were a lot younger. Sure, she’d asked them to go with her—she hadn’t bothered with me—but when they chose to stay here with Dad, Mom essentially abandoned her attempts to keep being their mom. She rarely called and visited even less.
