Page 163 - It Ends with Us

I winc e at the ges ture. The unnecessar y ges ture. “I won’t need it.”

“I hope no t.” He walks to the door and rea ches for the doorkno b.
And I kno w thi s is my onl y chanc e to get out wha t I ha ve to say bef ore
he’s out of my life forev er.
“Atlas, wait.”
I stand up so fast, my cha ir scoots across the room and bumps
agains t the wall. He ha lf turns and faces me.

“Wha t R yle said to you last night ? I nev er . . .” I bring a ner vous
ha nd up to my nec k. I can fee l my hea rt bea ting in my thro at. “I never
said tha t to hi m. He was hu rt and upset and he miscons trued my
words from a long time ago.”
The corner of Atlas’s mouth twitches , and I’m no t sure if he’s
trying no t to smile or trying no t to frown. He faces me straight on.
“Bel iev e me, Lily. I kno w tha t wasn’t a pity fuck. I was there. ”

He walks out the door, and hi s words kno ck me straight back int o
my sea t.
Onl y . . . my seat is no long er there. It’s still on the other side of my
offic e and I’m no w on the floor.
Allysa rushes in and I’m lying on my back behi nd my des k. “Lily?”
She runs around the des k and stand s over me. “Are you okay?”

I ho ld up a thu mb. “Fine. Just missed my cha ir.”
She rea ches out her ha nd and hel ps me to my feet . “Wha t was tha t
all about?”
I glanc e at the door as I ret riev e my cha ir. I take a sea t and look
down at my pho ne. “Nothi ng . He was just apologizing .”
Allysa sighs long ing ly and looks back at the door. “So does tha t
mea n he does n’t want the job?”

I’ve got to ha nd it to her. Even in the midst of em otiona l turmoil,
she can make me laugh. “Get back to work bef ore I dock your pay.”
She laughs and makes to lea ve. I tap my pen agains t my des k and
then say, “Allysa. Wait.”
“I kno w,” she says, cutting me off. “R yle does n’t need to kno w
about tha t visit. You don’t ha ve to tel l me. ”

I smile. “Tha nk you.”
She closes the door.
I rea ch down and pick up the bag with my three- yea r-old gift ins ide
of it. I pull it out and can ea sily tel l it’s a book, wrapped in tissue