She turns sharply. “Meaning what?”
“She’d been on my mind a lot . . . and then she showed up in my office.”
She rolls her eyes, unimpressed. “Of course she would—you’re Jameson Miles.”
“She had no idea who I was when we met. I gave her a fake name.”
“So why are you here, Jameson?” she demands.
I swallow the lump of regret in my throat. “I’m here to end it with you.”
“Don’t you.” She points at me. “Don’t you dare throw away everything we’ve worked so hard to keep together.” Her eyes fill with tears.
“Claud.” I sigh softly. “We’re no good together. We’re both workaholics, we live on other sides of the world, and unless one of us loses our job, that’s never going to change. I can’t be anywhere but New York.”
“What if I moved back?” she offers.
“And give up your dream job?” I sigh. “I wouldn’t let you do that for me. I know how hard you’ve worked for this job.”
She stares at me, and I take her in my arms. “You need to fall in love with someone who can support you in your role.”
“I have,” she whispers as she clings to me.
I close my eyes as I kiss her temple. “Two people who are wired the same way can’t be in a forever relationship. We need to be with opposites, Claud.” I squeeze her a bit tighter. “Two workaholics will never work. We’re both too focused and too stressed out to properly look after one another.”
She stares at me, and I know that deep down, she knows I’m right. Her eyes well with tears. “What happened to our five-year plan?” she whispers.
“It was good in theory, but come on. We both knew when we made the break that there was a big chance we wouldn’t make it through to the other side.”
“I’ll move back,” she pleads.
My eyes hold hers, and I know there’s no easy way to say this. “It’s too late. I have feelings for Emily. It’s her that I want now.”
Her face screws up in anger. “Emily, is it?” she sneers.
I clench my jaw as I watch her.
“Who is she? What does she do?”
“She’s just a normal girl from the suburbs.”
She rolls her eyes in disgust. “You . . . with a normal girl? Ha, what a joke. I suppose she cooks and cleans and fusses over you and sucks your dick on command, does she?”
I inhale to hold my anger deeply. “She’s good for me.”
“I’m good for you,” she fires back.
“As a work colleague or employee, yes—as a mate . . . not so much.”
Her eyes fill with tears anew.
“I’m not good for you.” I shrug. “I’m so busy that I can’t be there for you either. You deserve to be doted on, but I can’t do that from New York, Claud; you know I can’t. There is no way around this situation. Our lives are traveling on different paths. Two CEOs can’t hold their careers and nurture a relationship from different sides of the world. It’s an impossible task.” I pause as I try to articulate what I’m saying. “Until I met her . . . I didn’t realize what we were both missing out on. Both me and you.”
Her eyes hold mine.
“I wish it were you telling me you’d met
someone, so then I wouldn’t be saying this. I love you, and you’re the last person I want to hurt. I would much rather you hurt me.”