Page 97 of Not In The Contract

“You did?” I asked, unable to keep the tiny flicker of hope from lighting up my tone.

Elliot nodded. “Managing her schedule firsthand showed me that she had no time for anything,” she explained. “But, like I said, life has a funny way of surprising us. For me, it surprised me with Cam. Who knows what it has in store for you.”

For the first time in years I found myself wondering about my future without the weight of my fears. I found myself wondering if that was something I wanted, if a future with Alex was something I wanted to be a part of my new future outside of school.

There was only one way to know for sure.

32. Future-Proofing

Alex

Myfingersdrummedalongthe hard wood of my desk, my chin cradled in my other hand.

I’d been staring at the same window for an hour, absently watching the raindrops race one another down the glass. The sun peeked through the gaps between the high-rise buildings, almost a promise that the weather would pass soon. I hoped it would. I hated the rain.

My mind buzzed with a sense of unease. Minutes ticked by and yet all I could think about was listening to Devon talk about her future. The uncertainty in her voice had been enough to rattle me, and I found myself wanting to do something to help. But I had no clue where the hell to start.

Katya had been in and out of my office, offering me updates that slipped through my fingers like sand. I knew I should be doing better. I should have been on site, pushing the orphanage construction to keep it from falling behind.

I lifted my gaze to find Devon frowning at her laptop, her legs curled beneath her on the sofa in the office. She spent less and less time in the conference rooms and more time in my office. Not that I minded.

Quite the opposite.

I’d gotten used to her presence to the point where I expected it. Andthatwas the problem. Our two months together would end, and I would have to go back to life the way it was before she’d been shoe-horned into it. I wasn’t sure how to do that.

Devon shifted in her seat, wincing a little, no doubt because she’d been there a few hours, and I quickly looked away. That wasn’t the time to be lamenting over my feelings. I wanted to help her find a future she could be happy with. I wanted to help her find a dream she could chase with all her heart. But was there somethingIcould do to help her?

“Are you okay over there?”

I hummed as I glanced back up, meeting Devon’s eyes over the top of her laptop. “Yeah, why?”

She tilted her head, soft waves of her chestnut hair slipping free of the loose ponytail. “You’re glaring holes through your computer screen. I figured there was something grinding those gears in your head.” She shrugged.

I resisted the sudden urge to hide my face, her words peeling back layers like she could see right through me. It was still unsettling.

“End of the day jitters,” I hedged, drumming my fingers absently on the keyboard instead. I wasn’t typing anything coherent, but the sound was welcome in the otherwise silent office.

Her lips quirked up on one side and she shut her laptop, sliding her feet from under her ass. “I hope it’s not because of me,” she said.

“Why would it be?” I frowned.

“I did meet your friends today,” she explained needlessly: I hadn’t forgotten. “It might have been a little draining for you. Which is okay, by the way. You can tell me if I was a little too forward or…”

“Devon, it’s not that.” I chuckled, and the sound of my laugh seemed to put her at ease. “I just feel like I have more to do, and even less time with which to do it.”

“Is there something I can do to help?” she offered.

I considered it, considered asking her if I could help. If she even wanted my help at all.

“Could you head back ahead of me and grab something to eat?” I asked, the muscle in my jaw ticking as another set of emails filtered into my inbox. “I don’t mind what you get, just make sure it’s not slathered in cholesterol.”

“Don’t make that face.” She giggled. “Youlovedthat steak place we went to.”

“I’m pretty sure you have the cholesterol of an eighty year old man,” I teased.

She shrugged like it didn’t matter at all, like she only cared that it had tasted good at the time. “Maybe, but it would be worth it.” She smirked. She gathered up her things, throwing me not-so-surreptitious glances over her shoulder every few seconds. “I’ll grab dinner from that Italian place Hayden told us about.”

I smiled in response and watched her walk out with a wave, my mind wandering back to square one.