Page 65 of Light My Fire Three Times
We both laugh then, but it’s not the kind of laughter that makes you feel better. It’s the kind that makes you think you’re one misstep away from falling off a cliff.
“Bad idea,” he mutters, scrubbing his hand over his face.
“The worst,” I agree, staring at the ceiling. Maybe it will open and swallow me whole. “Catastrophic.”
Silence.
And then, because apparently Leo has no sense of self-preservation, he adds, “But worth it.”
My heart does this stupid thing where it flutters like I’m in some sappy holiday commercial instead of a train wreck of a situationship. I don’t respond. I can’t. Because if I do, I might admit he’s right.
And then, because the universe loves to kick me when I’m down, my phone lights up on the nightstand.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
I reach for it like it’s an unexploded grenade. Leo groans and drags a pillow over his face.
“Urgh, really?”
I ignore him and stare at the screen, my blood running cold.
Richard Stokes.
My ex-boss. The man I haven’t spoken to sincethatphone call.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, holding the phone away from me.
Leo shifts beside me, dragging the pillow off his face. “Problem?”
Understatement of the year.
The texts are coming in so fast, it looks like my phone’s about to overheat.
Richard: Olivia! How’s the “sabbatical”? Bet you’re already bored out of your mind without real work to do.
Richard: Listen. I need you back. The team is drowning without you.
Richard: Your replacement? Total disaster. Won’t last a week.
Richard: Come back, Liv. You were always my star.
Richard: And honestly, leaving the way you did? Kind of unprofessional. You owe me two weeks’ notice.
I groan and flop back against the mattress, dragging the sheet over my face. “Of course. Of course, the company is imploding without me.”
Leo makes a low noise. “Didn’t you quit?”
“Yes,” I snap, then add, “Well, technically, yes. I left. I am done. I rode off into the burnout sunset.”
Ping.
Richard: I’ll throw in a raise. Title bump. Whatever you want. Just get back here.
Richard: Do you even realize how much the clients respected you?
Richard: Don’t make me beg, Olivia.
Another ping.
