Initially, I wasn’t on schedule for today, but since I was a manager now, I had to come in for paperwork and to fill in for Katie, who was officially the General Manager.  

I dropped Noah off at Sadie’s place. Out of all my bandmates, she was the most responsible one. 

The theater was calmer today, and along with Lewis, Mack, another manager, was also on staff. 

“Congrats on the promotion,” Mack said when I walked into the managers’ office. Katie worked quietly at a computer and didn’t look up when I entered. “I heard about the chaos yesterday and how you came to the rescue.”

“Thanks,” I said dryly, and he laughed. 

“See you out there. Good luck with the interview,” he said before leaving. 

Interview?

I turned to Katie to ask what he meant, but then she was already off the chair and pressing me against the door. Her lips found mine, and instinctively, my hands rested on her hips. 

“I didn’t get to thank you,” she said through kisses. “For yesterday.”

Her fingers slipped past my waistband and down my pants. I gasped at the feel of her fingers curling into me. 

“What if someone walks in?” I whispered. 

“That would suck, wouldn’t it?” she said amusingly as her fingers slid in and out of me. 

I gripped her shoulder tightly and leaned my head back against the door. She kissed my neck gently. My inner walls clenched around her fingers as pleasure bloomed between my legs. 

“Mack said I have an interview,” I panted. “Interview with who?”

“Charlotte,” she answered against my skin. 

And with that, my pleasure faded away, and my body went still. “What?”

Katie continued to finger me, but I pulled away. Her eyes fluttered open, and she frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s the interview for?”

“For you to become a manager,” she answered slowly. “I mean, you’re technically already one, but Charlotte still wants you to go through the proper process.”

I leaned back against the door. “So she requested the interview.”

“Yeah,” Katie replied and raised a brow. “Is there something wrong?”

I shook my head. “No, I just didn’t expect one. I’m not prepared.”

“Well, she won’t be here until later,” Katie said. She leaned forward to decorate my neck with kisses again, but I was still too distracted to feel anything from it. “Don’t worry, she’ll love you.”

Remembering the anger in her eyes, I highly doubted it. 

Katie reached for my pants again, but I shook my head and pulled away. “Sorry, I can’t right now.”

She sighed and sat back down. “Later tonight then?”

“I have to pick Noah up after work. Sadie has a date tonight, so she can’t watch him,” I said.  

“Damn.” She smiled softly. “At this point, we’re gonna have to start scheduling sex.”

I laughed. “That might be the case with how busy we’re both going to be.”

“Oh fuck,” she dropped her face into her hands. “You’re so right.”

Stepping towards Katie, I pulled her hands away from her face and kissed her gently. She moaned against my lips. Smirking, I pulled away, and she shot me a glare. 

“You have a day shift tomorrow. Come to my show tomorrow night. You can grab dinner with me and Noah afterwards and spend the night at my place,” I suggested casually.  

Katie had never attended any of my shows, and for a while, I had stopped inviting her until today. I thought that maybe she would go this time, but then her face softened into the apologetic expression that I was too familiar with. 

“Sorry, it’s been a long week, and I just don’t feel like going out tomorrow,” she said. I nodded even though disappointment filled me. She took my hands in hers and squeezed them. “Next time, okay?”

I smiled tightly. “Yeah, of course.”

-------

I left the office to help Lewis and Mack with manager duties. They showed me the ropes of what I was expected to do and how to do them. It was work that I had seen them do plenty of times throughout my year here, so I learned them easily. 

Eventually, Katie called for me through the walkie. “Charlotte is ready for you in her office.”

I was in the middle of switching out an empty soda with Lewis, and I stood up and turned to him.

“How do I look?”

He looked me up and down. I didn’t have that much clean clothes left this morning and had just thrown on black trousers and a white button-down that had been buried deep in my closet. 

Then Lewis gave me a thumbs-up. “You look professional and clean. Don’t worry. You got this.”

I exhaled nervously and attempted a smile. If only he knew that it wasn’t just the interview that was shooting up my nerves. 

Once I finished switching out the soda, I made my way down to Charlotte’s office. I took my time walking down the hallway, but it didn’t take long until I arrived at her closed door. 

I willed my heart to calm before I knocked. A moment later, it opened. 

Today, Charlotte was wearing a fitted black shirt with a knee-length skirt that accentuated her curves. With that, my heart was no longer calm, and I swallowed tightly as I stepped into her office. 

“Have a seat,” she offered as she sat down behind her desk. 

I sat down across from her, and as she clicked around on her computer, I looked around the room. Unsurprisingly, it was a spacious office, and it seemed like it didn’t take long for Charlotte to settle in. There was a leather futon behind me, next to the door, and I imagined that was where Noah laid yesterday. Her walls were decorated with framed paintings and her college diploma from Harvard. 

“Katie didn’t mention your name yesterday when she recommended you for the position,” Charlotte said. She looked away from the computer and settled her gaze on me. 

I straightened in my seat. “I didn’t even know about it until she called me in yesterday.”

“She said you are very reliable and hard-working. Is that how you would describe yourself?” she asked. 

I nodded. “I believe so.”

“Good.” Charlotte’s gaze was unwavering and her face remained cool and expressionless. It was very unsettling. “Your schedule, however, is a concern.”

“What about it?” 

“We need someone who can commit to working late nights, but your schedule says you don’t usually work night shifts.” She leaned back in her chair. “Is there a reason for that?”

My heart dropped. I had forgotten about the hours that were demanded from managers. With Noah and the band, I couldn’t commit to night hours, and last night proved that more than anything. Noah was about to start school again in a month, which made it even more impossible for me to work night shifts. 

Unless I got a babysitter, but the thought of that put me off. It took me a while to allow Noah to stay the night at Dylan’s house, and it took me even longer before I was able to entrust him with Sadie. 

“I won’t be able to work night shifts because I have to be at home with my son,” I said firmly. 

“Okay,” Charlotte said. Then she finally shifted her gaze off of me to type something into the computer. 

I waited, but she didn’t say anything else. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” she replied. Finished typing, she looked at me again. “That’s all I needed to know.”

“Wait, I’m confused.”

She raised a brow. “What about?”

I stared at her, but her expression remained unchanging. I couldn’t tell if she was intentionally trying to infuriate me, or if she actually was unaware. I wouldn’t put it past her to be petty enough, though. 

“Do I get the position?” I hated that she was making me ask. 

Then, the corner of her lips lifted into a smirk. “What do you think?”

My body grew still, hearing the condescending tone. It was so similar to her brother’s and my mind flashed back to that one night in the kitchen ten years ago. 

I had made the mistake of helping her in the hallway because it had dragged me into her family. After leaving, it had taken me years to heal from the suffering they had caused me, and now, here I was, being dragged back. 

But not anymore. 

Instead of giving her the satisfaction of an answer, I stood up and headed towards the door. She didn’t say another word as I walked out and slammed the door shut. 

Fuck her. 

Fuck her family. 

And fuck whatever feelings I still had for her. 

I walked back into the managers’ office, where Katie was still doing work on the computer. 

Her eyes widened. “That was a quick--”

“I’m giving you my two week’s notice,” I interrupted. “I’m leaving afterwards.”

Katie shot out of her chair and rushed towards me. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What happened?”

She reached for my hand, but I stepped back, shaking my head. “I can’t work here anymore. I can’t work with her.”

“What did she do?” she asked incredulously. 

“Nothing.” My fingers curled into fists. “I just hate her. I hate her face. I hate the way she talks.”

Katie furrowed her brows. “You’re being unreasonable.”

“I don’t care!” I snapped. My body trembled with anger.  

She narrowed her eyes. “Jess, calm down.”

I shook my head and backed towards the door. “I’m serious, Katie. I’m done here.”

Then I walked out, and she didn’t stop me. 

--------

The anger was still burning in me when I got home, so I went on a run. I ran aimlessly until all I could think about was how my body ached and my lungs burned. 

Two hours passed before my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the grass at a park. Eyes half-closed, I looked up at the sky. It was growing dark with an oncoming storm, and I heard distant rumbles. The park was beginning to empty out, but I was too exhausted to move. 

The rain came pouring down half an hour later. I let it soak me and the grass, softening the mud. I imagined the ground caving in and swallowing me whole and how easier life would be. 

But then Noah crossed my mind. Sweet Noah who was too mature and considerate for his age, who had to grow up with no father and with me as his mom. 

The tears came then and mixed in with the rain. I stayed there for another thirty minutes, crying pathetically before I mustered up the strength to get off the ground. 

Despite whatever I felt, I had to stay strong for Noah. I was everything he had, and he was everything I had. 

I ran back to the apartment, showered, and then went to go pick up my son from Sadie’s. 

When Sadie opened the door, she immediately frowned. “What’s wrong?”

I attempted a smile. “Nothing.”

“Okay, I’m canceling my date.”

“No!” I exclaimed and grabbed her shoulders tightly. “I’m really fine. Please don’t cancel your date.”

Sadie still looked like she didn’t believe me, but before she could say anything else, Noah ran up from behind her. 

“Hey, dude!” I released her and slung my arm around Noah. “How was your day?”

“Pretty cool,” he answered. “Sadie was showing me how to play the drums.”

“The kid’s a natural,” Sadie said, winking at him. He beamed at the compliment. 

“Alright, lets go. Sadie needs to start getting ready for her date.” I gave her a pointed look, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Good luck, Sadie!” he said as we walked to the car. “Try not to scare her away.”

“Hey!”

He grinned cheekily and ran into the car. 

“That kid is a menace, Silva!” she shouted after us. 

Laughing, I flicked her off before joining Noah in the car. 

-----

Later that night, I was cooking spaghetti for dinner when there was rapid knocking on the door. It boomed loudly through the apartment. 

Passing by Noah in the living room, I told him to go upstairs. He went without a word, and I grabbed the bat in the closet on my way to the door. 

“Who is it?” I shouted. 

The knocking continued without an answer. I quickly unlocked the door, swung it open, and raised the bat to my shoulder. 

Then we all started screaming. 

“Holy fucking shit, Jess!” Laura exclaimed once our screams subsided. 

“Yeah, Jess! Are you trying to kill us?” Alex said while eyeing the bat. 

I lowered it, shooting them a glare. “I thought you two were murderers or something!”

“Nope!” Laura held up two bottles of red wine and walked into the apartment. “Just your besties bearing gifts.”

“Also, dinner smells amazing,” Alex said, following her. 

Great. 

I closed the door and followed them into the kitchen. “It would have been nice if you guys told me you were coming.”

“And risk getting rejected?” Laura set the bottles down on the counter. “No thanks.”

“Mom, is it safe to come back down?” Noah shouted from the stairway. 

“Yes!” I shouted back. “Sorry sweetie, it was just two idiots coming to steal our dinner!”

Alex was in the middle of peering down at the pot of pasta sauce when her eyes snapped up to meet mine, and she smiled sheepishly. 

“You know, I don’t appreciate being called an idiot,” Laura said. I gave her a dirty look, which she ignored. 

Noah popped into the kitchen and burst out into a grin. 

“Noah!” Laura exclaimed, lifting him up off the ground. “Oh shit, dude! You’re getting heavy!”

“Language!” 

“Mom, you curse all the time,” Noah said. 

“Yeah, mom,” Laura mocked. “You watch your language.”

I moved forward to throttle her, but then Alex stepped in between us and towards Noah. “Dude, what’s that on your chin?”

Noah made the mistake of looking down, and she flicked his chin.

“Hey!” he shot her a glare, and she laughed. 

I sighed. “Alright, will all of the children please wait in the living room?” They all looked at me. “That means all of you!”

“Well, I’m pretty sure children aren’t allowed to drink wine,” Laura said and hopped onto the counter. “And I’m drinking.”

I gave her an exasperated look as she grabbed the wine and the opener hanging nearby. 

“Alright lets go build some legos,” Alex said as she steered Noah towards the living room. “Or whatever you were doing.”

As Noah began to explain what he was doing before they came, she gave me a wink on the way out. Then I turned to Laura, who pulled the cork free from the bottle. 

“Did Sadie tell you guys to come?” I asked. 

She grabbed two glasses from the cabinet behind her. “No.”

I looked at her sharply. “Laura.”

“Okay fine,” she conceded. “She said you looked like you were crying.”

Laura poured two glasses and handed me one. Sighing, I took it and leaned against the counter beside her. “You guys didn’t have to come. I’m fine. Seriously.”

“You don’t look like it,” she said, taking a sip. “Your eyes are swollen.”

I rubbed a hand down my face. “Shit, is it that noticeable?”

Then I thought about whether or not Noah noticed as well, and my chest tightened. 

“We’re your friends, Jess. We want to know if something’s bothering you.”

I took a sip of the wine and closed my eyes. The sweet fruitiness of the wine filled my mouth, and I savored the taste of it. 

“I put in my two week’s notice at the theater,” I finally said. 

“What? I thought you were going to become manager.”

I shrugged. “There’s someone there that I don’t want to work with.”

“Who?”

Out of all the girls, only Laura knew about Charlotte and her family and what happened between us. I had opened up to her one drunken night years ago when we were together, and she even knew what led to my pregnancy. She had listened and comforted me when I broke down. 

I will always love Laura for the time that we had been together, and we would have been a perfect match if we didn’t argue so much. 

“Charlotte Simmons,” I answered quietly. “Her dad just bought the company, and she’s the COO now. Her office just so happens to be at our theater.”

In response, Laura downed her entire glass of wine, and I did the same. The sweetness burned my throat going down and filled my body with warmth. 

“Holy shit,” Laura said after a moment of silence. Then she grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face her. Laura’s brows were furrowed with anger. “Hey, what did she say to you?”

“Nothing. She was just angry and--”

“You have as much of a right to be angry too.”

I shook my head. “She doesn’t know what happened.”

“She should,” Laura said angrily. “She should know that her dad and brother are fucking pieces of--”

“Laura,” I said firmly. “Please. It’s okay.”

Her face was still fixed in anger, but then she forced herself to exhale slowly. 

Afterwards, Laura pressed her forehead against mine and closed her eyes. “Sorry. I’m just so angry thinking about what happened.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “For caring.”

“I’ll always care about you,” she whispered back and caressed my cheek. My eyes fluttered shut at the feel of her touch. Her lips grazed my nose, and then she planted a kiss on my cheek. Then very softly, she kissed my lips. “Let me take care of you tonight.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re so tense.” She kissed me again.

I leaned into her. “It has been a long week.”

“Exactly.”

Truthfully, I missed sex with Laura. We did sleep together a few times after our breakup, but it had been so long since then. 

“Okay,” I said, and she grinned against my lips. “But only after Noah falls asleep, and we have to be very, very quiet.”

“Nothing new to me,” she murmured. 

We kissed some more before I forced myself to pull away and finish cooking the spaghetti. Laura poured me another glass of wine, and we finished it before dinner was served. 

It had been a while since the girls came over for dinner, and seeing how happy Noah was at the table, I felt a pang. I had been so busy that I had not considered how lonely it was with just the two of us in the apartment. I was going to be even more busy with trying to find a new job, and I made a mental note to invite the girls over more often. 

After dinner, we played UNO, which I absolutely hated because I sucked at the game. Noah ended up winning the most rounds, with Laura coming in second. 

It was around midnight that I tucked Noah into bed and kissed him goodnight. 

“Mom.” I stopped at the door and turned to him. His eyes were closed, but he was smiling. 

“Yeah?”

“I had fun tonight,” he said with a sleepy yawn. 

I smiled. “I’m glad you did, sweetie. Good night. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

My chest full, I was still smiling when I walked into my bedroom. 

Laura was standing at my dresser, and she turned around with Katie’s dildo in her hand. 

Smirking, she raised a brow at me. “Well, this is new.”

My face flushed hot. I moved to grab it, but she pulled it away, laughing. “That’s Katie’s. She left it here.”

“Oh, Katie the manager,” Laura teased. “Tell me, who fucked who?”

Groaning, I threw myself on the bed and covered my face. “Shut up.”

Laura tossed the dildo onto the bed, and then dropped herself onto the bed, hovering over me. “I’m sure she won’t mind if we borrow it.”

Her lips decorated my neck with kisses, and I arched it, exposing more of my skin to her. 

“I missed you,” she whispered in between kisses. 

“We see each other almost every day,” I teased. 

“You know what I mean.”

Laughing, I slid my hand down her body and slipped it down her pants. Her folds were slick. “You’re already so wet.”

“I told you I missed you.” Then her lips moved up and crashed into mine. I parted my lips, and she slipped through. Our tongues wrestled for control. 

I slipped two fingers into her, and she gasped into my mouth. Smirking, I took the advantage and rolled myself on top of her. I pulled my fingers out and looking down at her, I brought it to my mouth and sucked it in. 

Laura stared up at me, her eyes darkening. “Fuck, you’re hot.”

I shrugged. 

She sat up and pulled my shirt off. I did the same with hers just as she unhooked my bra, and I threw it off. Laura pressed her face against my breasts and sucked a hardened nipple into her mouth. Holding down a moan, I unlatched her bra and peeled it off her body. Laura twirled her tongue around my nipple, and I gripped her shoulders tightly. 

Then she shifted and tossed me off of her and onto the bed. Laura grabbed the hem of my pants and pulled it down my legs until they were completely off. My mound pulsed with heat and anticipation. 

Laura leaned forward and pushed my legs apart. Maintaining my gaze, she slid up the bed until her face was right at my center. She pulled my panties to the side, and I gripped the pillow behind me when I felt her warm breath fanning my folds. 

My body arched up, and Laura teasingly extended her tongue to graze my slit. I forced down the moan as my hips thrusted against her face. She chuckled quietly before she gave in and fully released her tongue to slide in between my folds. I sucked in a breath. 

Pleasure filled my body as her tongue ran up and down my slit. Unable to hold back my moans, I pulled the pillow over my face and covered them with it. Laura slipped a finger into me as her tongue found my clit and flicked it. I moaned incoherently and pulled the pillow tighter against my face. 

Her teeth grazed my bud, and my body grew tight as it built up towards release. My hips lifted off the bed, and I shuddered as the pleasure rippled through my body. I screamed into the pillow.

When the bliss rolled away and my screams quieted, my hips fell back onto the mattress. Laura withdrew her tongue and planted gentle kisses on my thighs. A moment later, she pulled the pillow off my face, revealing her grinning face. 

I was panting heavily, but I pulled her down for a kiss. Her lips shone with my juices, and she tasted like it and the merlot from earlier.

Then Laura pulled away and reached for the dildo. Oh god. 

Looking at me, she pressed the button, and the dildo vibrated to life. I groaned, and she laughed before switching it off again. Then she pulled off her panties. 

I watched as she brought the dildo down between her legs and eased it into herself. My mound began to throb again as she lowered herself over my body. She reached down to pull my panties to the side and guide the other end of the dildo to my entrance. 

It was strange being on the other side of this after so long. With Katie, I had always been the one on top, but with Laura, it had always been her on top. 

Suddenly, Charlotte crossed my mind just as Laura pushed into me.

“Oh fu--” 

Laura shoved the pillow over my face. She gave me a couple of seconds to adjust to the sudden fullness before sliding the rest of the way in. I grabbed at her arm, and my nails dug into her skin as I squeezed her tightly. 

She withdrew slowly until the tip was nearly out before sliding back in. In and out, she continued as her pace quickened. My stomach fluttered with bliss. With each thrust, her hips met mine, and I wrapped my legs around her waist. 

Through the pillow, I heard her say something, so I pulled it off. Sweat had broken out on her forehead, and her bangs hung down over her face. 

I gulped in fresh air before asking, “What?”

Laura didn’t answer, but instead, pressed her lips against mine. She didn’t slow down her thrusts as we kissed. My hands wandered to her chest, and I grabbed a handful of her breasts. I squeezed them and grazed a finger across her hardened nipples. 

She hissed and pulled away from my lips. I smirked, and her thrusts grew faster. A moan escaped my mouth, and she slapped a hand over it. 

‘Quiet,’ she mouthed with a raised brow. 

But I couldn’t as my body began to approach another climax. Laura kept her hand over my mouth as my moans grew louder, and then she reached down and pressed the button. The vibration came to life inside of me and shook my inner walls. I pulsed around the dildo as another orgasmic wave washed over me. My body arched up, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. 

Laura continued to thrust into me, but her breath was quickening. A few moments later, just as I was starting to come down, she gave a final thrust and landed on top of me, her body quivering. I wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly as she came. When she was done, I pressed the button for the vibration to stop. 

Eventually, the high faded, and we laid there, her on top of me, spent. 

“I love you,” she panted, her breath fanning my ear. “That’s what I said earlier.”

She leaned back to search my eyes. I smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. “I love you too.”

“But...”

“But we don’t work,” I said softly. “We tried.”

Laura closed her eyes and sighed. “I know.”

Then she pulled out of me, and my body shivered from the feeling of emptiness. She rolled off of me, and a moment later, I heard the dildo hit the floor. 

“I really do love Noah,” she said after a while. “You both are like a family to me, and I would do anything for that kid. But I don’t know why I can’t imagine myself settling down.”

I turned to my side to face her. “And I don’t want to change you if that’s not what you want. I know you care about us, Laura, and I’m fine with us just being friends.”

She looked at me, then, with a smile. “With benefits.”

“Sometimes.”

“You gotta admit you missed the sex, though.”

I bit down on my lip. “It was good.” She raised a brow, and I rolled my eyes. “Okay fine. It was really good. 

She laughed and pulled me against her. I wrapped my arm around her torso. As I closed my eyes, I felt her leave a lingering kiss on my forehead before I fell into a deep slumber. 

-----

Laura was still asleep when I woke up the next morning. Quietly, I slid off the bed and pulled the blanket up her body. She nestled deeper into the pillow, and smiling, I got dressed in my floor staff uniform. I threw the dildo into my closet before leaving the bedroom. 

I still had a couple of hours before work, so I decided to cook breakfast. Alex was still knocked out on the couch when I passed by, and I snickered at the sight of her sleeping with her mouth open, snoring loudly. 

In the kitchen, I scrambled some eggs for breakfast and whipped up some pancakes. I finished an hour later and went back upstairs to wake Noah up. 

“I don’t want to wake up,” he groaned into the pillow. 

“Noah,” I said firmly, and he jerked up. 

“Okay, I’m awake.”

Hiding a smile, I gestured for him to get up, and he slid off the bed, eyes half-opened. Next, I went back into my bedroom, where Laura was in the exact position I left her in. 

I bent over her and kissed her cheek gently. “Laura.”

The corner of her lips twitched, but she remained unmoving. My lips trailed down to her neck as I reached under the blanket and felt for her chest. Her nipples were hard. 

“Wake up,” I whispered in her ear. 

When she didn’t open her eyes, I took her nipple between my fingers and gave it a slight squeeze. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped. 

Grinning, I backed away before she could grab me. 

“You bitch!” She threw a pillow in my direction, and I dodged it. 

“There’s pancakes and eggs downstairs!” I exclaimed before running out of the bedroom. 

When I got back downstairs, Alex was no longer asleep on the couch. Instead, she was already downing her portion of breakfast in the kitchen. 

“This shit slaps,” she said with a mouthful. I flicked her forehead, and she slapped my hand away with a playful glare. “By the way, how was last night?”

Her brows danced suggestively, and I kicked her. “Shut up.”

She laughed. 

Soon after, Noah and Laura came downstairs. Behind his back, Laura flicked me off, and I blinked my eyes innocently. 

“Alright, eat breakfast, and I’ll drop you off at Sadie’s after,” I said while handing Noah his plate. 

“Actually,” Laura began as she sat down. “I was thinking of a movie day with Noah and the girls. Excluding you, of course.”

Noah perked up. “Movie day?”

But I narrowed my eyes at her. “Oh really?”

She waved her hand flippantly in the air, but I could see her lips fighting back a smirk. “Yeah, there’s a couple of movies I want to catch up on.”

“Noah has seen them all.”

“I don’t mind watching them again,” he chimed in. 

“See? He wants to,” she said. 

Alex swallowed her food. “I actually don’t--”

“Alex agrees too,” Laura interrupted. 

She actually looked like she would rather not go to the movies, but she just shrugged and continued eating. Damn you, Alex. 

“Please, can we have a movie day, mom?” Noah pleaded, and I felt my resolve slipped away. 

Damn my lack of backbone. 

“Fine,” I relented. 

Laura and Noah high-fived, and I found myself smiling at them. 

Later, when Noah went upstairs to change, I pulled Laura aside. 

“What are you trying to do?” I asked her. 

“What do you mean?” she asked innocently. 

“You hate the movie theater.”

“I don’t hate--”

“Laura.”

“Okay fine, I hate the place,” she conceded. “But I want to see what she looks like.”

I began to ask who she meant, but then it clicked. “Laura, no.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to confront her or anything,” she said. “I just want to see what she looks like, so if I ever do have to find her, I’ll know.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhaled slowly. “You won’t ever have the need for that.”

She shrugged. “Just in case.”

I knew I wasn’t going to win this. Not when it was her because she was the most stubborn person in the world. 

“Please don’t do anything stupid,” I said instead. 

She scoffed. “Me? Never!”

Great.

--------

My nerves were at a high when we arrived at the theater. Part of it was because of what happened with Katie and Charlotte. The other part was because I was afraid of what Laura might try to do if she saw Charlotte. 

The theater was dead today, which made me even more nervous because it gave them a higher chance of seeing each other. I just hoped that Charlotte stayed in her office the entire day. 

Sadie was already inside when we entered, and she was smiling ear-to-ear while typing on her phone. 

“Oh, I know that look!” Laura exclaimed, running to her and picking her up. “Girl, you are glowing!”

“Shut up!” Sadie shoved her away, laughing. 

“How was your date?” I asked even though I already knew from the look on her face. 

“It was really good,” she answered, blushing. “She was really cool. I invited her to the show tonight, and she’s coming.”

“That’s so cute!” Alex gushed. “Does that mean you’ll be less uptight now?”

“You guys are such as--” Sadie’s eyes flickered to Noah, and she quickly adjusted herself. “You guys are bullies. Also, by the way, Noah, I did not scare her off.”

He grinned. “That’s a first.”

She narrowed her eyes at him playfully. 

“Jess.”

I turned around. Katie stood there, watching us warily. “Can we talk?”

Well, I knew this moment was coming and that we would have to talk eventually. She had texted me a couple of times, but I ignored all of them. 

“Okay,” I answered. “I’ll meet you in the office.”

She nodded and walked away. 

“Was that Katie?” Laura asked. I snapped my head in her direction with a warning glare, and she grinned. “I didn’t get to thank her for letting us borrow the--”

“Okay, I’m gonna go now!” I interrupted and backed away. “You guys enjoy, and please behave.”

I gave Laura a pointed look. 

“I feel like I missed a chapter,” Sadie said. 

“I’m just as lost,” Alex added. 

Noah nodded in agreement. “Me too.”

I ignored all of them and headed towards the managers’ office. 

Katie was pacing the room, and she stopped when I entered. I set the office key down on the table, and then she rushed towards me. 

“Stop.” I stepped back. 

“You didn’t text me back,” she said with hurtful eyes. 

I looked away. “I’m sorry. There’s been a lot going on.”

“Hey, that’s why I’m here,” she took my hand in hers. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

I shook my head. “But I can’t. Not about this. Not about anything, really.”

“What do you mean?”

I sighed. “Katie, what do you like about me?”

Her face took on a thoughtful expression, and I waited patiently. “I like that you’re a hard worker.” She leaned forward to kiss my neck gently. “And you’re great with your fingers and--”

I pulled my hand out of hers and stepped back now. “Other than work and sex, what else do you know about me?”

Katie frowned now and crossed her arms defensively. “Okay, what is this about?”

“You don’t know anything about me, and I don’t know anything about you either,” I said. “The only thing we ever talk about is work, and if not work, then sex. I’m tired of it.”

“I know Noah. I know you’re in a band.”

“How old is Noah?” At that, her face paled. Her mouth grew slack, but no answer came out. I nodded, slowly. “I want more, Katie, but I don’t think you can give me that.”

“That’s not fair,” she finally said. “You’re not even giving me a chance before deciding that.”

“Then come to the show tonight.”

“I told you I can’t--”

“Because you’re tired,” I finished for her. “Yeah like the other five times when I invited you.”

She winced. “Jess, I--”

“I had sex with my ex last night.” I watched to see if her expression changed, but she merely shook her head and reached for me. 

“It’s okay--”

“You don’t even care,” I scoffed with disbelief. “I had sex with someone else, and you act like it doesn’t matter.”

Katie looked at me, lost. “It’s just sex.”

“No,” I said firmly. “It wasn’t just sex. She listened and cared for me. But with you, it was always just sex.”

She didn’t answer this time, and I stepped towards the door now. Just as I reached for the knob, the door swung open, revealing Charlotte. Her eyes widened at the sight of me. 

Charlotte glanced between my angry expression and Katie’s guilt-ridden’s face, and she raised a questioning brow. 

“Is something going on?” she asked. 

“No,” I muttered and brushed past her. 

She caught my hand, and I stopped, looking down at our hands. She quickly dropped it and cleared her throat. 

“Can you meet me in my office?” she asked cooly. “I want to talk to you about something.”

I glanced down at my watch. “I can’t. There’s a couple of theaters that just got out.”

“After work, then.”

“My band has a show right after, and I have to get ready.”

Charlotte frowned, and I inched away. 

“I can grab someone to usher until you get back,” Katie offered quietly. 

Damn her. 

“Great, thanks Katie,” she said. Katie gave her a weak smile, and her eyes sought mine. I avoided looking at her and walked away. 

Unfortunately, Charlotte caught up and matched my stride. We walked in silence all the way to her office, and I was glad that Laura was nowhere in sight. 

She opened the door to her office, and I entered the familiar space. 

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked. 

“Are you going to sit?”

I remained standing. She shrugged and leaned against her desk instead. “I heard you gave a two week’s notice.”

I didn’t answer. 

“Were you really offended that I didn’t give you the manager position?” she asked, and that condescending tone came out again. My fingers curled into fists. “Did you really think--”

“I’m not offended that I didn’t get it,” I said as calmly as I could even though anger was beginning to boil inside of me. “I’m offended by you.”

She frowned. “Me?”

“I always thought you were different,” I continued. “But you’re just like your dad and brother. You all deserve each other.”

“What did my family ever do to you?” She pushed herself off the desk and stepped towards me threateningly. Her hazel eyes darkened with anger, and I instinctively took a step back. “We cared about you, but you just left without a word.”

“Just forget about it,” I muttered and looked away. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Who are you to say that?” she seethed. “You’re the one who left.”

“Charlotte--”

“Stop saying my name!” she snapped, and I flinched back. “I hate hearing it come out of your mouth.”

My heart raced as my palms grew sweaty. “I--”

She took another step forward, and my back hit the door with the final step back. I closed my eyes tightly. “Please stop.”

Distantly, I heard her heels click as she stepped away, but my heart was still beating too fast. I tried to settle my mind on something, anything, but my thoughts were locked on the past. Flashes of hazel eyes and a leering grin. My muffled cries. The pain.

“Jess, stop!” 

My eyes snapped open as she grabbed my hands and pinned me against the door. 

She looked at me, her eyes wide with fear. “You’re hurting yourself!”

I swallowed back a scream. Then, I looked at my hands and saw that my palms bleeding from my nails digging into it. Slowly, I uncurled my fingers, and the sting of pain finally registered. It grounded me again, and I exhaled slowly. 

“Sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Her eyes trailed to the thin line of scar on my right wrist, and she frowned. I pulled my arms back, and she finally let go and stepped back. 

“What happened to you?” she asked quietly. 

“Nothing,” I muttered.

“That didn’t look like nothing.”

“Char--” I stopped myself and adjusted. “Can we just drop it?”

She stared at me, her gaze steely. “Fine.”

I breathed out a sigh of relief and reached for the door handle. 

“At least clean up your hands before you go,” she stopped me and went behind her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a first aid kit. 

“You keep a first aid kit in your office?” I asked. 

She shrugged. “You never know when you might need it, and I stand corrected.” Then she gestured to the couch. “Sit.”

Reluctantly, I let go of the door and sat down on the couch. She sat down beside me and opened up the kit. I watched quietly as she pulled out a bottle of alcohol and dipped a cotton swab into it. She angled her body towards me, and our knees awkwardly grazed against each other. 

“Give me your hands,” Charlotte said, and I complied. She dabbed the alcohol onto my crescent-shaped wounds, and I winced at the burn. 

We sat there in silence for a while as she cleaned up my palms, and despite everything before, it was a comfortable silence. 

“Why do you hate my family so much?” she asked after a while. 

I couldn’t tell her the full truth, but I figured she deserved some version of it. “It’s your dad and brother I hate, not your mom. They treat everyone who’s not a part of the family like shit, like we’re not human. You never saw it, and I never wanted you to know. Your mom, though, she’s not like them at all. I wished I got to know her more.”

For a moment, Charlotte didn’t answer. I watched her face, but they remained expressionless. She wiped away the last of my blood. 

“My mom passed away five years ago,” she said tightly. 

My heart dropped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

She shrugged and packed up the first aid kit. “It was an inoperable tumor in her brain. She was already sick that day you met her. She wasn’t in Paris at all but in Switzerland meeting with a doctor.”

I thought back to one of the house staff, who had been frantic when she saw Grace carrying in her own luggage. Then, on the camping trip, she had barely been able to walk. I had thought she just didn’t like hiking, but now I knew it had been more than that. 

“She fought the sickness for a while,” Charlotte continued, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. “But all of the money in the world couldn’t help her.”

Instinctively, I took her hand in mine, and she didn’t pull away. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut, and a couple of tears slipped out. “Fuck, I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

“I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you,” I said, and the regret had never felt so heavy than this moment. “And I’m sorry you lost her. She was an incredible person, just like you.”

Charlotte wiped her tears with her free hand. “I thought I was heartless like my dad and brother.”

“No,” I said firmly and meant it. “I just said that because I was angry. You are not like them at all.”

“I was angry too,” she said. “I’m still angry that you won’t tell me why you left.”

“I know.” I lowered my head. “I’m sorry. It still hurts me to talk about it, but I wish I had not left the way I did. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

She turned my hand around in hers and brushed a thumb against the scar on my wrist. My eyes fluttered shut as shame filled me from a distant memory. 

“I’m still hurt, but I’ll try to understand,” she said quietly. 

“Thank you,” I whispered. 

Then she let go of my hand, and I drew it close to my body. 

“Don’t quit,” she said, and I opened my eyes to look at her. “You deserve the manager position.”

“But I thought I needed to commit to the night shifts.”

She shook her head. “I was going to give it to you regardless, but I was so angry. I even interview a bunch of people, but you are the best candidate.”

I chuckled. “I made you that mad?”

“You were my only friend. It really sucked being the rich blind girl at a public school with no friends.” She gave me a pointed look. 

“Fair point.” I bit back my smile. “Sorry.”

“Just promise me you won’t leave like that again,” she said quietly. “No matter what.”

I gave her a nod. “I promise.”

“Okay.” She stood. “You should probably get back.”

Right. My job. 

I reached for the door, but then she stopped me again. 

“What’s up with you and Katie?”

I glanced back at her. “Are you asking as a friend or as my boss?”

Her lips twitched upwards, and she raised a brow. “Fair point.”

Grinning, I pulled the door open and left her office. I forgot how much I had missed being around Charlotte, and as I walked down the hallway, my stomach fluttered.