Page 45 of Severed Rivalry
“This is Ayla. Ci told me everything. I’m so…”
“Not everything,” comes the deep voice that makes my insides turn to goo.
“Okay. So noteverythingeverything. But some of everything. And I’m so excited to see you. How long has it been?”
“It’s been a while. Long before you were a hotshot world-famous photographer.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t even remember that happening so…” she trails off.
Huh? “What?” I turn and start heading back toward my office. They’re not sticklers for hours, but I like being consistent. Itmakes it easier when I need time off or decide to work from home.
“My brother didn’t mention my amnesia?” She continues, but the next part obviously isn’t for me. “You didn’t tell her? I mean, I don’t need to be the center of your conversations but that’s kind of big information.”
“He told me about the bear.” I offer, hoping it will smooth things over.
“Of course he did. It was one time. Well, technically it was twice, but the one time he’s freaking out over is because of Ellie.” Is it possible her speech is getting faster and faster?
“It is not,” Cian huffs from the background
“It so is,” she half laughs, half scoffs. “I endangered his precious girl and I’ve never heard the end of it.”
“It was a bear,” the man beside her enunciates.
“It was a cub,” she says as if explaining something to a six-year-old.
“And its mother.” Ci’s voice sounds pained.
I’m apparently not in this conversation, but I can’t not listen. It’s entertaining, and hearing them bicker puts a smile on my face.
“Sariah?”
“Yes.”
“I want to get to know you. And Renée if that’s okay. I know we don’t know each other, but I’d like to fix that,” Ayla says with softness and sincerity.
“I’d like that, Ayla. Though my daughter thinks the two of you could take on the world together, and she’s wondering how to make that happen. Especially since she thinks adults are stupid.”
Laughter hits my ears. “Yeah. I still think adults are stupid, even though I am one. I’ll text you my number. Let’s find some time. If lunch is better, we’ll make that happen.”
“Hey. What about me?” That’s Cian, and he sounds affronted.
“I’ll have lunch with you, too, big brother.” When her voice returns to me, she says, “Passing you back to Ci now. Great catching up. Can’t wait to see you, Sariah.”
“Tornado,” Cian says. “The woman is a tornado. Pops up outof nowhere, inflicts her damage, and fizzles away as if nothing happened.”
I can’t help but laugh. “So nothing’s changed then?”
“Nothing’s changed, except my pain pill has kicked in, and I’m groggy. If I fight it much longer, I get nauseated and that’s a risk I’m unwilling to take.”
“Sleep well, Ci. Thanks for not giving up on me.”
“Never, Angel. Never.” With that, he clicks off and I head back into my office to keep poking holes in the work the team is doing on the app.
It hasn’t been a week. It literally hasn’t been a week since that Thursday night drinks invitation I’d never normally accept but did despite my best efforts to dodge my coworkers when it came time to go. I didn’t even go home to change.
High end wine bar, huge going out to-see-and-be-seen scene, and I rolled out in my office wear with only some added lipstick. I’d be a terrible wing woman.
And in the days since, my world has collided with my past, I’ve reconnected with the man I never stopped thinking about, and I’ve feared for my family’s safety. In that same timeframe, he’s gone for a hike, taken me on a date, been beaten up requiring a hospital visit, scheduled surgeries—plural, and lost a job and maybe a house.
