Our Broken Pieces - M.E. Clayton Page 0,68

Gage. It was all over the place that there was something going on between us. Sure, they didn’t know what, exactly. But they knew. Reagan knew.”

“Mystic-”

I turned to clean up the meeting room, wanting to get away from him. “Go to hell, Gage,” I spat. “We’re done here.”

“We’ll never be done,” he replied, his voice hard and unyielding.

After stuffing all the design materials in a CI briefcase, I turned to face him. “That’s where you’re wrong, Gage,” I told him. “My soul might be tied to yours, but my soul survived being without you for ten years. It’ll survive another fifty years without you.”

Gage shook his head. “No,” he snarled. “You don’t get to leave me, Mystic. Especially, not over one stupid fight.”

“I’m not leaving you over one stupid fight,” I clarified. “I’m leaving you because my voice matters. My word is worthy. Because I am not a cheater or a liar.”

I went to leave the room, but his hands latched onto my arms and he hell me prisoner where I stood. “Mystic-”

With every ounce of strength I possessed, I shoved my heart, my soul, my very essence back, and faced the only man on the planet who had the ability to destroy me so thoroughly. “If you do not let me go this very second, I will break into so many pieces, I will never be able to put myself back together again, Gage.” His face paled at my vulnerability. “Let. Me. Go.”

His hand dropped, but he wasn’t done. “This isn’t over, Mystic.”

I ignored him and left the room. I knew it wasn’t over and I knew he was going to come for me at some point, but I couldn’t worry about that right now. Right now, I needed someone who knew loyalty like she knew her own name.

I needed Rowan.

As soon as I got back to my office, I emailed Lacey and told her I was taking a sick day, and I locked my office without any thought to whether an email that I was leaving was acceptable or not.

I just needed the hell out of here.

My phone was up to my ear before I walked out of the lobby. When Rowan answered, I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “I need you,” I said, proud of myself that my voice didn’t crack.

“Where are you?”

“I’m outside of Cavanaugh Industries, and I’m about to walk wherever, Row,” I told her.

I could hear shuffling in the background. “Okay,” she breathed out. “There’s a little hole-in-the-wall eatery on Wilmington. Walk there and wait for me.”

“Okay.”

“Whatever it is, it will be okay, Mys,” she assured me. “We got this.”

I didn’t think we did, but what did I know at this point? “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Ten minutes,” she promised, then hung up.

I powered walked my way to Wilmington until I saw the eatery Rowan had mentioned. The entrance was through the alley, so I could see how people would miss it. I didn’t go in, but I did stand inside the mouth of the alley and waited for her.

I also ignored the buzz and ringing of my phone the entire way here.

One time, scrolling through Pinterest, I saw something that read ‘Don’t make permanent decisions while you’re experiencing temporary emotions’ and I always thought that had sounded so wise. But what if you’re not feeling anything? What if you really feel empty? Is emptiness a temporary emotion, or is it an unfortunate state of self? I wasn’t sure, but what I did know was that I didn’t want to talk to Gage right now.

Maybe never.

A yellow cab pulled up to the curb, and through the window, I could see Rowan throw some bills at the poor man before jumping out of the cab. Despite it all, I smiled. Rowan was the be-all-end-all of best friends.

I stepped out of the alley as she rushed towards me. Her beautiful face flushed with anxiousness, she asked, “Are you okay?” And the fact that she asked that first, instead of asking what was wrong, made me love her even more.

“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly.

Her beautiful blue eyes narrowed. “I will fucking kill him,” she seethed.

“Not yet,” I said, not ruling murder out. “I…I’m…” I shook my head. “I don’t know what I am.” She wrapped her arms around me, and I held on. I wasn’t embarrassed to be weak or vulnerable around Rowan. The woman didn’t judge, and I knew she’d be on my side, no matter what.

She pulled away and looked at me. “Well, we