We Were Free

Chapter 48

Jake and I were.... friends. We weren't together by any means. We even talked after everything happened and both equally agreed that we can't do a relationship together. We cried and laughed and he held me and I kissed him, we were close. Really close, but we weren't engaged or dating or anything. We were just friends that cared a lot about each other.

"Blaire?" He asked as he walked into my office and I looked up at him and smiled weakly.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Can you do me a big favor?" He asked and he sat down in front of my desk.

"What?" I asked.

"Go on your computer and log on to our business website." He sighed and I rolled my eyes.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Just do it." He mumbled and I did. It took a second to load and it said error.

"God dammit. I was hoping it was just my computer." He said and he sat back in the chair he was sitting in and he stared out my office window as he bit his thumb nail. He was annoyed and thinking. Also high.

"What's the big deal?" I asked.

"It's a lot to explain. A lot is changing within the next two months and I'm going to have a group meeting with the entire building soon. I need to make sure everyone is on the same page with things." He said.

"What are the changes?" I asked.

"Blaire." He sighed.

"Just tell me. You literally tell me everything before anyone else." I said.

"Because you were my fiancé and now we have to be professional again." He said.

"Professional? Tell me. Now." I said and he rubbed his temple.

"You're going to hate me for it." He said.

"Please." I said.

"Okay, okay-I'm stepping down from the company. My name won't be on it anymore. I'm retiring and I think it's just best for me right now." He said and I stared at him with no expression on my face for a while. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't at all.

"What?" I asked.

"Blaire, I stopped working here for four months. We did-and I didn't want to come back. I hate working here when I used to love it. I know that I did it and did it good, but I'm proud of what I've done. I just think it's time I stop. I'm ready to just live my life at a younger age comfortably and focus on wanting a family and everything. I don't know-I just don't feel myself anymore. I made sure you would be okay. The new owner has heard a lot about you and he'll be coming in soon to meet with everyone." He said.

"You're giving up everything you worked for and leaving everyone?" I asked.

"I'm not giving up anything. I'm just retiring. I'm happy where I'm at and I know that I'm not good to do this job anymore. I've cancelled all cases with myself and transferred them to him. You'll absolutely love him. He's a good guy and hilarious. You might find him attractive." He smiled weakly and my eyes softened. I hated everything he was saying. I didn't want to be someone else's secretary. I didn't want to be passed down to someone to be their assistant. I didn't want to get someone else coffee in the mornings, or argue with anyone else. I didn't want to forge anyone else signature or travel. I wanted to work with Jake. I applied for the job for Jake because our personalities worked from the start. I didn't apply for anyone else. I narrowed my eyes and looked down at my hands in my lap and shook my head.

"No." I said and he cocked an eyebrow at me.

"What?" He asked.

"No. I don't want to work for anyone else. I want to work with you. I accepted this job offer four years ago for you. Not someone else. I wanted to help you and help build your business. I'm not working here if you aren't." I said.

"Blaire, he's not addicted to drugs and he's actually a decent young guy. I'm getting old and I'm addicted to drugs and cause nothing but problems for you-"

"Jake, no!" I yelled and his eyes softened.

"Stop. Don't raise your voice. I don't want anyone knowing yet." He said and I had tears in my eyes. We were truly genuinely done. He wanted to retire and try to build a family with someone else.

"Are you about to cry?" He asked.

"If you leave I'm done." I said.

"I told the new guy that you were going to work for him." He said.

"You can't force me to work with someone I don't want to. I want to work with you." I said and he sat up in the chair.

"I can't do it anymore." He said and I literally started crying. I felt like such an idiot, but I didn't want him to leave. I knew if he left I would too and I would never work again. He got up and shut the blinds in my office and he knelt down next to me in my chair with his hand on my knee.

"Blaire, you don't need me here in order to succeed. You are so god damn talented." He said.

"I don't want to work for someone I don't know." I cried.

"You didn't know me when I hired you." He said.

"But you made me feel like I knew you for a lifetime. You're such a good boss and you're nice and you're not always serious. You have fun and don't get mad over little things. He may act nice and great now but he's probably a dickhead. No one could run a business like you. You don't understand." I cried and he cupped my cheek and I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck. He leaned down and held me and he went to get up, but I wrapped my legs around his waist so he lifted me up. I buried my face into his neck and bawled my eyes out and he rubbed my back.

"Then don't work here. You have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Quit and live. You deserve so much happiness and freedom." He said

"Don't leave." I cried and he rubbed my back in circles. He had his cheek pressed against mine and I wanted to kiss him so bad. He kissed me so I guess he knew I did.

"Don't cry. I'll be here always. I'll check in. I'll make sure he treats everyone the way I did." He said.

"Jake, I'm not working here." I said and he looked up at me.

"Blaire-"

"No. I'm not working here without you and I mean that. I can't. I'll quit and I'll live with the money I have and be fine. I'm not doing it without you. My job here was with you. I signed a contract with you." I said and he nodded slowly.

"Okay. I'll let him know I'm hiring a new assistant for him." He said and I buried my face into his neck. My office door opened and he looked up at the doorway and slowly put me down. I looked away from Greg so he wouldn't see my tears and I sat back down at my desk with my hand covering the side of my face.

"Can I just ask you about something, Mr Sanders?" He asked and Jake nodded.

"Yeah-give me a second and I'll be right over." He said and Greg walked out. Jake looked down at me and he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I need to tell him now-so he knows what he's expecting coming in. The whole office needs to know." He said and I nodded and didn't even look at him. I wasn't mad at him. I understood why he was doing it. He wasn't in the mindset to continue running a nationwide business the way he was. He wanted to still have the business under his name and control it which wasn't changing, but he was no longer being hands on with us. I just couldn't work for anyone else. I knew Jake. I knew what he liked and what he didn't. I knew when he was happy or upset and we could flirt and have fun and not always be so serious-but working for someone else, I knew wouldn't feel right. I wouldn't be happy.

"It's still my business. I wouldn't be completely gone. They'll just be someone else in my office." He said and I shook my head.

"I don't want to work here, okay? Tell him whatever you need to."