Page 3 of Say Yule Stay
We’re codependent, and oversharing is our love language.
“I wasn’t supposed to be here this week,” I tell him, looking down at the mug of coffee Walker set in front of me instead of at him. Murphy and I were going to drive down together next week from Chicago for the week between Christmas and New Year’s, but I couldn’t wait.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“What?” I ask, alarmed as I blink up at him. “Talk about what? There’s nothing wrong—totally nothing to talk about.”
Walker’s eyes are the size of saucers, letting me know I’m not fooling him any more than I’m fooling myself.
Dammit.
“Fine. But I need a donut first.” Without a word, Walker slides the box over to me before turning toward the cabinet and pulling out two small plates.
“Anything else?” he asks as he sets them down and watches me select a maple frosted and an apple pie donut.
Both for me.
Because if I’m going to recount the events of the past week, I will most definitely be doing it with enough caffeine and sugar in my system to have me buzzing around the room.
“I quit my job.”
It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud, and it hurts just as much this time as it did when I announced it to the entire office.
“I’m sorry,” he says cautiously, picking his words as stares at me. “What happened?”
“I’m sure Murphy told you that I was supposed to get a big promotion before the holidays.” He nods, his eyes wary. “I didn’t get it, and Imighthave been okay with that but,” I trail off a bit before continuing, “I walked in on the woman whodidget the promotion fucking our boss in the copy room.”
“That’s…”
“Cliché, I know.”
“I was going to say ballsy.”
“Well, he was balls deep and that’s enough balls for me.” I sigh and rub the spot between my eyes as my eyelids flutter closed. “I had my phone on me and snapped a picture then marched into the HR office, airdropped it, and told them I quit.”
I’d been wrestling over how I handled the entire situation since it happened, but how the hell do you stay after that? Walker’s expression is a mix of sympathy and outrage when I finally get the nerve to look at him, relief washing over me as I sag against the counter.
Even if she wasn’t promotedstrictlybecause they’re both involved in extramarital affairs, I could never work for either of them.
“That’s fucked up.” The sentiment is a growl and I nod.
“It is. And it sucks because I loved working there.” I’d been hired at the bank right out of college and I’d been working my way up through the ranks.
Until now.
“So you came home early?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know what else to do. I’ll have to tell Murph at some point soon because we had plans for Christmas, but I just wasn’t thinking clearly. I wanted to come home.”
“I can understand that,” he starts before holding out his mug to me. “Here’s to coming home.”
I clink mine against his and smile. “Cheers to that.”
4
WALKER
“I’m sorry that all unfolded the way it did.”
