Page 71 of Love Me In Color

“She did?” he stopped walking.

“Yeah, literally minutes ago.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I would’ve told you if I did.”

This was news to him. I was surprised she hadn’t told him. Although, it was probably better that he didn’t know.

“Parker,” I ran my fingertips down his other arm, landing at his hand. I encouraged us to break my rules, but I needed to assure him it was fine. He interlocked his fingers with mine, and I felt the tension in my shoulders ease. “Really, it’s okay. I need clients to be honest with me. That is the only way that I’ll learn and get better. Please, let me learn.”

“Okay,” his thumb caressed the top of my hand. I pressed my forehead against his blue shirt. He ran his fingers down my hair. “Okay.”

It wouldn’t be the last time a client rejected an idea, so I had to learn to deal with it. I had to learn to work through it without Parker’s calming heart or reassuring presence.

“Feeling a little better?” he whispered, holding me close.

I nodded. “We should probably head back upstairs before anyone –”

“Button?!” Erik’s distant voice emerged. “Blake! What the hell is going on here?!”

I ripped myself away from Parker, cursing under my breath. Short of it having been Richard or Connor, who were meeting with some software developers at their site today, Erik was the worst person to have seen this.

Erik angrily walked towards us on the sidewalk. He held his coffee, and Nathaniel walked next to him. I wasn’t sure what to call the emotion I saw on Nathaniel’s face, but concerned would get pretty close.

“Button?” Parker mumbled under his breath.

“Blake Elena! What the hell did I just see?!”

I turned to face him. He was rapidly tapping his fingers together as he marched toward us. His eyes were almost black, and the bag of food he clutched in his hand started to rip.

“Erik, please calm down,” I pleaded, stepping even further from Parker.

“Explain. What. I. Just. Saw.”

He crossed his arms in front of us. I tried to say something to him, but no sound came out.

“Is this what you’ve been doing on the weekends that I can’t get ahold of you?! Him?!”

“No!” I tried to defend myself. “We’re friends! I just had a –”

“The way you and I were just friends?! Because I’ll remind you how that ended!”

“It’s not like that!”

“What is it like then?! Why were his hands on you?!”

Erik demanded answers, but I didn’t have any he would accept or that would explain this. I didn’t know what it was like. I had no idea what was happening to me. My brain struggled to find words to explain what I couldn’t explain or admit to myself.

“Is this why we’re going through with your idea?” he stared into me.

“What?”

“This is why we’re moving forward with your idea! Oh, this explains so much. They only accepted your shitty idea because you’re sleeping with him. This explains everything!”

“What are you talking about?!”

“The mailed samples over my pop-up experience. I mean, what kind of choice is that? Mine was clearly better!”

“Erik, I –”

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