Page 161 - It Ends with Us

She scrunc hes up her no se and says, “If it isn’t fair tha t we can’t go

back there bec ause of the owner, ho w is it fair tha t the owner get s to
come here?”
What ?
I close my laptop and stand up. “Why would you say tha t? Is he
here?”
She no ds and slips ins ide my offic e, closing the door behi nd her.

“He is. He asked for you. And I kno w you’re with my brother and I’m
with chi ld, but can we plea se just take a moment to silent ly admire the
per fec tion tha t is tha t man?”
She smiles drea mily and I roll my ey es .
“Allysa.”
“Tho se eyes, tho ugh. ” She opens the door and walks out. I follow
behi nd her and catch sight of Atlas. “She’s right here, ” Allysa says.

“Would you like me to take your coat?”
We do n’t tak e coat s.
Atlas glanc es up when I walk out of my offic e. His ey es cut to Allysa
and he sha kes hi s hea d. “No, tha nk you. I won’t be long .”
Allysa lea ns for ward over the count er, dropping her chi n on her
ha nd s. “Stay as long as you like. In fact, are you looking for an ex tra

job? Lily need s to hi re more peo ple and we’re looking for someo ne
who can lift rea lly hea vy thi ngs. Req uires a lot of flex ibility. Bend ing
over.”
I na rro w my ey es at Allysa and mouth, “Enough. ”
She shru gs inno cent ly. I ho ld my door open for Atlas, but avoid
looking direc tly at hi m as he passes me. I feel a world of guilt for wha t
ha ppened last ni ght , but also a world of ang er for wha t ha ppened last

ni ght .
I walk around my des k and drop int o my sea t, prep ared for an
argument . But when I look up at hi m, I clamp my mouth shu t.
He’s smiling . He waves hi s hand around in a circle as he takes a
sea t across from me. “Thi s is inc red ible, Lily.”
I pause. “Tha nk you.”

He continu es smiling at me, like he’s proud of me. Then he places
a bag bet ween us on the des k and pushes it toward me. “A gift,” he
says. “You can open it later.”