Page 129 of The Invitation
“Nope. I’m not.”
He scrubs his hands down his face.
“I don’t know what the situation is between you, but I got that it wasn’t friendly,” I say.
“So what happened? You found the file. Looked through it, I take it. Then what?”
“I found it. I snooped. I didn’t mean to snoop, exactly. It could’ve been ten people’s files because my office was the gathering place for a media packet we were working on. But, yes, I opened it and saw Brewer Group at the top. That caught my interest. Then I saw the details of a court case and notes and …” I frown. “Then I took the folder into Todd’s office, placed it on his desk, and told him I quit.”
I smile nervously.
It takes Ripley a few seconds to get his wits together. Still, I don’t think he can fully process the events.
“Yeah, I’m unemployed again,” I say. “But I’ll find a job. I won’t be dead weight around here.”
A small grin tickles his lips. “I could give a fuck if you ever work a day in your life again.”
“Oh, I’m working.”
“If that makes you happy, then good. But everything you ever need is already taken care of. You know that, right?”
My cheeks flush and I start to speak, but he cuts me off.
“You really quit your job because of the folder?” he asks.
I shrug. “Of course. I’m not working for the enemy.”
“But we weren’t really together.”
I laugh. “First, you know that’s not true. We were together just not … together. And second, even if we weren’t together, my loyalties lie with you. And I told Todd that.”
He moves so quickly I don’t anticipate it. I’m flipped on my back before I know what’s happening. Waffles, who is not supposed to be on the bed, lifts his head from the bottom of the mattress as if to tell us to stop being so loud.
Ripley hovers over me, his eyes twinkling. “You are one of a kind, Peaches.”
“I know. You used to hate me for that.”
He grins. “There’s a thin line between love and hate, you know.”
“I know.” I run my hands along the lines of his shoulders. “I’m just really happy we crossed to the other side.”
Waffles barks, making us laugh.
“There’s a piece of cookie stuck to my arm,” Ripley says, side-eyeing me.
I giggle. “Just remember how badly it hurt not seeing me all week.”
“You’re rotten.”
“I’m yours.”
He buries his face in the crook of my neck, making me squirm.
“You’re damn right you’re mine.” He places a kiss behind my ear. “And I’m all yours.”
“You’re damn right you are.”
Epilogue
