“I wouldn’t do that.”
“Then I’ll ask Lynn to take you on early when she gets back next week. No one will think twice. I’ve passed on interns and students early before now. I’m sure you’d rather not be in my company every day any more than I want to see you daily. It would be best for both of us.”
Somehow, that statement hurt more than I expected. He didn’t want to see me anymore. At all.
“Jaxson, don’t do this. Talk to me. Please.”
His voice was cold. Clipped. “I am talking, Grace. You’re not listening.”
“I don’t understand.”
He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “You were a great distraction, but too much work. You’ve outlived your usefulness to me—at least personally. How you decide to go forward business-wise is up to you. Does that make it plain enough?”
Distraction. Too much work. His hurtful words bounced around in my head. They echoed and screamed, hitting every insecure nerve I kept hidden, tearing them wide open, flooding my senses with pain.
He stood, indicating his time was over.
My time was over.
“I booked the room until six. You can sit here for a while if you need it. I have to go. I have other meetings.”
I was unable to speak. He’d chosen this spot to break it off with me. Somewhere private and secluded, late in the day. If I had gone berserk, no one would have heard. He had planned it well.
“Erase my personal number from your phone,” he stated firmly. “I won’t be using it anymore.”
With shaking fingers, I slid it from my pocket and did as he instructed. It took every ounce of my strength not to fall apart, not to beg him to reconsider. One thing I knew about Jaxson Richards was that once he made up his mind, he rarely ever changed it. I summoned my pride.
“I want my key back.”
He regarded me impassively. “I left it on the hook before I went home last time.”
Shock tore through me. He’d known even then that he was going to break things off with me. Still, he’d made love to me one last time. One last epic fuck for him. One last time to use me for what he wanted. Because Jaxson Richards always got what he wanted.
He narrowed his eyes and dug into his pocket. He slid a crisp fifty-dollar bill my way. “Take a cab home, Grace. I don’t need you collapsing on the street on my conscience.”
I stared at the money with distaste. I stood slowly, reaching for my coat. I tugged it around my shoulders, grateful that my hands didn’t shake anymore. Anger was replacing the hurt, rage slowly dripping down inside me.
“Contrary to your low opinion of me, Jaxson, I can take care of myself. Fifty dollars for a cab is unnecessary and unwanted.”
“Buy yourself something for dinner, then.” He pushed the bill closer.
I shook my head. “That smacks of you taking care of me, Mr. Richards. You said you were tired of it. And frankly, I’m beginning to feel like the hooker you insisted I was not. I don’t need or want your money.”
“Stop being so stubborn.”
“Stop telling me what to do. Outside of office hours, you no longer have that right.”
“You’re making me angry, Grace.”
“Really? Then you know how I feel right now. And frankly?” I summoned my outrage, channeling my mother. I met his eyes, the Jaxson I loved gone, and in his place, a cold, uncaring man I didn’t recognize.
“You can go fuck yourself, Richards.”
I walked out of the room before he could respond and hurried away.
Before I collapsed. I prayed I would make it to the privacy of my own home before that happened.
Chapter 17
Grace
Anger kept my shoulders back and my head high as I hurried from the courthouse. I ignored the cabs lined up outside and headed to the bus stop, refusing to give in to the emotions bearing down on me. I kept my mind blank as I stood, staring out the window as the bus slowly made its way to my stop. I clambered down the stairs at the corner and walked toward my apartment block, my legs beginning to shake as the adrenaline rush faded.
My hands trembled as I tried to get the key in the lock, finally using both hands to accomplish the simple task. Inside, I dropped my coat and kicked off my boots. I looked closely at the key holder, seeing for the first time that Jaxson’s key was hanging on the end. In plain sight, yet I hadn’t seen it.
I hadn’t seen so many things.
I stumbled to the sofa, grabbing the blanket from the arm and wrapping it around my body. I felt ice-cold and out of control, my limbs shaking, my teeth chattering. I knew I was in shock. Filled with disbelief over what had just occurred.