Ten Years, One Goodbye He Walked Away Forever

Panic flickered through her eyes. She started to say something, but behind her Leigh Delgado sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ah! My hands!"

Annette turned, saw the angry red welts spreading across his skin, and at once draped his arm over her shoulder.

"Oliver, I don't agree to break up, and I'm not moving out."

"Wait for me."

Then she steadied Leigh and led him off to find a doctor.

His arm circled her slim waist, and she didn't push it away.

What kind of normal boss and subordinate touched each other like that?

I gave a tight smile, closed my fist around the ring, and signaled Kevin to push me over to the trash can.

I looked at the two labels, recyclable and non-recyclable.

I dropped it into the second one without a moment's hesitation.

"You're not even running a fever..."

Kevin pressed the back of his hand to my forehead and stared at me like he'd seen a ghost.

"Oliver, did that crash knock something loose in your head?"

"Since you were eighteen you've sworn it was Annette or no one, for the rest of your life. Why'd you finally wise up now?"

I leaned back in the wheelchair and let out a small laugh.

"I just suddenly felt like there was no point anymore."

Last night, when we got home, I'd said to Annette, fresh out of her shower:

"Tomorrow's Saturday. Let's go look at wedding dresses and suits, and we can settle on the reception outfit while we're at it."

She glanced at her phone.

"Tomorrow won't work. I have to meet an old classmate about a partnership."

"As for the dress, it's for the wedding photos, so pick whatever you like. I'll go along with whatever you choose."

I looked at her face and wanted to say that the wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime thing for both of us, that we could pick this part out together.

But the words stalled on my tongue, and remembering how she hated having her plans thrown off, I changed course and asked instead:

"Then can you drop me off tomorrow morning? My car's in for servicing."

She agreed without hesitation.

"Sure."

This morning I got up, finished getting ready, and sat in the living room waiting for her.

The phone she'd left on the table buzzed quickly, the contact name reading Assistant Delgado.

I picked it up and pressed answer, and Leigh's voice came through, thin and strained.

【"Ms. Sullivan... I know I shouldn't bother you on your day off, but Julie Fletcher, the CEO over at Apex Holdings, won't take no for an answer about brunch. I want to turn her down, but I'm afraid it'll hurt the new project..."】

I knew Annette's temper, so I answered for her.

【"Assistant Delgado, Ms. Sullivan has plans today. It's not convenient."】

【"If you can't handle it, then quit."】

The line went quiet, and finally he hung up.

Annette came out of the bedroom, walked up to me, and leaned her body forward toward mine.

"Who just called me?"

I tied her scarf for her, the same as always.

"Assistant Delgado."

"What did he say?"

"Julie Fletcher from Apex Holdings asked him to brunch, and I..."

Before I could finish, Annette snapped upright.

The scarf pulled taut against my fingernail and split it.

Her brows drew together and her face darkened.

"Julie Fletcher?"

I said nothing, eyes dropping to my split nail, a fine sting threading through the tip.

Her expression shifted, and she snatched up her phone, fired off a message at lightning speed, and hit send.

Then she dropped a kiss on the corner of my mouth.

"Take a cab over yourself. Whatever you like, just put it on my card."

"You know what Julie Fletcher's like. He can't handle her on his own."

With that she rushed out the door, never once noticing that I was wincing in pain.

I got out the first-aid kit, disinfected the nail, trimmed off the broken part with the clippers, and pressed on a bandage.

I'd lost any mood for trying on suits, so I just texted Kevin to go get a drink instead.