Read Online Back to Reality by Danielle Allen - Free Book Online Page B

short beard covered his handsome face. Although I preferred him clean shaven, he still looked extremely good.  He wore dark grey jeans and a black button up with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He could wear anything and still look like a male model, I thought as I took him in. My eyes watered and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to stop the flow of tears, but I bit down on my tongue and tried my hardest.
    “What’s going on?” Ty asked as he looked from me to Bennett and then back to me. 
    “She was just leaving,” Bennett assured Ty as he moved toward me. 
    Ty held up his hand and Bennett stopped moving.  “She’s here for a reason, I presume. You don’t mail an ‘I’m sorry’ note and then completely disappear…only to reappear two months later for no reason.”  Ty pushed his sleeves up further on his arms and crossed them.  The look he gave me told me everything I needed to know. He was pissed.
    “Can I speak with you? Alone. I won’t take up too much of your time,” I whispered nervously. The stilled silence in the room made me acutely aware of how fast my heart was beating. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins.  And I could almost see animosity directed toward me.
    After a moment, Ty responded, “Fine. You have five minutes. Bennett, can you check on things in the lounge please?”
    Bennett looked conflicted before he grunted an affirmation and left the office.
    “You have five minutes,” Ty reminded me as he walked around to his desk and sat in his chair.   He leaned back and propped his head up with his fist.  His fingers slowly stroked his beard. I was hypnotized by the movement of his fingers deftly stroking the dark hair of his neatly trimmed beard.
    I cleared my throat and glanced around the room nervously. “I’m glad you were here. The woman up front…Lily, I believe her name is, said you weren’t here. I was worried,” I started. 
    He stared at me impassively and I struggled to find the words to say to him.  Everything I had thought to say escaped me as I looked into his beautiful brown eyes.  I opened my mouth and then closed it again.  I could hear my heart beginning to race and I didn’t want to have a panic attack in front of him.  It was bad enough when it happened before I really knew him. Now, I don’t think I could take the rejection if he watched me hyperventilate, I thought worriedly.  I opened my mouth again and only a gasp came out.
    “I informed my staff to divert all inquiries to Bennett while I’ve been in Boston working more closely with Motive. You have four minutes,” he responded curtly.
    The cold, formal way in which he was speaking and looking at me was beginning to take its toll. My defenses were wearing thin and my eyes filled with tears.  I began again, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Ty. I…” My voice faltered as I stood before him. In my head, this was going to go differently. I was going to say my piece, beg for forgiveness, and then walk out with my head held high. I mean, I knew I was going to be nervous, but I didn’t imagine I’d be as nervous as I am, I thought as I swallowed hard to force the bile I felt rising.
    Ty didn’t say anything. He just continued to stare at me as the crease between his furrowed brows deepened. Without any inflection in his cold voice, he stated, “You’re sorry that you cheated?  You’re sorry that you brought him to the hospital?  You’re sorry you got caught?  You’re sorry you left some half-assed note?  You’re sorry that you led me to believe you were someone that you aren’t? Fully break it down for me.  Because for the last couple of months, I’ve been at a loss as to what you meant by I’m sorry.”
    I felt as though I had been slapped across the face. Hard.  His words stung and the mixture of hurt and fury in his eyes was painful to have directed at me.  But the truth in his statement hurt worse. I am a horrible person, I thought as I tried to break eye