way to the parking garage. In fact, I was almost to the level I’d parked my car on before the last person peeled away, but the sound of footsteps echoed behind me, and when I glanced around, my keys were tucked between my knuckles like I was Wolverine and ready to cut someone.
It was an old trick and one I hadn’t felt the need to use in a while, but it was already dark out, save for the lights in the garage itself, and they just cast deeper pools of shadow. The last person I’d expected to see stood there, and he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks.
“I was just making sure you got to your car all right,” Mr. Standish told me, and I let out a breath. Save for that brief moment on my first day, I hadn’t seen him at all. My proximity to him on this internship was making Archie crazy, and I’d assured him I hadn’t seen his father at all just two hours earlier on a break.
Great, now I would have to tell him about this. “My car is right there,” I said and turned away, intent on getting to it.
“Frankie…”
I hit the unlock on the key fob, aware he was following me now, and that was already enough to make me uneasy.
“Look,” he said and then let out a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
Wait.
What?
I pivoted, one hand on the door, and glanced at him. He was a few feet away, but not closing the distance. Fuck, he looked so much like Archie, it was unnerving. But where there was always a warmth and a playfulness in Archie’s eyes, Edward’s were a lot colder, even if his disgruntled expression betrayed an unease.
What the hell did he have to be uneasy about? The fact he was having an affair with Maddy? That ship had sailed a long time ago, right?
“What?” Yeah, I could probably have formed that question with a lot more intelligence. But I really didn’t have more to add.
“I’m sorry,” he began again, the awkwardness there uncomfortable as hell to witness. “I know this hasn’t been easy for you on any level, and I’m partially to blame for that.”
Where was he going with this? “The internship is fine.” Was I playing dumb? Yes, I was. “Maybe unexpected. But fine.” Then, because he still stared at me, I added, “I’m learning a lot, which is the point of the program, right?”
“Good,” he said with an exhale, and it was awkward as fuck to see the same unease I experienced on the face of a grown man. He pulled a hand from his pocket and ran it through his hair. “I gave specific instructions that you were to be treated well.”
Well, that just drained what fun there had been in it out.
“But it wasn’t the internship that I was apologizing for.” He seemed more collected and took another step toward me. “Your mother…”
“I don’t want to discuss her with you.” Not even a little bit.
“I understand.”
He couldn’t possibly, but whatever.
“But I do feel I should apologize to you, not only for the way Maddy ambushed you… I thought you knew we were seeing each other.”
Gag. I blew out a breath. “Does it matter? I mean, really? I think the people you should be apologizing to are your wife and your child.”
He gave me the slightest of nods that I couldn’t even begin to interpret. “But this division between you and your mother…”
“Is really none of your business, Mr. Standish,” I told him, and I kept my tone stiff.
His lips flattened, and he slid his hand back into his pockets. Archie did that sometimes when he had to hold himself back or edit himself in front of others. Was that just a trait shared by his father? Or was I trying to read too much into it? “Of course, I’m overstepping.”
“You could say that.” I popped the door to my car open. “It’s not like we have to speak. I know I’m here interning at your company, but if that’s a problem for you, I can request a change.”
It would make Archie happy.
“No,” he said, almost too quickly. “I would like very much to start over, but I suspect the issue with your mother is going to cloud things.”
I tossed my backpack inside. “Are you for real right now?” I stared at him, and he gave me a quizzical look. “You treat Archie like crap. You’re sleeping around on your wife—and you know what? Fine,