Fat Cat Liar

I was an end to a means for him.

So fucking stupid, Greer. So fucking stupid.

I insert my key and twist the knob, preparing myself for the gut-wrenching truth to come out.

Lawson spins on his heel as I enter my apartment. For a brief second, I meet his eyes before taking in his full appearance. His hair is disheveled, his tie loosened around his neck, and his shirt is wrinkled beneath the pristine black suit that I recognize from the Giorgio Armani collection.

The suit fits him perfectly, obviously made exclusively for him. It’s exactly what I would have chosen. Sophisticated, elegant, commanding… everything the most sought after architect in New York City should be wearing.

I swallow the lump in my throat and force my gaze to his. He’s frozen in place, staring at me with a raw look of sorrow. My heart skips a beat, emotions swelling inside my chest.

Treacherous heart.

“Joshua, what are you doing here?“

His face twists into a grimace at the use of his first name. “It’s Lawson. To my family, to my friends, to anyone that knows me, it’s Lawson.”

“Well, I’m not sure I count in that category since I don’t really know you.”

“Yes, you do. You know me better that anyone, Greer.”

“Stop!” I throw one hand in the air and fling my clutch across the room with such force, it pops open and the contents spill out. My phone hits the floor, and his eyes dart to it then back to me.

“You got your phone.”

“Yes, I went by my office.”

“Did you get my messages?”

“I refused to open them.”

“Greer, let me explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain. I think I get the picture clearly without dredging up the details. If it wasn’t clear to me at first, it certainly was after I saw your design. The tranquility of the gardens, the massive area for the children, the general facility layout—it was like reading my own mind. Not to mention the extraordinary attention to detail on every single angle, placement, and architectural piece. From an Urban Planning standpoint, your ideas were unmatched. As a matter of fact, they are the best I’ve ever seen.”

“Greer—” He steps forward.

“No.” I wrap my arms around myself protectively and stumble back. Even in my wool coat, a bone-chilling sensation washes over my skin and I begin to tremble. “I tell you this honestly. With each submission deadline, I gravitated toward yours. We had endless conversations on the ability to meet Dad’s demands. That’s what we were doing that weekend I spent with him. We worked tirelessly to outline what would fit into his vision. Because of anonymity, Jonas decided to assign names to each firm, and he went with a Star Wars theme. Your firm was given the name ‘Destroyer’. Now, I can’t help but think of the irony to the name, knowing how I felt tonight.”

He flinches, opening his mouth again, but I don’t let him speak.

“I can’t say for sure, but if the construction financials pass inspection, Morris Construction and Development will win the proposal. You will be the most sought after architect in this country. Palmer Laboratory will lay the groundwork for your future fame.”

A fire of righteousness builds in his eyes, and he stalks to me, caging me between his body and the door.

“I’m a Hall. My mom was a Morris. My grandparents built that company from the ground up. Uncle Rob joined them, Mom joined them, and eventually, Dad became a partner when he married Mom. As a little boy, all I wanted was to be an architect at the company my family built. I was driven by success, greed, and notoriety. Being on top became my purpose in life—”

“Congratulations. Goal achieved.”

“Goddammit, Greer, stop this shit. You have to listen to me. I’m giving it all up, leaving it behind. Clay is working with me to get out from under my obligations. I’m quitting, going out on my own. When I say it was my purpose in life, I had no idea what that meant. Because the real purpose in my life walked into a hallway to help a stranger, wearing pink sweats and the most blinding smile I’d ever seen. She put an ice pack on my hand with the sweetest of intentions and turned my world on axis.”

It’s my turn to cringe at the memory of that night. My eyes slice to his hand, which is flattened against the door.

“How’d you find me? I’m rarely linked to Palmer Enterprises; only a few people know the relation.”

“Does it matter?”

“Not really, but I’d like to know how to prevent this from happening to me in the future. I don’t want to make a habit of falling for the hot guy across the hall.”