Page 61 of The CEO's Sweetheart Deal
Instead, I take a big gulp, the cool water soothing my throat, raw from smoke and crying. When I set the glass down, I peek at the bag Sydney brought, now sitting on my coffee table.
"What's in there?" I ask, my voice hoarse.
"Ice cream. Macaroons. Tequila. The essentials." She sits beside me. "I figured we could do with a proper pity party after today."
I wince at the reminder. "I'm so sorry, Syd. About your job. I should have been there. I should have?—"
"Stop." She holds up a hand. "This isn't on you. It's on Oscar and his corporate d-bags."
The mention of his name sends a fresh wave of pain through me. "I took the job at Get Fresh," I say quietly. "I start next week. I’m gonna see if they have space for you there."
Her eyes widen. "Wow. That was fast."
"I couldn't stay," I explain, twisting my hands in my lap. "Not after this. Not knowing he was behind it all."
Sydney is quiet for a moment, an uncharacteristic hesitation in her usually forthright demeanor. "About that," she finally says. "Oscar came by the office today. Looking for you."
My head snaps up. "What? Why?"
"He said he wanted to apologize. That he didn't authorize the layoffs." She shrugs. "He seemed… I don't know. Sincere, maybe? And word is that they are reversing the layoffs. Not thatit matters all that much. I can’t stay there either after what he did to you."
I shake my head. "It's damage control. He's trying to save face now that word's gotten out about how he handled this." I squeeze her hand. “And thank you for your loyalty… but don’t leave on account of me.”
"I’ll think about it," she allows. "But as far as Oscar… he seemed pretty desperate to talk to you."
"Of course he did," I say bitterly. "He doesn’t like that I’ve seen the true him, and he wants to talk to me so he can manipulate my impression of him. That’s all."
"Look, I'm not defending him. I'm just telling you what happened."
I lean back against the couch, suddenly exhausted. "It doesn't matter anyway. I've already accepted the Get Fresh offer."
"You could always back out," she suggests. "People do it all the time."
"And go back to what? Working for a man who betrayed me? Again?" I shake my head. "I can't do it, Syd. I can't be around him."
"Because you hate him?" she asks. "Or because you still love him?"
The question lands like a physical blow. I open my mouth to deny it, but the words won't come. Because she's right. Despite everything, despite the pain and the betrayal and the years of anger, I still love Oscar. And that's what makes this hurt so much worse.
"It doesn't matter how I feel," I finally say. "He made his choice. He chose the bottom line over me. Over us. Classic Oscar.”
“I thought so too…” She hesitates. “When he came to the office, Alice, I wanted to punch him. I did. But then I started thinking… what if he's telling the truth, though? What if he really didn't know about the layoffs?"
"Stop." I stand up, needing to move, to do something with this restless energy. "Just stop. I can't… I can't go there. I can't let myself hope again. It hurts too much when he disappoints me."
Sydney rises too, catching my arm to stop my pacing. "Alice, look at me."
I reluctantly meet her gaze.
"Whatever was happening between you and Oscar… it was real. At least for you."
"It was real for me," I admit, my voice barely a whisper. "That's the problem."
"What if it was real for him too?" She squeezes my arm. "What if this really is just a terrible misunderstanding?"
"Then he'll have to live with the consequences," I say, pulling away. "Just like I've had to all these years."
She sighs, recognizing my stubborn tone. "Fine. I'll drop it. But promise me you'll at least think about talking to him before you make any final decisions."
