Page 87 of Grumpy Boss in Love

Raking my fingers through my hair, I nodded. Jane was there for me when all hell broke loose. We talked, I forgave her, and we promised to stay close, to be a family. The Westwood clan had fallen apart. Ryan was gone, and Jane and Dad were divorced. My stepmother wanted to repair the family… Although, I doubted that was possible. However, I was willing to work with what the two of us had. Having Jane in my corner was nice. It was what I’d wanted since I was a child.

Connecting with Jane was all thanks to Ruby. She showed me how to be more open, how to love. And I let her down because I couldn’t deal with my hurt and anger. “What if she’s not fine? The world knows she’s married to a Westwood,” I said.

My mind raced with the dreadful possibilities. Ruby had been MIA for too long. What if she’d been kidnapped?

“Will I get a ransom note soon?” I mumbled as I stared out the window.

“For the love of God, Elliot. Since when were you so dramatic?”

I grunted. “Ruby must have rubbed off on me.” Logically, I knew that if something terrible had happened to her, I’d know by now. She was likely doing as Jane said, laying low, like I told her to. My mounting guilt was making me crazy. “I should have ensured her protection no matter how angry I was.”

“Yes, you should have.” Jane shrugged. “Instead, you behaved like an ass.”

I glared at her, and she lifted her eyebrows in challenge.

“I did,” I sighed in acceptance. “It hurt thinking that she betrayed me after I’d let my many guards down and fell in love with her. I handled the situation terribly.”

I wouldn’t even talk to her when she begged me to. She told me she loved me, and I ordered her to leave. The lines of distress and sorrow that had been etched into her face and the pain in her eyes still haunted me.

“What did I do?” I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes.

“So you believe that she didn’t work with her friend to leak the story?” Jane asked.

Drained from the myriad of emotions I’d been struggling with for two weeks, I blew out a long breath and flopped onto my chair. Ben asked me the same question last night.

“At first, I wasn’t sure. I spent just about my entire life being skeptical of everyone. It was hard to break the habit. After the commotion died down a little, I had time to sit and think.”

I analyzed every moment I spent with Ruby, everything she did and said. The more I got to know her, the more I believed in her integrity. “It’s not in her nature to betray me like that.”

She said she made a mistake sharing it with her friend. Knowing Ruby, she must have really trusted that girl. She saw the best in people… the way she saw the best in me because she was a beautiful soul with a pure heart.

“I ruined our relationship, the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Then why are you still here telling me about it?” Jane asked. “You should be apologizing to her right now.”

“I don’t know where she is.”

She gave me astop the bull shitlook. “You have the resources to find her if you want to.”

True. When Ruby refused to answer my calls for days, I could have tracked her down. “Honestly, I’m afraid to face her and I’m terrified of seeing the pain that I caused in her eyes. I’m ashamed. What if she can’t forgive me?”

The look Jane gave me this time was full of understanding. “You just have to take the risk. If you really believe she isn’t guilty, she deserves an apology at least.”

Rubbing my tired eyes, I nodded. “You’re right.” I then gave her an appreciative glance. “Thanks for coming to check on me.”

She smiled and gathered her handbag. “I have a lot to make up for regarding being there for you. Feel free to drop by my place later. Right now, I’ve got to get to a charity luncheon.”

She sauntered to the door and opened it. My assistant stood with her hand up as if she was about to knock. Dropping her hand, she gave Jane a smile and glanced at me. “Mr. Westwood, there’s someone here to see you.”

My heart was jolted with a shot of hope. Ruby?

“Security says she won’t take no for an answer. According to her, it’s urgent and she can’t leave without seeing you. Do you know someone named Megan Andersen?”

The hope that lifted my spirits died. “No…” However, the name was vaguely familiar. I wracked my brain. “Have security send me a picture.”

Simone nodded and went to her desk to pick up the phone.

Jane still stood in the doorway.

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