Chapter 30

30

E lias

The Next Morning

I didn’t walk into the office until it was time to meet with Kyle. I didn’t want to run the risk of running into Fiona. Though I wanted to apologize to her, I wasn’t ready yet. I meant everything I said yesterday, but I felt like I was maybe a little too rough on her. Not only was I upset because she’d hidden our relationship and forced me to end a profitable mentorship, but she was the woman I chose and ended things with Amanda for. That was what I was most upset about.

For quite some time, things between Mandy and I were strained. We’d just now started to feel normal again. That rift was because of my relationship with Fiona. And this whole time, she knew it wouldn’t lead to the marriage and children I thought we both wanted. I didn’t care about her saying she hoped she could change his mind—that was bullshit. Those kinds of thought patterns and prejudices weren’t erased… especially in a month or so.

My ego was bruised, and I felt played. I felt like I gave up comfort for something that was never going to work. I felt like I gave Amanda up for a woman who made a joke out of me. And that made me angry.

When I made it to Kyle’s office, she was sitting in front of it. Her head was buried in her phone. At the sound of my steps, she looked up.

“Hi.” Her voice was low…hesitant.

“Hey. Can we talk before we go inside?”

“Sure.”

I sat next to her as I unbuttoned my suit jacket. “I want to apologize to you,” I said, taking her hand into mine. I literally saw the moment her spirit crumbled, and I was glad I did this. “I meant everything I said yesterday, but I could have been softer with my delivery. In that moment, I was hurt, and it came out as anger. I also felt disrespected and unworthy because of my conversation with your father. Then I saw Mandy and the guy she’s dating.” I exhaled hard and ran my free hand over my waves. “I meant it when I said we were great partners at work. The connections I made with you in this brief time will make me and my brother millions. For that alone, you deserved more grace.”

Sniffling, she wiped her tears and shook her head.

“I appreciate this, but you don’t have to apologize. Your anger was warranted. I can’t imagine how you felt being blindsided by the truth like that. It was never my intention to hurt you, Elias. I really wanted to be with you, and maybe it was na?ve of me to think that was possible. But I need you to know I meant everything I said to you, and I really wanted us to work.”

“Are you okay with him choosing your husband for you? Be honest with me.”

She thought about it for a while before nodding. “Kind of. It’s what I was raised to expect. I didn’t want different until I met you.”

That made me feel an honor that wasn’t present yesterday.

“So what now? You’re just going to go back to letting him choose for you?”

Fiona shrugged. “I’m not sure, honestly. I do want to start my family soon, even though I’m still fairly young. Rory is happy with his wife, but I don’t think he’s in love. If I felt like Daddy could find a man I could be in love with and actually enjoy spending my life with, I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t know. Either way, I learned my lesson. I’m not keeping anything like this from him again. You asking me if I would choose my man over my family opened my eyes. I want my own family but not at the expense of the one I was born into. So, if I have to let him find my husband for me, I guess I have no choice.”

I couldn’t get with that, but I understood where she was coming from. As I pulled my hand out of hers, I told her, “I wish you the best with that.”

As I stood, she asked, “Is this meeting about boundaries now that we’re over?”

“Yeah, it is.”

With a chuckle, she stood. “We don’t have to do this then. I just came to work here to get close to you. I’m more than willing to stay until you find someone to replace me, but after that, I can leave.”

“If that’s what you want to do. It’s been great working with you. Would you feel more comfortable working on another floor until we found a replacement?”

“As long as we can be cordial, I think I’ll be okay.”

“Alright. Well, you’ll need to officially give Kyle written notice, and we can bypass this meeting. Thank you for agreeing to stay until we find your replacement. You will be missed.”

“Just here?”

A smirk lifted the corner of my mouth as I used her cheek to pull her close. After giving her a quick, tender peck, I admitted, “In my heart too.”

“Your FOMO having ass,” I teased Neko. He insisted on joining us for dinner via Zoom this evening. I wasn’t sure if it was because he missed us or if he was just being nosy. Since I didn’t want to have to explain what happened with Fiona multiple times, it worked in my favor that I could tell him and our parents at the same time.

“You gon’ stop acting like you don’t miss me, bruh. That’s why you put the iPad across from your seat so you could look at me.”

We all laughed, but I couldn’t deny that I missed him and Mally Mal. “Whatever helps you sleep better at night, Neko,” I said as my laugh died down.

“Where’s my girl?” Malorie asked from next to him.

“Who?” I asked, pointing at Mama. “Mama over there.”

Malorie’s eyes rolled. “Amanda.”

“I assume she’s at home with EJ.” They all looked at me, and I laughed. “What?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going to happen with y’all now that you’re done with the toddler,” Malorie continued.

“Mhm,” Mama cosigned, bobbing her head. “We on the same page, baby.”

Groaning, I massaged my temple.

“We can’t even say grace before y’all start in on me?”

“I’m just here for the details,” Neko said. “It ain’t even dinner time for us. We just had breakfast.”

“Fine.” I agreed. “Fiona and I did break up. To make a long, unnecessary story short, her parents were not going to approve of our relationship. She knew that and hid it from me.”

“I knew it was something,” Mama said.

“Why wouldn’t they?” Pops asked.

“Declan tried you?” Neko asked.

“I knew something was off with that girl,” Malorie added.

I ended up breaking everything down, and by the time I was done, they all remained on mute.

“Now y’all asses ain’t got nothing to say?” I said, making them laugh.

“I’m surprised more than anything,” Pops said. “I’m disappointed in Declan. Like you said, we can all have our preferences, but I thought he was really for our people.”

“That’s what I said. I won’t take away from what he’s done for me and others, but certain morals and principles have to be instilled in a person for me to rock with them. Hearing him say that had me good on him and her. I feel bad for her, though, because it’s clear she wants control, but she also wants to make them happy. I just hope he can find someone she’ll actually want to be with.”

“Mhm, and what about you?” Mama asked. “How do you feel?”

With a shrug, I took a sip of my water. “I’m feeling better now. I was pissed yesterday. My feelings will probably shift the more I process it and adjust. For now, I’m okay. And please, don’t ask me about Mandy. Nothing’s changed between us.”

“For now,” Mal said with a grin.

I didn’t even bother responding to her silly ass. As much as I wanted Mandy, I wasn’t going there right now. Things with Fiona took off because they were easy and reciprocated. Regardless, it was over, and I needed to give myself time to work through the conflicting things I was feeling and thinking.