Page 46 of So Close

“Are you fuckingkiddingme?!” I scream. “Do I look like an idiot to you?”

“Amy!”

I snap to attention at the sound of Aliyah’s voice. Spinning, I face her. She strides quickly past the cubicles on her way toward me. She’s wearing a shimmery gold sweater dress with a chunky gold necklace that matches her earrings and bracelet. Her blond hair is in an artfully messy bun, and her eyes are rimmed heavily in kohl.

“Sweetheart.” Her voice is filled with concern. “What are you doing?”

She really missed her calling in life. She’s an Oscar-worthy actress, her face creased with worry and her eyes reflecting a love I know she doesn’t feel. Everyone is looking at us. Phones are ringing, but no one is talking.

My hands clench into fists. “What isStephendoing in my office?”

She reaches me and shoots an apologetic look at Stephen, who’s running his finger along the collar of his shirt. “You gave up your office last year, Amy.”

“The fuck I did!” I fight the hot sting of tears.

“It was over a year ago, actually,” she says cautiously as if I’m being unreasonable. “We discussed it, and you told me – and I quote – “What do I need an office for when I don’t have a company to run?” So, we gave it to Stephen.”

“I’m not letting you gaslight me, Aliyah. Not this time. It hasn’t been over a year since I came in. How long have you been here?” I demand, speaking to Stephen. A heavy weight is on my chest, and panic sizzles on the edges of my consciousness, noxious and terrifying.

His gaze darts between the two of us. “I was just hired a few months ago. I’ve had the office since then.”

I shoot a triumphant gaze at Aliyah. “What’s your story now,Mom?”

There’s a flash of the real Aliyah, then she’s hidden again behind the fake one. “Stephen’s predecessor had the office.”

“I call bullshit,” I bite out, my teeth creaking from the pressure. “Where’s Darius?”

She looks away for a minute with exaggerated awkwardness, then faces me again. “He’s working on something with his assistant.”

My molar cracks under the strain, the sound like a gunshot that visibly jolts our captive audience. Fiery pain explodes through my cheek and up into my brain. Hot, coppery blood pours over my tongue and fills my mouth.

I scream in agony, spitting crimson into Aliyah’s smug face.

29

ALIYAH

“Stop yelling at me, Darius!”The need for a shower is nearly overwhelming. I can smell the blood on me, mixed heavily with alcohol. I stink like a bar fight, and it’s close to making me nauseous. “Hasn’t our family made enough of a spectacle for one day? Do you realize how fortunate we are to have a policy prohibiting cellphones in the office?”

My son paces behind me while I use a wet towel in my personal washroom to wipe what blood I can see out of my hair. Thankfully, I have every product and shade in the ECRA+ beauty line in my drawers and was able to repair my makeup. I’d hoped to leave for home, where I could wash Amy off me, but Darius returned before I could make my escape.

“It seems like it would’ve been pretty straightforward to point out that her new office is on the other side of mine,” he snaps. “It’s smaller, yes, but the view is better. She’d love it.”

I stave off the urge to roll my eyes. What a monumental waste of space. And he spent days decorating it for her, using her existing belongings and adding more. “Of course I told her. I even tried to show her. She wouldn’t listen.”

“Mother.”

My gaze narrows in the mirror. “Don’t use that tone with me. You’ll embarrass us further by asking anyone out there” – I gesture to the sea of cubicles outside my office – “what happened, but feel free if you don’t believe me. They all saw the whole debacle.”

Darius curses under his breath and shoves a hand through his hair. Worry and anger are stamped all over his handsome face. “Where did Ramin take her?”

“I have no idea. I was a bit preoccupied with havingbloodall over me! I’m just grateful he was in the office today to get her out of here. You’re lucky you weren’t around to witness it. She was frothing at the mouth with blood and spit. It was disgusting.”

“I appreciate your concern for my wife,” he says coldly, pulling his phone out.

“I would appreciate some concern forme! Look at my clothes! You have no idea how traumatic it is to have blood spat on you.”

“I should’ve been here,” he mutters, jabbing at his phone. “Why the fuck did you send Alice and me up to Cross? They’d already left for lunch.”

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