Page 30 of Point of Contention

I waited, unsure of what to say in response to this news.I’m sorryfelt trite and insignificant.

“I need you to come back to work.”

My mouth dropped open. Somehow, I hadn’t expected this, even after she told me Laurel was in the hospital. But why else would she be calling? Mina wasn’t a useless chit-chat kind of woman.

Even though I’d agreed to return to Reed Tower, to the internship, returning to White Rabbit terrified me. Sure, I’d met Cabot at Reed Tower, but what we’d done in the underground club was what made us, what started the relationship.

Returning to Reed Tower was a lot all on its own. Returning tobothplaces would undo me.

“Mina, I can’t—”

“Listen. I understand where you’re coming from.”

Eh, doubtful.

“But I’m in a pickle and I have no one else to call. Lacey has been filling shifts, and a few others from downstairs have stepped in when they could, but with Laurel out and me all the way in California for at least another week, I really need you to help me out here. When I return at the end of the week, I will have someone in place to relieve you.”

I sighed, shaking my head as I gnawed on my thumbnail and circled a patinaed copper statue of a man crouched on the ground, pointing across the way to another sculpture I didn’t understand the allure of.

“I don’t think I can,” I whispered.

“I understand,” she said, “I wouldn’t ask this of you if I wasn’t desperate. I only need a week.”

I tilted my head, considering.

“He’s in London, Rylan.” She paused, then added, “Or possibly back in Los Angeles by now. Either way, you won’t see him.”

My shoulders slumped. When I sent him those texts this morning, I’d pictured him in New York, felt oddly closer to him, but he hadn’t been here at all. Something about that made the ache of missing him even heavier.

But I nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes. But only for one week.”

“That’s all I need, Rylan. Thank you. Can you start tonight? I know it’s a Saturday, and you likely have plans…”

“Just dinner. My mom’s in town. But I can eat earlier and come in by six. Will that work?”

“Perfect. I’ll let Lacey know. Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.”

We sat around the dining room table in Professor Clements’ small kitchen, an early dinner of my mom’s famous Chicken a la King and fresh homemade biscuits spread out before us. But my mind wasn’t at the table. It wasn’t focused on the meal I’d loved so much in my childhood. I barely even tasted each creamy bite.

I wasn’t here at all.

I’d be heading back to the place it all started tonight, and I couldn’t tell if the feeling buzzing just below the surface of my skin was excitement or fear. Maybe a bit of both. Just a handful of days ago I’d been convinced my life as I knew it was over, and now I was scheduled to return to both my job at White Rabbit and my internship at Reed romance.

Once again, everything felt surreal, like it was happening to someone else.

The conversation died down, silence suddenly registering in my mind and saving me from pointless thoughts of Cabot Reed.

Lifting my gaze, I met the questioning stares of all three people at the table. “What?”

“You haven’t said a word throughout the whole meal,” Greer said, one eyebrow quirking up.

“Oh. Sorry. Just thinking.” I shrugged and dismissed their curious looks with a flick of my wrist.

“Rylan,” the professor said, drawing my attention to the man directly across the table. “I’d like to speak to you about something…” He paused as he assessed me, then flicked his gaze to my mom before returning it to me. “I think now might be as good a time as any.”