Page 99 of The Compass Series

CONNOR

I nstead of being with Aaliyah, I hated the fact that I was on my way to deal with Jason and his fuckups.

I wanted more than ever to tell Walter that his son was sucky at his job, but alas, I knew that wouldn’t do any good.

So, I’d do what I knew I’d end up doing: pull Jason out of the hole he’d dug for himself.

If that guy ever had to fix his own messes, he’d really be screwed. Or maybe he’d learn to actually grow up.

When the plane touched down in Los Angeles, I checked into the hotel, then headed straight to the office to meet with Jason. I didn’t want to waste any time and be in California longer than I had to be. All I wanted to do was get back to Aaliyah, snuggle the shit out of her, and be happy.

When I walked into the building, I was stunned to see a familiar face sitting at the receptionist’s desk. “Rose. What are you doing here?” I asked, baffled by her appearance. Last time I saw her, she was having her Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moment in my office after I fired her.

She gave me a smug smirk and shrugged, pushing her overly exposed tits together. “I went where I was appreciated.”

“You can’t be serious.”

She was smacking down on her chewing gum and twirling her hair with her finger as she kept grinning like a villain from a fairy tale. Ursula? Was that you? “It turns out having some good dirt on people could land you a solid job.”

“Who did you have dirt on?”

“You.” She said the word, but it didn’t register instantly.

Because what kind of dirt could she have on me?

“You didn’t really think Damian was the only one who could find out shit about people, did you?” she sneered.

My God. She was really unpleasant to be around. I couldn’t believe I fell for her Goody Two-shoes performance.

Brava, Rose, brava.

“What do you mean you have dirt on me?” I asked.

“I saw it all over your TikTok. You had Jason’s ex-fiancée doing dances with you.

It was obvious that you two have been fucking.

Nobody looks at each other the way you do if there’s not sex happening.

Then people got photographs of you two pretty much making out in Central Park during a photo shoot.

And to think you judged me for screwing Jason when you ended up going and screwing his ex. The double standard.”

“I don’t think you know what a double standard actually is. Also, none of that is your business.”

“Yeah, well, it became my business after you fired me.”

“I don’t have time for this,” I said, tired of talking to a child. I marched past the front desk and straight into Jason’s office.

“Connor. I didn’t expect you before lunchtime,” Jason commented as I walked in.

His desk was stacked high with paperwork, and he had a smug look on his face.

For someone who was failing at life, he sure had a lot of nerve to look smug.

“Take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

I did as he said and clasped my hands. “You said some paperwork was missing and that a few deals fell through?” I asked.

He waved a hand my way. “Nah, I only said that because I knew it would get you on a plane out here. Everything’s fine business-wise.”

“What the hell, Jason? Why am I here then?” The irritation hit me fast, but that wasn’t shocking. Being around Jason had a way of pulling out my annoyance at a record speed.

He sat back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. “Did you think it wouldn’t get back to me? You and Aaliyah? Rose told—and showed—me everything.”

“That’s why you had me fly across the damn states? Because you’re mad about some TikToks and photographs that people took of us?”

“You say ‘us’ as if there actually is a you and Aaliyah. But that would be ridiculous.”

I stayed quiet because I didn’t need to say or prove anything to Jason of all people.

He arched an eyebrow and leaned forward. “No way. You really are with her?”

“It’s none of your business what I do in my private life.”

“The hell it isn’t when you’re dating my Aaliyah.”

“She’s not yours, remember? You stood her up on your wedding day. That was the end of any kind of relationship you had with her.”

“So, you figured you’d pick up my crumbs?”

I took in a deep inhalation and shook my head as I pushed myself up from the chair. “I don’t have time for this. I can’t believe you had me come all the way out here due to you being butt-hurt that Aaliyah moved on.”

“She moved on to you, though? That’s just disrespectful.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s not pretend you and I are close, Jason. We both know that isn’t the case.”

“Where’s the bro code, though? Where’s the respect?”

“We’re adults. We are business colleagues, not friends. There’s no bro code here.”

“You’re a fucking asshole.”

“On that note, I’m going to head out.” I turned to walk away but paused the moment he spoke.

“Have fun with all the hospital trips,” he spat out.

I turned back and cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“With her condition, the girl’s always getting sick. It’s a damn headache. I wasn’t trying to spend every other weekend in the emergency room, but I had to do what I had to do to get this,” he said, gesturing around his office.

What the fuck was he going on about?

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

He raised a brow. “You didn’t know…? Oh shit, you don’t know. She didn’t tell you. Dude—Aaliyah’s ya know…” He made a croaking face. What a fucking fucker.

“What?”

“She’s literally dying.”

“What? No, she’s not.”

“Uh, yeah, she is. Honestly, it seems impossible that you haven’t noticed. I picked up on the signs early on, her fat ass ankles, her nonstop heavy breathing. I knew something was off, but my mom was the one who actually told me.”

“Told you what?”

“She has heart failure. She was diagnosed like two years ago. They said she only has a few more years, which is why, when my parents said I could get this position if I married her, I jumped on board. I figured a few years with the sick chick was worth it if I ended up running the company out here, but I couldn’t go through with it in the end.

Plus, by that point, all the contracts were signed, and it was a done deal. So, I won without the sick girl.”

He kept calling her sick, and it made me want to punch him in his throat. She wasn’t sick. She just had a cold. It was only a cold. It was nothing more than a…

My mind began racing, connecting all the dots that had been right in front of my face the whole time, signs I’d decided to ignore because my feelings for Aaliyah were growing too much.

She was tired a lot.

She got winded easily.

No…she couldn’t be…she would’ve told me…

“Anyway, whatever, man. Have my leftovers while you can. The clock is ticking on that one, so don’t be surprised when you’re at a funeral. One I’m not paying for because I didn’t marry the bitch.”

“Fuck you!” I said, barging toward him and grabbing him by his collar. He stared at me and began snickering as if he was enjoying the show of me finding out that the one girl I’d ever cared for wasn’t going to be around for much longer.

“Yeah, fuck me. Let me go before I call security,” he warned, ripping himself out of my grip.

He smoothed his shirt with his palms and cleared his throat.

“Now, go ahead—go back to New York to your fucked-up prize. I just wanted to tell you face-to-face that you screwed up getting together with her. In the end, you lost, dude.”

I went back to the hotel and pulled out my laptop.

My heart hadn’t stopped racing since the conversation with Jason.

I searched congestive heart failure. I read about every symptom, every cause, every treatment.

I watched YouTube videos about patients who had it, watched videos about people who’d lost loved ones to it.

My panic and worry were at an all-time high as I read more and more details about the severity of heart failure.

Then I searched the timeline of those diagnosed with it.

I searched their survival rate.

My own heart cracked into a million pieces.

Most don’t live past five years.

She had been diagnosed two years ago.

Who knew how much time she had left?

How was this happening? Why hadn’t she told me?

Hell, why hadn’t I realized it?! I fucking knew.

Some part of me was aware, but I ignored all the signs because I didn’t want it to be true.

I didn’t want the hurting of my past to come back to my present.

Yet here I was, doing exactly what I had done as a child.

I was searching for answers. Searching for some light. Searching for a cure to the uncurable.

I sat in my dark hotel room, falling apart as the laptop light shone against my face, realizing the woman I loved was going to die.

And nothing I could do would stop it.