Page 35 of The Powerful Boss She Craves

Ella half-turned to face him, placed her forehead on the ball of his shoulder and closed her eyes. ‘God, that’s horrible.’

Needing to tell her everything, Micah explained how his parents had blamed him for the accident, that they hadn’t spoken to him for two years, and that Brianna’s parents had sued him but the court case had ultimately been dismissed. That, if not for him, Brianna would likely be married by now, probably with a heap of kids.

Ella scooted backwards so that she could look at his face without tipping her head back. ‘You blame yourself,’ she said.

‘My actions led to her spending her life in a hospital bed, unresponsive,’ Micah stated.

Ella frowned at him. ‘No, your actions led to your dad punching you—which is unforgivable, in my view. No matter the circumstances, no parent should hit a child,ever.’ She saw that he was about to speak and shook her head. ‘Don’t even try and say you deserved it, Micah, I won’t accept it. Your father was the adult in the room and him punching you is indefensible.’

Jago had told him that before—so had the therapist—but the words seemed to resonate today, when he heard them from Ella’s lips. He did not doubt that he’d been revolting, but Theo punching him reallyhadbeen unacceptable...

‘As for Brianna, it was her choice to follow you to a bad area in town and to drive at night when she wasn’t experienced. She was reckless, Micah, and very foolish.’

‘But...’

Ella shook her head. ‘I’m not done. Your parents should’ve stood by you, not isolated and ignored you. They could’ve hated what you did but still loved you.’

Hated what...? ‘Sorry, say that again?’

‘I said that Theo and Liyana could’ve hated your actions but still loved and supportedyou.’

That. Thatmade sense. He’d done something ridiculously reckless and stupid, had been out of control and irresponsible, but his father and stepmother had made him feel rotten to the core, as if he deserved no love and support.

For the first time, Micah could look back and see the boy he’d been—lonely, lost and desperate to feel connected to his family. Theo and Liyana hadn’t known how to handle his in-your-face personality and, instead of talking calmly to him, rationalising as Jabu had, they’d screamed, shouted and tried to impose their will on him.

‘And I suppose you have this notion that, because you were the reason Brianna jumped into her car and had an accident, you now have to atone for your sins by solving the world’s problems or, at the very least, the Le Rouxs’ problems?’

Well, yeah. He darted a look at her and she lifted her eyebrows, waiting for his response. What else could he do but nod?

‘And you believe that, because Brianna can’t have a life, neither can you?’

‘I have a life!’ Micah protested.

Ella rolled her eyes. ‘You live in the shallows, Micah. You don’t fall in love, you don’t commit... I presume you have no intention of marrying and having children?’ Ella demanded.

‘I don’t,’ he admitted.

‘Okay, I’m not going to tell you how nonsensical that is—’ except that she just had ‘—but I’m going to ask you one question, just one.’

Micah tensed.

‘What would change for Brianna if you fell in love, married, had kids?’

He didn’t understand her question. ‘What do you mean?’

She placed her hand on his cheek. ‘Would Brianna’s condition improve?’

‘Brianna is never going to wake up,’ Micah said coldly.

‘And that’s my point, Micah,’ Ella gently told him. ‘Whether you live your life fully or skate along the surface, nothing is going to change for Brianna. She won’t know, she’llneverknow. You are punishing yourself when you are not to blame for her accident, and your denying yourself happiness will never change Brianna’s condition. Micah, don’t you see? You’re also in a coma, but yours is an emotional one, and you placed yourself in it. It serves no purpose but to feed your guilt.’

Ella leaned forward, placed her lips on his cheek and then pulled back. ‘I’m sorry about Brianna, Micah, I am. But you’re a good man who deserves to be happy. You’ve punished yourself long enough. Enough, now.’

Micah watched, his brain whirling as she stood up and walked into the house, her hips swaying. When she disappeared, he stood up and went to the bar fridge to get himself another beer, idly popping the top. He sipped and looked onto the rose garden, the one his mum had loved so much.

He was an adult and, for the first time in his life, could look back on the child and teenager he’d been without wincing and cringing. Theo had been a bully and had had no idea how to be a dad, and Liyana had been a young herself, not yet twenty-four when she’d met and married his much older dad. What had she known about raising twin boys and dealing with Theo’s volcanic personality?

Ella was right—his father punching him had been unforgivable. No matter how badly behaved he’d been, he hadn’t deserved to get his nose broken.

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