“No, he can’t,” Linda said. “But if he could, he would.”
Her breathing went shallow as memories of his cruel accusation came flooding back. “You weren’t there. You didn’t see the look on his face. The disappointment. The anger. He really thought I was capable of betraying him. After everything we’ve been through together, he still made up his mind about me before he even got my side of the story.”
Linda pursed her lips. “How much of your side of the story had you shared with him before he confronted you?”
“Are you saying this is my fault?” Heather asked. “Because I’m private and keep things to myself sometimes?”
“No. I’m saying you two are more alike than you realize,” Linda said.
Heather shot her a hard stare, unsure of how to tell Linda to back off without making a scene on her first day in this new office. “That doesn’t matter now.” She knew that they were alike in one regard at least. They were both guarding their hearts. The only difference was that, even when she had everything to lose, she was willing to give her heart to him. And in return he had thrown her feelings for him back in her face. Humiliated her and made her feel smaller than she ever had in her life. Forgiveness was impossible. Not with this weight on what was left of her heart.
Linda must have noticed the shift in her body language, because she sighed and said, “I’m prying into something that isn’t my business. I apologize.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Heather said, holding up her hands. “You’re only trying to help. I appreciate it, but I’d like to focus on work. On helping you get things done around here.”
“I’m interested in helping you.”
“Me? What do you mean?” Heather asked.
“You need help clearing your name, right? I can send you anything I think might help you do that,” Linda offered.
Her offer touched Heather, but after rejecting Simon’s help she was hesitant to accept anyone else’s help. She was used to standing on her own two feet. Besides, she didn’t want to drag Linda down if the worst happened. “Why do you want to help me? Won’t the board members be upset if you try to help me out?”
“The board is always upset about something,” Linda responded with a roll of her eyes. “But I know this is what Simon would want.”
“I don’t want Simon’s help,” Heather said sharply.
“I’m not offering you Simon’s help. I’m offering you my help,” Linda said. “If you’re going to be too stubborn to accept my offer—”
“Wait, no.” Heather bit her lip, realizing how ungrateful she was being. Linda hadn’t been the one to accuse her and humiliate her. Not to mention, she didn’t have to welcome Heather into the media department. She could have easily refused to accept Heather’s transfer.
Guilt gnawed at her. Even though the transfer out of Simon’s office had been her idea, it suddenly felt like she had created a burden that didn’t need to exist. Not only did Simon have to now find a new assistant, but Linda was going to have to make room for her.
But asking the board for a transfer had been her only chance of staying on at Dover. There was no way she could keep working for Simon. Keep seeing him every single day while her heart broke over and over. Each time she saw him her heart broke a little more. And then, when she could no longer stand the pain, it was replaced by anger. Anger at how he’d treated her and accused her.
If she stayed on, he would insist on helping her clear her name. Worse, she could see herself falling for him all over again. With the real possibility of being arrested and losing her son, she was not going to give in to her feelings for him ever again. She needed to be strong for her son, and if that meant she had to turn her back on Simon for good then that was the price she was ready to pay. It was the steepest price she would ever pay for anything, but her son was all that mattered.
“I’m sorry for questioning you,” Heather continued. “I just don’t want to bring you down with me. If I don’t clear my name and it gets out that you tried to help me, that might affect your job. I can’t let you risk your job for me.”