Chapter 10: Family Legacy or Family Fortune

What am I going to do now?

This might not have been my wisest idea. I have nothing. No clothes or anything. I need a job but no one finds work at eight o'clock at night. I managed to use some of the advance my grandma gave me to wrangle myself a hotel room. But that money will need to be paid back. I can't keep it if I'm not going back to work at Clancy's Comforts.

And I really can't go back.

I hate Noah Grisham! It's funny because even without money I still got treated like crap. Maybe I should stop blaming the money and realise that it's all my own fault.

My phone is ringing. It's probably Martin. I ignore it, turning on the tv. I flit through the channels, not really paying attention to what's on the screen. I need a plan. I wonder if I could go back to my old job? I left on good terms; as far as they know I'm travelling the world with my doting boyfriend.

Reaching my phone, I consider calling my old boss. What could I possibly lose other than a tiny bit of my own pride? Looking down at the screen, I'm surprised to see Noah Grisham's name in my call log.

Why would he call me? What more could he possibly have to say?

I'm not sure what makes me dial his number, perhaps morbid fascination. He answers almost immediately.

"What took so long?" he asks angrily. "I've been calling you for the best part of an hour."

"So?" I ask, all the civility and composure I'd been struggling to maintain all day gone.

"So, as my assistant, you should answer the phone when I call."

I consider telling him that I'm no longer his assistant and that he just pissed off his future boss. Except only one of those things is true; I'm no longer his assistant. If our earlier conversation is anything to go by, my grandma might have finally given up on the idea of me managing Clancy's Comforts.

"What do you want?" I ask reluctantly. The sooner he says what he wants to say, the sooner I can get off the phone and forget all about Noah Grisham.

"About earlier," he says awkwardly.

"What about it?"

"I think I might have been a bit harsh."

I wasn't expecting him to say that and now that he has, I'm completely caught off guard.

"And?" I say to buy myself time.

"And I'm… I…" he hesitates. I guess he's not used to apologising. "I'm sorry."

"That was really hard to say, wasn't it?" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

I can hear the change in his breathing. I've annoyed him again.

"When I'm wrong, I apologise," he says curtly.

"Fine."

I wait for him to say something else but he doesn't. I have no idea what he expects from me.

"Well… I'll see you tomorrow," he says, his earlier awkwardness now tenfold.

"Mhmm," I respond non-committally. I'm not about to tell him I've quit, even though I probably should. "I…"

"You?"

"I might not be in tomorrow."

"What? Why?" I can't tell if he's angry or horrified.

I consider telling him the truth. It would be hilarious to see his reaction. Heck, I'd even consider demanding he meet me somewhere just so I can tell him in person. His face would probably be a picture. I wonder what he'd actually say if I told him everything, even the fact that he'd managed to chase out Eden Clancy, single-handedly ruining that family legacy he loves so much.

But that's not strictly true. I can't pin all the blame on him. It was hard even being in that building. Too many memories.

I prepare to tell him that I've quit but I'm surprised how hard it is to utter aloud. I told my gran so easily yet I can't tell this complete stranger. Perhaps it's because of what he said, but strangely I don't want him to look down on me like that.

"If it's because of today," he says when I don't answer, "I hope you'll give it another go. Maybe we can start fresh? Wipe the slate clean?"

"I don't…"

"Just consider it?" he asks.

How can I refuse? There's no way in hell I want to go back there. But then I think back to the look of disappointment on my grandma's face and I can feel my resolve crumbling.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it," he says and for a second, I believe him.