Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Channing was carrying a document when I heard him stroll inside my office. "Mr. Connor?" I yelled at him as he approached. He stopped, looking surprised by the urgency in my voice.

I quickly sat up straighter, clearing my throat. "What is it?"

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, peering at me with concern. I wiped a palm over my forehead, groaning. He probably thought I’d fallen asleep again.

"I'm thinking," I muttered, though that wasn’t entirely true. My thoughts weren’t on work—they were on Ella, the thought of her leaving gnawing at me like a constant ache.

"Okay, I’ll just leave this here then," Channing said, placing the folder on my desk. He paused for a moment, then added, "I was looking for the licenses for the Wailea hotel, and I hired a webmaster to create the site."

"Thanks," I replied, distracted, my mind still elsewhere.

Channing stood there for a second longer, watching me. I could feel his curiosity, maybe even concern. But he turned to leave before I could say anything else.

"Wait," I blurted out before he could reach the door.

Channing turned back, eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

I took a deep breath, feeling a bit foolish but needing advice from someone who wasn’t emotionally involved. "Let’s say there’s this girl—she’s been staying with you for a while, and things are going great, but now she wants to leave. You don’t want her to go. What do you do?"

Channing blinked, then crossed his arms as if considering the situation. "Is this about Ella?" he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

I scowled at him. "Just hypothetically."

Channing chuckled. "Well, if you want her to stay, you can’t make her. But you could talk to her. Be honest. Tell her how you feel."

"I’ve tried," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "But she’s worried about imposing, and now that her brother’s out of jail, she feels like she needs to move out."

"Sounds like she doesn’t want to be a burden," Channing said with a nod. "Ella seems like the kind of person who doesn’t like relying on people. She probably thinks she’s overstaying her welcome."

"I don’t want her to feel that way," I muttered. "I want her here."

Channing smiled knowingly. "Sounds like you’ve got it bad."

I glared at him, but he just laughed. "Hey, it’s not a bad thing, Luke. Maybe you should be more direct. Don’t give her the option to leave. Tell her she belongs with you."

I sat back in my chair, mulling over his words. Could it be that simple?

"Thanks," I said, nodding at him. "I’ll figure it out."

"No problem," Channing said, giving me a wink. "Good luck with Ella."

Before I could respond, the door swung open, and my mother marched in, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. The room seemed to chill instantly.

"Luke," she said curtly, not even acknowledging Channing’s presence.

I immediately tensed. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

She crossed her arms, her gaze cold and calculating. "I came to see how you’re handling things, and from what I can tell, you’re distracted—by that girl."

My teeth clenched as I shot a glance at Channing, who wisely slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with my mother.

"This isn’t the time for this," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady.