“His father is gravely ill,” he goes on. “I offered him a leave of absence, but he assured me that wasn’t what he wanted. He arranged for the removal of his personal items from the penthouse this morning.”
Slow down. I try to spit those words out, but they catch in my throat.
“I assume he’s moving to California to take over Adler Estates.” He sighs. “We’ve lost one of the best, but if I understand one thing it’s a strong commitment to family. Barrett is doing what he needs to for his father.”
“I didn’t think he was close to his dad,” I whisper.
“He never spoke of him until he now.” Ivan narrows his gaze. “Something like this puts everything into perspective. Illness, death, even addiction can rearrange a man’s priorities.”
What about love?
I thought Barrett loved me. I thought we had a future together here at Garent and in life.
Ivan pushes back from the desk to stand. “I’m sending Nellie Garlin from Chicago here as interim CEO. She’ll arrive early next week. Bring her up to speed on everything, Isabella. I trust you’ll handle the change in leadership as gracefully this time as you did when Barrett took over for Duke.”
Still stunned, I rise to my feet. “I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Gather Barrett’s things up.” He opens one of the desk drawers before he slams it shut. “I’ll contact him again to find out where to have it all sent.”
I nod as he brushes past me. “Let’s keep Garent moving forward, Isabella. That’s what Duke would have wanted.”
I follow him out of the office, plopping myself in my chair as he boards the waiting elevator.
Yanking my crossword puzzle out from its hiding spot, I read the clue I’ve been stuck on again.
A four-letter word for when it’s finished.
I fill in the blanks. OVER
Just like Barrett and me.
Chapter 54
Bella
“You texted him how many times since you got here?” Max tries to steal a glimpse of the screen of my cell phone, but I press it against the center of my chest.
“Two text messages and one call that went straight to his voicemail,” I answer without hesitation. “I haven’t gotten a response yet.”
When his eyes meet mine, I see pity. I don’t want that from him. I want my best friend to tell me to forget about my boss and move on. I need Max to tell me that any man who ghosts a woman and slides out of her life without a word deserves to be placed in the run and done category.
You run away from him as fast as you can, and you stay done with him for eternity.
That’s how I need to view Barrett. It’s how I should view our short-lived relationship, but I can’t.
I want an explanation. I deserve to know what happened.
“How many times did you text and call him before you got here?” he presses.
“Zero,” I answer truthfully.
After Ivan left the office late this afternoon, I was in shock. I couldn’t reach out to Barrett because I knew if I did, it would be coming from a place of raw emotion. I needed a few hours to collect my thoughts before I got in contact with him.
The text messages I sent him and the voicemail all contained the same four words: We need to talk.
“Are you going to text him again?” Max asks hesitantly.
“No.” I toss my phone onto the couch next to me. “At least not tonight.”