Page 74 of Because of You
As they go back and forth, I start to lose my nerve, and my instinct to agree and give in takes over. But then I hear Ben’s voice in my head telling me that I can do this.
“First of all, I’m not leaving. I will still be right here. I’ll just be doing something different. Charlie knows us. He knows this is going to give you a bigger burden since you would have the main responsibility for my clients. So as part of the takeover, he is going to pay an associate salary to us for a year. We can hire someone to relieve the extra burden on you. This way, I can concentrate on my new practice and also help you with my estate planning clients until we figure out the distribution of work. I have done a lot of thinking over which client files I’m going to have coming in from my old firm and the amount of work that they will generate and…”
“No.” Julie’s voice is low and mean, and it stops me cold. “No fucking way. This is not fucking happening, Hallie. I’m glad for you that you have your little adoption law hobby and that it makes you happy, but that’s all it is.”
“Fucking hell, Julie.” Molly shoots her a dirty look.
“Julie, we need to talk this out.” Emma speaks quietly, but her words are no less forceful than Julie’s.
“No. She is not going to come in here and change our entire firm less than five months before we open for this. We had plans. We all have plans.” She waves her arms around to Molly and Emma. “Those plans do not include upending our whole practice when we still have so much to do to get it established.”
The “little hobby” comment hits me straight in the gut.
Julie is a lot of things—focused, intense, and wholly committed to everything she does—but she has never been intentionally cruel. It takes every ounce of courage I have to start talking again. When I do, my words are quiet.
“I want this, Jules. It’s the right career move for me. I have turned down two job offers from Charlie over the last four years because it wasn’t the right time. But I can’t turn this one down. I won’t. If I do, I’ll regret it forever. This is the right time, and Iwill do everything in my power to make this work for everyone. You most of all.”
Julie just stares at me, gaze cold. “We can’t make it work, Hallie. I won’t. How selfish can you be? It’s enough that you’re leaving me for Ben. You are not leaving me at work too. It’s. Not. Happening. If you do this, we’re done. Fucking done, Hallie.” With that, she storms out of the kitchen, leaving me stunned and staring at the counter.
Molly breaks the silence first. “Julie’s being a shit, Hallie. She doesn’t own this firm, and she certainly doesn’t get to tell you what to do with your career. If you want to do this, we’ll find a way to make it work. And we all know you’re not leaving anyone for Ben. That’s just bullshit.”
“She’s right, Hallie. Life’s too damn short for you not to explore this opportunity. Or whatever is happening between you and Ben.”
I stay silent and still, the urge to crawl out of my skin coursing through me. I should have just turned Charlie down. Suddenly, I can’t sit here anymore. I push up from the stool so quickly that it falls over and clatters onto the floor.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble. “I can’t be here right now. I just…can’t. I’m going to work at home. I’m just… I’ll call you later.” I leave the kitchen and grab my bag where I left it by the front door before running out and into my car, grateful I brought it today instead of walking.
Holding back the tears threatening to rise in my throat, I drive the half mile home, Julie’s harsh words echoing in my mind the whole way. I let myself in my front door, tossing my bag onto the floor and heading straight to the living room. It’s not until I’m curled up, wrapped in my favorite blanket, that I let the tears finally come.
Chapter Forty-Five
Ben
Ihaven’t heard from Hallie all day, and it’s freaking me the fuck out. I figured she would call me after she talked to the girls. She said she was going to have the conversation as soon as she got to work. When ten o’clock came and went without a word, I wasn’t too concerned. I figured she either decided to wait, or she told them, and they got right into planning. When it was past noon, and she hadn’t called me or responded to any of my texts, I texted Julie.
Three times. No response.
I had to talk myself down from leaving the bar and going straight to the firm to see what the fuck was going on. My protective instincts were screaming, but I wanted Hallie to know that I believed in her to do this. If I rushed to the rescue before even knowing if anything was wrong, that would send the opposite message.
So instead, I stayed at the bar, trying, and failing, to keep myself busy. When Jeremy waltzed in at six, it was happy hour, and I was trying to restrain myself from snapping at every customer who made the mistake of asking me for a drink. It must be obvious on my face, because Jeremy walks directly behind the bar and starts taking drink orders.
“Everything okay?” he mutters. “You look like you’re about to take someone’s head off.”
I wait to answer until he serves the last customer in line. “I don’t know. Hallie was going to talk to Jules, Emma, and Molly about something important today. She said she would call me afterward, but I haven’t heard from her all day, and she’s not responding to any of my texts. Neither is Julie. I’m worried.”
“Did you try asking Molly or Emma?”
“I…No. I didn’t. I didn’t think of it.” And why the fuck didn’t I think of it?
Jeremy gives me a look. “Okay, so we’re not using our head today. I’m calling Emma.” He pulls his phone out of his back pocket and taps a speed dial contact before bringing the phone to his ear.
“Hey Ems. Thanks for getting me that info I asked for. I’m going to go over it and get back to you next week. But right now, I’m with Ben and he needs to talk to you.”
He hands the phone to me. I cover up the speaker and ask, “What info?”
Jeremy just shrugs. “She’s helping me with something else for the foundation. Talk to her, dude.”
I lift the phone to my ear. “Hey Em, is Hallie at the office? I haven’t heard from her all day, and I’m getting worried.”
