Billionaire With a Twist(30)

“I’ve been indecisive,” I said hurriedly. “I’ve been saying things, and then doing different things, and it’s not right and it’s not fair to you, and—Hunter, I can’t keep doing this. I’ve worked too hard; I can’t afford to let myself get the reputation of—of a—”

My voice broke. Hunter tried to lay a comforting arm on my shoulder, but I pulled back as if his hand were a red-hot brand.

“I…see,” Hunter said slowly. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t want my actions to hurt your career. But Ally—we’ve been discreet. And it’s the twenty-first century, I don’t think people are as judgmental as you’re afraid they are—”

“Of course they are!” I said. “People are already noticing, that’s why we’ve got to put a stop to it as quick as we can, before things get too out of hand—”

Hunter was shaking his head at me, a frown tight across his lips, refusing to go along with what I was saying or even try to understand where I was coming from.

Why was he stonewalling me like this? Couldn’t he see how much it was hurting me just to say this; couldn’t he have any mercy?

“Ally, just stop, listen to yourself.” His expression grew hard as he cut me off. “Now look, if someone has been spreading rumors, I can…”

“No, no!” The last thing I needed was Hunter charging in like a white knight and confirming everyone’s opinion that we were sleeping together. “It’s just…this is really for the best. This has to end.”

“Oh really?” he said, crossing his arms. “That doesn’t sound like you at all. Someone is spreading rumors, aren’t they? It’s those *s you work with!”

“What does it matter who it is?” I snapped, throwing up my hands. “The fact is that it’s happening! And I can’t afford to have people think that I’m some kind of—”

“What do you care what those jerks think?” he said, taking a step towards me, his hand reaching for my shoulder as if to pull me into his line of thinking.

I almost let him. I wanted so badly to be told that I could have everything I wanted, that everything would turn out fine, that we could live happily ever after.

But I knew we couldn’t. I pulled away from his touch as if his hand were a snake.

The hurt on his face couldn’t have been greater if I had slapped him. It was followed quickly by fury. He took another stride closer; I could feel his body trembling with suppressed anger, I could feel heat radiating off him. “Is what we have so fragile that you’re going to go running from the first sign of trouble? I thought you were better than that. I thought you were strong enough to stand on your own, not be influenced by the opinions of men you don’t even like.”

I clenched my fist before my hand could rise up and slap him. Was he really so blind? Couldn’t he see how different it was for him? A man could dick around all he wanted and no one looked twice. A woman made one mistake, and her career was done forever.

“As if you would know the first thing about standing on your own,” I said, my voice trembling. “Tell me, Hunter Knox, is it terribly lonely up there on your high horse with only your millions for company? How you must have struggled, having your opportunities occasionally delivered to you on a silver platter instead of a gold one.”

“You think I’ve had it easy?” Hunter countered, his volume rising to match my own. “You think I haven’t worked and sweated and goddamn bled for this goddamn company? You don’t know me. You don’t know one f*cking thing about what I’ve had to do these past years.”

Rage coursed like acid through my veins. “And you don’t know one f*cking thing about what I have to do right now, every single day.”

Hunter shook his head, his expression fierce. “I’m not letting you walk away from this, Ally.”

As if I had wanted to walk away. As if this were anything other than my only choice. Oh, Hunter. Oh, proud, beautiful, angry Hunter. My heart felt like it was going to burst with regret and loss and rage and desire.

“There’s nothing to walk away from. We only ever had a beginning. And it might seem like it matters to you now, but one day, you won’t even remember it.”

“Ally—”

“It’s done, Hunter.” I tried to walk away but he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, attempting to pull me back toward him. I resisted his touch, keeping my body still and refusing to turn around.

“Is this…is this really what you want?” he asked. “I’ll respect your choice if it is, and we can end this for good, but—”

“Yes,” I said, my voice cracking at the lie. “It’s what I really want.”

I turned and ran, Cinderella fleeing the ball, before he could hear me cry.

Before he could realize just how much I wanted him to persuade me to stay.





ELEVEN


I muffled my tears through my hands, head bent over my desk in my semi-private cubicle.

It didn’t make sense. I had won. Hunter had once again gone for my ideas over those of the Douchebros. Mr. Avery, my boss, had greenlit them too. I should have been happier than I’d ever been in my life. I was finally on my way to the top.

But all I could think about was what I had left behind.