Come To Me | Jerrie

Chapter 26

Tuesday morning rolls along, and I know I have to get up and get it together. I have a job to do, one that ultimately will force me to deal with Jade again. This was what my fear of getting involved with her was all along. She promised it wouldn't affect my career, and now it's time for her to prove it. I stroll into the office in my black slacks and coral top, hoping the bright color will draw attention away from my swollen eyes.

"Good morning," I say with a forced smile.

Taylor stands and follows me into my office. "Morning, Per. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. We have a lot of work to do. Can you see where we are on the advertising piece getting released to the press next week?" I say quickly.

I don't want to talk. I don't even know what to say. Hi. I had a mental breakdown. My ex and my current girlfriend got in a fight. Oh, and my dad, who I haven't seen or heard from in over twenty years, wrote me a letter telling me he loved me. But the best part is I threw Jade out after she told me I was it for her. And I still refuse to call her because I'm a chicken shit. Yup, that about sums it up.

"Okay," she says slowly while glancing around. "I'll get the graphics people on the phone."

Great. I've made her uncomfortable. With a smile, I try to ease her tension. "No, I think I'll just go there and check it out myself. If you can get the schedule for the next month of potential accounts coming up, that would be great."

Her eyes widen as her head tilts to the side. "For upcoming clients? I thought we had another month or two on the Raven account?"

I know I'm not making sense, but moving forward is all I have. I debated sending Taylor in my place on Wednesday and letting her give over all the finalized plans, but I'd lose my job. I could always hand it over to Melissa and simply state the client and I weren't agreeing on how to proceed, but the idea of Melissa's breasts and her lack of clothing anywhere near Jade makes me sick. So, I'm stuck. I need to put my big girl panties on and deal with it.

I'm fighting the real problem, which is how much I miss her. The thought of losing her makes it hard to get through the day. I imagine running into her with someone else on her arm, kissing her, touching her, and telling her she loves her. Pain radiates from my heart out through my body. There's no way I could handle that. Why does she have to be so damn irresistible? And why do I have to be so stubborn?

"Per?" Taylor breaks me from my thoughts.

I shake my head, drawing air into my lungs before pushing it out loudly. "Sorry, you're right. I wanted to see what was coming up, but it's fine."

"I can grab them, no problem. I just—"

"Seriously, not a big deal." I smile, trying to ease her confusion. "My head is all over the place."

Taylor steps forward and sits in the chair. She doesn't say anything as her eyes assess me. "We're friends, right?"

"Of course," I respond.

"Then, no bullshit. What's wrong?" Her eyes are soft and caring. It's the same look I got from her when I opened up about Zayn's affair. Taylor sits with her hands in her lap, patiently waiting.

As much as I want to take this moment and lay it all out there, I'm not sure I want to hear a lecture. Every minute that passes, I'm less convinced I did the right thing by throwing Jade out. Also, I'm realizing my feelings for her run far deeper than I've allowed myself to admit. She's given me strength but never made me feel weak, and along the way she's embedded herself in my heart.

"Let's just say that my weekend was less than stellar. The night of the reading of the will was horrific. I've got a lot on my mind. I'm sorting it all out."