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“No.” Febe wrinkled her nose. “But we lived in small-town rural America. Stuart dated me as a way to protect me, and then he stayed in town after we graduated to protect Cherish.”

“Oh.” Haylee had a newfound respect for Stuart, even though she’d never met him. Just based on that small explanation, he reminded her of her own brother. “But you hired her.”

“To give her an out, if she wanted it.” Febe played with the edge of her skirt. “And she took it, and I know she took it in part because she’s been infatuated with me since she turned twelve. But it was a way to get her someplace where she might experience some kind of acceptance.”

“But you let that infatuation continue.”

“I can’t control what someone else feels.” Febe looked at Haylee directly. “Cherish is the only one who can sort through her feelings. I’ve been married in that time, and she loved Bernie. Yes, there were some rough times in there when Bernie and I first started dating, but Cherish quickly came to accept her.”

“And Allegra? You think she’ll do the same.”

Febe’s cheeks reddened. “I know she will.”

“How do you know that?”

Febe stood up, smoothing down her skirt as she grabbed her jacket and slid her arms into the sleeves. “Because Cherish doesn’t love me. Not like that. Not anymore.”

Haylee furrowed her brow. She was about to protest again, come up with another reason why Febe was wrong, but Febe shook her head.

“It’s late. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow since Cherish will be home sick. Ordered by the boss, so she has to listen.”

“Good,” Haylee mumbled, though she wasn’t looking forward to running the entire office by herself, especially with the added responsibilities on her shoulders. “Does that mean she’ll actually listen?”

“Most of the time she does.” Febe grabbed her purse. “Get some rest tonight, Haylee. And please don’t think that my relationship with Allegra will have any bearing on your position in the company.”

“Wouldn’t dream of that,” Haylee mumbled as she shuffled her shoe against the carpet. She’d been thoroughly scolded. But that still didn’t mean she believed Febe either. Cherish was going to be devastated as soon as Febe's relationship with Allegra came out. Haylee would have to make sure that she was there for her when that happened.

thirty-two

“Hey.” Haylee looked up from her desk, and the smile that lit up her face twisted Cherish in an entirely different way than the headaches ever did. “You look so much better.”

“Oh, thank you.” Cherish coughed, trying to buy herself time for the flutter of emotions she had desperately tried to work through as the shot finally took the edge of the pain away.

Haylee nodded, the smile remaining on her face and her eyes twinkling.

Damn it, the woman was always full of that contagious energy, and here Cherish was, a moth drawn to the flame. Why did Haylee have to be so beautiful?

Cherish leaned up on her toes, words on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t force herself to say them. She couldn’t make herself actually talk. Instead, she just stared at Haylee like the awkward idiot that she was. The silence stretched and intensified before Cherish blinked back into reality and headed to her desk. But her eyes lingered a little longer, and a pink blush washed over Haylee’s cheeks before she looked down at her hands, fidgeting on the desk.

That was a good sign, surely it was a good sign. Had Febe been right? Could things really be salvaged? Was love truly worth the risk of inevitable heartbreak?

Cherish sat and looked at her desk, exactly how she had left it.

No, not exactly. The cup of coffee she had only half drunk in her attempt to force through the pain had been emptied, washed, and returned. It wasn’t life altering, but the simple task filled Cherish with just a dash of hope to mix in with the layer of confusion that lingered. It had taken a lot to agree to stay home another day, but she’d been determined to use the time to work out what she could do about this whole love thing.

She performed her usual routine, focusing on it more than she normally did. Turn the computer on, check supplies in the top drawer, tuck the bag into the bottom drawer. Enter password. Watch the number of new emails climb.

It was as natural as breathing, but she couldn’t let her mind wander to the sounds of tapping from the desk across from her own. She couldn’t think about the strength or passion she had felt in those fingers.

Shaking her head, Cherish held back the groan. She looked at the cup again. She needed more, and then she would force herself to focus on her work. Something that merely a year ago she would never have had to do. Cherish grabbed the washed coffee cup and stood.

“Coffee?” Haylee spoke, standing up at her own desk at precisely the same time.

“Oh.” Cherish blinked, her lips betraying her as a smile tugged them up at the corners. The air between them crackled, and their eyes met and flitted away only to meet again. “I was just about to go and get some.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I’ll get it for you.” Haylee rushed around to Cherish’s desk, reaching for the mug in Cherish’s hand. Their fingers brushed, and Cherish looked down at their hands. Then quickly back up to Haylee’s face. Haylee’s eyes didn’t dart away this time, her small smile shy as the blush deepened in her cheeks.

“Y-you don’t have to do that,” Cherish stammered.