Page 44 of Suddenly Desired
Devlin added Blake to the group chat.
Devlin:All right, all right. Maybe we went a bit hard.
Christian:A BIT?
Nate:What we meant to say is — you’re not alone in this, mate.
Ruairidh:Yeah. You’ve got us, whether you like it or not.
Devlin:And we won’t even say WE TOLD YOU SO when you sort this out.
Christian:Except we definitely will.
Blake:Appreciate it. Now piss off.
He smirked, shaking his head as he locked his phone. He turned his gaze back to the water, willing the peace of the river to seep into him. But it didn’t come. Not while the memory of Ellie’s touch still lingered on his skin, a quiet ache inside reminding him of what he’d walked away from.
Besides, outside of his tight circle of friends, he was now public enemy number one. Even if he managed to find out who had done this to him, and prove his innocence, he would always be tainted. The damage had been done. The internet was a harsh place, and people didn’t forgive easily.
And by pushing Ellie away, he had saved her from being tainted by association. She had something good in LifeWrite,brilliant even, and he was sure it would succeed. But not if she was seen with him.
Blake’s jaw tightened as he resolved to help her in the only way he could. He’d ask David to support her vision, to make sure her dreams took flight.
But as he turned away from the river to stop himself thinking about her, he knew it was because of more than that. Ellie was extraordinary. She was kind and intelligent. And beautiful. The only thing he had to offer was chaos. She didn’t deserve to be dragged into his storm. So he needed to walk away while he still could.
Gathering as much strength as he was able, he marched down the path towards the main building. A few people were clustered outside, and they pointed at him, whispering to one another as he entered through the large doors. The reception desk was still frantically fielding calls, oblivious to him, and the security guard did a double take before letting him through the barriers.
“Hey, Billy, is Michelle in?” Blake asked.
The guard nodded, jerking his thumb to the upper floors. “They all are,” he replied. “They called a meeting for this afternoon.”
Blake’s heart sank. He thanked the man and ran for the lifts. The ride up to the tenth floor took an eternity and when the doors finally opened he was greeted with an eerie silence, a stark contrast to the turbulence below. Most of the senior staff were likely on the fourth floor, putting out fires with the customer service team.
He stepped up to the boardroom and scanned the empty chairs. Good. It gave him a moment to regroup. But his reprieve was short-lived as he could hear voices drifting from the corner office, low but unmistakably heated.
Blake moved closer, his own footsteps muffled by the thick carpet, straining to catch the conversation.
“. . . can’t do this,” came David’s voice, urgent and strained. “We have to at least let him know. He deserves to be here to fight his corner.”
“He had his chance and he blew it,” said Michelle in the haughty sneer that Blake had come to hate. “Agnes has made her decision. We’re not here to babysit. The company is bleeding and it’s on him. He committed a grave offence, a stupid one, and now he has to pay. He’s a liability.”
Blake clenched his fists. His pulse pounded in his ears, but he wouldn’t give Michelle the satisfaction of seeing him rattled. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Michelle leaned back in her oversized leather chair, her eyes cold. David was standing in front of her, both hands planted on the desk, his expression desperate.
“Thank God,” David said, crossing the room in two strides and pulling Blake into a fierce hug, patting his back like a coach rallying a player. “You’re here.”
Blake stepped back, shaking his head. “What’s going on? Why has Agnes called a meeting?”
“Why do you think?” Michelle said in a tone as sharp as her features, her arms folded as she leaned forward. “Shares are down another twelve percent, and over a hundred thousand users jumped ship after that little spectacle last night. You’re a sinking ship, Blake, and you’re taking us down with you.”
He didn’t flinch. Instead, he levelled his gaze at her, his voice edged with steel. “And your solution is what? To throw me overboard and hope the sharks get bored?”
Michelle just smirked, her own eyes as dark as a shark’s.
“Well, what about the hack? Any news on that?” he asked, and she laughed.
“There was no hack,” she said. “You’re not fooling anyone with that. You’re a sexist pig, Blake. Just accept it. Stop pretending otherwise and take the punishment like the big man you proclaim to be.”
