Page 156 of Meet Me In The Dark

“Don’t‘Celeste’me, you self-righteous bastard.”

Self-righteous bastard?

That’s a new one. I’ll add it to the collection.

She doesn’t bother closing the door, but she kicks off her heels, sending them flying toward the corner of my office.

She can never pace properly in heels.

“You’re upset,” I say.

“No shit,” she fires back.

Good.

I like her like this.

Wild. Fierce. Beautifully unfiltered.

I also need her to hate me right now.

“You undermined me.” She pauses just long enough to glare at me before pivoting on her heel and pacing again. “Back at the site. In front of Darren. For what? Some pissing contest? Some last-word power trip?”

I don’t interrupt, even as I see curious heads from outside peering toward the office.

“You hired me because I’m the best.Yousaid that.”

“You are,” I agree.

“Exactly. So why start questioning me now?” Her pacing speeds up. “I understand it’s your building, but you left it in my hands. You vanished, and now you’re storming back with all these little critiques like you haven’t been radio silent the entire time.”

I know, and all I want to do is pull you into my goddamn arms.But I don’t say that because I’m sure she would slap me, and I would deserve it.

“I’m the best at what I do for a reason. You don’t like it? Fine. There are plenty of other architects in this city who will do a half-decent job. It won’t be as good as mine, but that’s your problem.”

I pause and let the silence stretch just long enough to make her twitch.

“You’re right.”

She stops pacing. “You agree?”

“Yes.”

“With everything I just said?”

“Correct.”

She looks at me like I’ve grown two heads. “You disagreed with me back at the site for this exact reaction, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

The fight begins to drain from her shoulders like aslow leak. “Why are you being so agreeable now?”

“Because you’re right, and we both know what this is really about.”

She throws her arms out. “Oh, please do enlighten me. What is this really about?”

I should have expected it.