One Bossy Disaster: Chapter 18

It has been a weird, hectic few days.

The whole office is in a flurry, but I can’t get a word out of anyone explaining why.

Carol tells me it’s over her head and above her pay grade. She’s not privy to any details.

Rebecca tells me it’s all very hush-hush, and whatever wheels are moving are known only to executive and legal.

Yes, it involves a major legal case. That’s the only thing anyone seems to know.

And naturally, both Hannah and Shepherd are busy as ever, buried in calls and meetings related to quarterly earnings when they aren’t huddling up with lawyers.

My emails go unanswered.

Fine.

I get it.

If the company is embroiled in some major legal case, then it makes sense they’re both tied down putting out fires. I just wish I could get more than a vague you’ll know everything soon from Shepherd by text.

I have so many questions.

Like why I’m suddenly not sharing the office with Mark and his stuff is gone.

Sure, it’s a mildly pleasant surprise not having him hanging over my shoulder, making inane comments.

But it’s weird.

What happened? Why did he get canned so abruptly? Was he stealing pens by the truckload or hacking the vending machines?

No one seems to know.

A few people give my lonely little office odd looks when they see he’s gone, but I’m thinking they just miss the parade of pastries and bagels he’d always bring.

I try to pick up the slack once or twice, bringing in Regis rolls and boxes of coffee from Sweeter Grind. It can’t hurt to invest in a little goodwill around here.

I also press on alone, tackling the query pile for Corporate Giving, moving through polite rejections and sorting promising candidates for the higher-ups.

Onward and upward.

If I stay busy, maybe I won’t think about the quiet tremors happening under the surface at Home Shepherd, but of course, I still do.

How could I ignore them when I’m sure it relates to our trouble?

But I’ve scoured the news a million times over and there’s nothing new. No one has reported anything about Home Shepherd or Meghan or even Vanessa.

Even Meghan has been weirdly quiet since her last video.

The smaller influencers hoping to ride her coattails by covering the scandal are also spinning their wheels, and new videos have slowed to a crawl the last couple days.

Awesome news, in theory.

In practice, it’s suspiciously quiet.

Best of all, the trip is today. This afternoon, we’ll be embarking on Shepherd’s yacht for a whale trip.

So I head out a little early, clean up, and then drive to his massive estate and wait for him to meet me at the door, bringing Molly along for the ride.

“Destiny.” My name sounds so reverent in his mouth it makes my breath catch.

So does the way he pulls me into his arms.

It’s barely been a week but he hugs me like it’s been a decade apart.

God, he’ll never not feel good.

It doesn’t matter that his face is dark and shadowed, handsome but haggard with a five o’clock shadow.

His gaze passes over my face, and I wonder if he sees my worry.

The fact that I don’t know what’s going on.

Automatically, I wrap my arms around his waist and press my nose against his neck. He smells like salt and cologne and iron discipline.

How can any man smell so familiar?

Except, I know him intimately.

We’ve explored too much of each other to ever forget.

I even know what’s behind his icy stares and permanent scowls and the rare smiles I cherish.

I know about his mobster uncle ruining his start to life, his traitor ex and her crazy lover.

I know the secrets that keep his heart bound in barbed wire twine.

And I think, maybe, I’ve gotten a glimpse of the real tenderness underneath the bleeding, hurt mess.

His grouchy mask is just that—a front for a hidden warmth and sweetness that makes me feel—

No.

Don’t even think it.

But I do.

After my own little tragedy growing up, after I’ve tried like hell to deny what’s been happening for weeks, it shouldn’t be such a painful surprise.

Shepherd’s arms feel so flipping good around me, proof that it’s deeper than just sparking desire or comfort.

It’s pure love, plain and simple.

And I don’t know what the hell to do with that at all.

The tension locked in my muscles slowly drains away.

“Hey,” I say, breathing the word against his skin.

I need to bite my tongue. Words I don’t dare say aloud want to escape.

We’re not there yet.

Not yet.

Not ever.

If I’ve truly, madly fallen for him, it’s not a love that can grow and thrive. It’s the kind I need to smother, no matter how many tears and emotional bruises it brings.

And I’m already breathing around a scratchy lump in my throat as I inhale him.

“Hey yourself. Sorry I’ve been so busy, but I think you’ll be very happy,” he says.

I’m not so sure.

Nothing compares to having him with me, grumping his way into my life and searing me with rough kisses.

I know it’s ridiculous and it trails me like a shadow in the summery afternoon sunlight splashing over us.

“It’s fine. I’m glad you made time for this,” I manage.

“Of course. Wouldn’t miss your sei whales for an extra inch on my dick.”

That makes me laugh, and for a second I look up into a playfulness in his eyes, breaking through the darkness.

But it only lasts a second, and then it’s gone again.

“Are you sure, though? I keep hearing there’s some big legal happenings going on…”

He sighs.

For a second, I think he’ll tell me what the hell’s been going on. But his blue eyes search my face, the ice in them melted in the midday heat.

He doesn’t speak.

Instead, he tips my chin up and his lips find mine.

He kisses me fiercely, greedily, like he can feel the same thread of our strange fate unraveling, just like I do.

His fingers brush my cheek.

Somehow, it feels like goodbye.

One final kiss made for engraving me in his memory.

I dig my fingers into his shirt, swallowing a whimper, trying to hold him closer, to keep him. But he breaks away, giving me a stiff smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Molly whines next to me, pawing at my leg.

“Someone’s impatient. Shall we?” he says lightly, kneeling to scratch below her ears.

No.

Let’s stay here and talk about why you look so worried.

Let’s talk about why you’ve been ignoring me and keeping this legal thing under lock and key.

Let’s talk about how we ever walk away after everything we’ve shared.

But I force a nod, stifling so many questions.

“Now?” I whisper.

“We don’t want to lose the light. It takes a good two hours to get up there and last I heard, the whales are active today.”

“Okay. That makes sense.” I force a smile as Mol leans against my leg, staring up at me with questioning eyes.

Ugh.

I don’t sound good at all.

More like there’s a lizard trapped in my throat.

He doesn’t take my hand as he leads me through the house, and while he gets ready, I slide my phone out of my back pocket, scrolling through the latest notifications.

There’s plenty rolling in from social media, mostly reposts and a few straggler replies to the latest drama when it first blew up.

Nothing new—except for a DM on Instagram from Meghan Tea.

“What the hell?” I whisper.

Shepherd strides around the house like he’s on a mission, filling his water bottle now, so he doesn’t notice.

Destiny, don’t go. Don’t go anywhere with him.

My heart stalls.

I read it three times.

That’s all it says.

Two stark sentences that come out of nowhere and say so much without telling me anything at all.

I’m not sure what to think.

For one, she shouldn’t know we’re spending time together, though she didn’t mention any specifics. It could just be an assumption.

Still, this feeling of wrongness catches at the base of my throat, making it hard to breathe.

What do you mean? I message back.

For all I know, it’s another cruel mind game. And seeing the dynamic at our meeting, probably some scheme her mother put her up to.

I wonder how much she agrees with Adriana, though.

No, I don’t know her. It’s not like we were ever more than distant frenemies before this craziness blew up.

But when we have messaged before, she’d usually reply pretty fast, thanks to being the terminally online type. She’s always on her phone, checking her socials and analytics, never missing the slightest chance to promote herself or jump on a fresh subject with viral potential.

The minutes tick by and my message stays unseen.

Huh.

She’s probably just messing with my head, trying to shake me up with this creepy-ass vague warning.

But I’m not letting this wreck what might be my last time with Shepherd Foster.

“Dess?” he calls loudly from the kitchen, almost like he can read my mind. “Everything okay?”

I stare at my phone for a few more seconds while Molly flattens herself on the ground. Nothing but more notifications rolling in.

“I’m good,” I call back, wrapping Molly’s leash more firmly around my hand.

When he emerges and heads for the back door, I join him.

We walk down the sun-soaked path to the pier together with Molly weaving between us, her head up and her eyes bright.

“This is her first time on a big boat that’s not a ferry,” I explain.

“We’ll see if she’s impressed,” he says. “I suspect fancy yachts don’t do much for Lancaster girls.”

I roll my eyes but laugh anyway.

His yacht is actually perfectly nice as far as rich guys and their toys go.

I expected nothing less, but as we get closer, I can appreciate just how sleek and modern it is, pretty but functional instead of grossly flashy like some others I’ve been on.

It’s a tall beast with white sides and massive black windows. A few cozy lounge chairs are perched in the front for soaking up the sun, and each cabin below is equipped with its own floor-to-ceiling windows.

We spend a few minutes on the deck before he leads me inside the main cabin.

It’s gorgeous and modern, no question.

Despite the weird tension that still has me checking my phone every few minutes, excitement bubbles up in my chest.

Sei whales.

We’re going to be riding off into the sunset, sipping champagne, and seeing freaking sei whales.

Another dream come true, and all because of him.

The excitement must be contagious. Molly barks and spins in a circle, getting her leash wrapped around her lanky legs.

“See? She’s almost as pumped as I am,” I joke.

Shepherd smiles softly as he glances at me and then the dog, but he doesn’t make any move to hold me again.

I’m worried that kiss was an anomaly.

Something he only did because he couldn’t help himself.

Did he need it like medicine? To soothe the same melancholy that keeps eating me alive?

Sigh.

I hate goodbyes with a vengeance.

Especially when all I want is for him to hold me and kiss me just like he did after we left Adriana and Meghan stewing at the restaurant.

No one ever held me quite like that.

It made me realize it’s been so long since I truly felt safe, sure about what I’m doing with my life.

All the drama in the world doesn’t matter when I’m in his arms, anchored to his massive chest.

We can take on the entire world together.

Alone, there are cracks.

Big ones, splinters, a thousand different reasons we shouldn’t be together.

I’m desperately trying not to hurt.

I don’t even know how to enjoy the moments we still have left.

So I dig my fingers into Molly’s fur for support, counting my breaths.

This is fine.

We’re going to have fun this evening.

We’re going to see the whales.

And whatever happens next isn’t up to me.

“Is Molly holding up all right?” Shepherd asks as he joins me at the window, the husky happily watching with her tongue out. “Do you need—”

“She’s fine.” I wish I could say the same.

I stand up and scratch my eyes, just in case any tears sneaked out when I wasn’t paying attention.

“Can you take her leash for a minute? I just want to take in the view and get a few quick shots.”

He takes it and stands with her so gently while I circle around the observation room, taking in a near 360 degree panorama of the mountains and silver waters reflecting the sunset. I hold up my phone, snapping photos and a few short clips.

“This is seriously amazing. I’ve never seen a ship built like this,” I say.

“Same as the house. I brought in designers who gave it my personal touch.”

I smile like a total fool.

Of course he did.

This man is a force of nature, always leaving his mark on the world.

I just wish he didn’t do it so effortlessly with me.

I walk the room slowly, and then we step outside to the main deck. The cool breeze is the sharp slap in the face I need to smother the weepy burn digging at my eyes.

A tan muscular man with greying black hair and a big smile approaches.

“This is Captain Juan,” Shepherd says. “He’ll bring us to the whales today, safe and sound.”

Juan smiles, displaying white teeth. He’s in his forties, I think, and he has the kind of wiry strength you see in guys who get their exercise from their day jobs rather than the gym.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Lancaster. You brew a mean cup of coffee.”

“Destiny, please, and that’s actually my dad. He’s in charge of Wired Cup.” I smile warmly enough, but my heart twists.

I haven’t said a word to my father since he was basically ready to come at Shepherd for robbing the cradle. I shouldn’t keep delaying the inevitable—especially when we’ll be broken up soon enough—but lately it’s just been too much to deal with.

“Ah. Please pass along my compliments.” His smile is wide and easy, like the glinting sun on water. It should help defuse the tension, but it doesn’t.

Shepherd and Captain Juan talk logistics for a few minutes and I try to say a few words. But my heart isn’t in it when I know this is it.

The beginning of the end for my heart.

“Leave the navigation side to me,” Captain Juan says warmly before he steps away. “You two just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”

Easy, right?

God, it should be.

“Okay to leave her here for a minute?” Shepherd asks.

I nod and he ties Molly’s leash to the railing as we head to the front of the ship, standing together as the engine rumbles to life and hums beneath us.

“Away we go,” he says, reaching for my hand. “You need anything else? I thought you’d be more excited.”

Don’t cry, don’t cry.

“Oh, no. All good. I’m just enjoying the breeze and—this view. Wow,” I lie.

Whatever eliminates the chance of breaking down in a messy heap of tears at his feet.

He half smiles, clasping my hand tighter before he looks back at the horizon.

As we chug into the bay and head north at a good speed, I glance behind us at the rapidly shrinking Seattle skyline.

We live in such a beautiful place with the ocean on our doorstep and the mountains cradling this city.

If this is it for us, it’s a picture-perfect finish.

I really should shut my mind up and appreciate every second.

The wind streams across my face as we plow through the open waves, the edge of coolness softened by the summer evening.

I hold up my fingers, feeling the way the breeze slips through them like invisible silk.

Seagulls cackle overhead, and for a second, I can believe we’re alone in the world.

Nothing but us.

Shepherd and Molly and me. After we head back to her, Molly leans her head against my hip, enjoying the rush of air through her fur.

“Thanks again for doing this. I hope it isn’t interrupting your work too much,” I say, wondering if he’ll tell me anything.

“Dess, I would’ve dragged you here. When I heard about the whales, I couldn’t let you miss it.” He glances at me kindly and then looks back, leaning on the railing.

When did our conversations become so stilted?

It’s like the air clogs with everything we’re not saying, and nothing else can get through.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a kid,” I tell him. “They’re so rare. I mean, it’s such an unlikely experience, you know? This group is the first one that’s been spotted in Washington waters all year, I think.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “You’ve got to seize your chances. Grab them and hold the hell on.”

My heart twists again.

“…do you think we’ll really see them today? I know it’s never guaranteed, especially with how fast the weather changes up in the islands.”

“Guess there’s some thunder and wind later, but we should have a good window of opportunity.” Shepherd walks over to the lounge chair where he set his bag down and pulls out his tablet. He shows me the pulsing green dot that looks like our last whale report, not far from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

“They were here around noon,” he says. “No promises we’ll find them, of course, but at least we know the area. You feeling lucky today, Miss Destiny? Like you’re going to live up to your name?”

Damn him.

The way he smiles crushes what’s left of my heart.

I have to turn away, blotting my eyes as I pretend to fix my windswept hair before I can face him again.

“Everybody used to make dumb jokes about my name in middle school. I don’t need you joining in,” I tease back, loving and hating how he laughs.

It’s an amazing sound, almost as rare as those breathtaking animals.

This is such a perfect moment—and this pit in my chest is ruining it.

I feel every tear of my heart like thin paper ripping apart.

Slowly but surely, piece by piece, one lost second at a time.

Go ahead and call it cheesy and sentimental.

It won’t change the fact that I’m losing him and I hate it and there’s nothing I can do.

The thing they never tell you about falling for someone is that sometimes you don’t land in their arms for a happily ever after.

Sometimes you miss, you hit the pavement, and you shatter apart.

His fingers curl around the railing with white-knuckled intensity that makes me wonder what he’s thinking.

The yacht rumbles on, cutting a path through the waves with surgical precision, sending spray through the air that wets my face.

Is holding hands as good as it gets now?

If I threw myself in his arms, would he take me?

I grip the railing tighter, forcing my attention back to the rippling water until a thicker burst of spray splats my face.

“Ick, that’s cold,” I sputter.

Shepherd chuckles beside me.

How do I live without that laugh?

“Anyone would think you’ve never been on the water before.”

“It got in my eye, dude.”

“Let me see.” He reaches for me, turning my face so gently.

I look up through damp eyes to see him looking down at me. His thumbs smooth over my cheeks, delicately massaging them clean.

I want him to kiss me so bad it’s blinding.

The longer we lock eyes, the more my vision blurs.

Dark like mist on the water, willing him to reach down and close this frozen distance between us.

If I could, I’d kiss him right here with the captain and crew watching.

I don’t care.

If I’m losing this after today, better for us to go out with a bang that sends our hearts soaring.

The sheer force of my desperation takes me by surprise, and I bite my lip.

“You’re doing it again,” he whispers raggedly, his hand caressing my face now.

“Doing what?” I mouth.

“Turning me inside fucking out. Dess, when you look at me like that—” He breaks off, inhaling sharply, and his eyes drop to my mouth.

Kiss me now, you emotionally-challenged idiot, I think.

This doesn’t have to be the end.

I beam the thought to him so strongly I swear he must feel it.

Shepherd, please.

But I watch the conflicted thoughts on his face, how his breath fights with the wind.

And it’s the intensifying wind that wins out as he drops his hands and turns away, gripping the railing with both hands.

No, no, no.

“Has anyone bothered you lately in the office? The rumors?” he asks, back to being all business. “Hannah said she had it sorted and shut them down, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

“No, it’s… it’s fine. People look but they don’t talk behind my back. At least, not where I can hear. I think they liked the cinnamon rolls I brought as a peace offering. She did a great job.”

Nodding, he digs a finger into his collar, tugging it loose.

His hair billows back in the wind, so dark and kissed by the sea gods I feel jealous.

I still want to run my fingers through it so badly they hurt.

Yes, this is silly.

It’s like I’m possessed by the spirit of every fifteen-year-old girl with her first crush.

Only, I know exactly where this longing came from.

Just like I know I’m hilariously powerless to stop it.

So I lean forward into the wind, taking its crisp slap across the face. Like that can somehow blunt the hold Shepherd has on my heart.

“Are you cold?” he asks. “We can always move inside, or I can grab you a blanket from the cabin.”

“No, no. This is great. It’s actually refreshing.”

He looks at me without a shred of belief, this emotional elephant we’re not acknowledging growing bigger with every word.

What I should do right now is find a good angle to grab a few shots and short clips to share with my followers.

They’d love this whole excursion, regardless of whether or not there’s an awesome whale sighting at the end.

But I can’t while I have this moment.

This experience with Shepherd is still ours.

It’s too precious to let anything pull me out of it.

Plus, I don’t want anyone else looking into this private little world we’ve carved for ourselves with the sun peeking in and out of the swirling pink clouds and the mountains staring down as our only witnesses.

All I can do is watch him as he stands there, too striking to breathe, staring straight ahead with his jaw clenched and a sparkle in his frosted blue eyes.

“Less than an hour now. We’re closing in,” Shepherd says without looking at me.

Time is going fast. Don’t remind me.

My stomach knots and tries to climb up my throat until it happens.

His hand brushes mine, and when I look over, he’s closer.

A second later, my fingers are tangled in his.

I flipping lose it then.

The tears come furiously, spilling out as I turn away.

He just keeps holding on silently, like he knows how much I need him.

“Give your tears to the wind, woman. Not me,” he whispers. “Truth be told, I hate that we have to go our separate ways.”

I’m choking so hard I can barely speak. “Th-then why?”

Molly sinks down near my feet with a sympathetic whine.

“You already know. We both do,” he says gently, turning and pulling me into his arms.

And he lets me break, just holding me silently, shielding me from my own pulverized heart.

Safe for a little while.

“I never meant to hurt you. Hell, I didn’t mean to wind up in any position where I could. You must know it,” he says, tucking my head under his chin.

He just holds me while I’m speechless for what feels like hours.

I don’t even know.

“You’re smart as a whip, eager to fix this world’s mistakes, and so young you haven’t lost your shine. That’s what I’ll always love about you, Destiny. I’m grateful you let me see it. One day, you’ll look back. You’ll see all this as a bump in the road, nothing but a nuisance against how incredible you’re bound to be.”

I’m beyond speechless.

His words are so dangerously close to an I love you my whole being freezes.

The worst part is, there’s no room to bargain.

No counterargument.

No convincing.

He’s so painfully right it’s like being skinned alive, so I do the only thing I can.

I let him hold me until I’m too numb from the wind and his scent to think about wishing for more.

Later, we make our way inside to warm up.

The wind is picking up as we approach the islands, verging on uncomfortable.

We’re still so quiet, but it’s like we’ve found an understanding in the companionable silence with Molly snoozing on a rug at our feet.

I’m startled when she jumps up and looks out the window with her ears back.

When I spin around for a better look at what she’s seeing, I can’t believe my eyes.

“Destiny,” Shepherd says at the same time.

My throat goes tight when the first whale surfaces.

I’m all instinct as I lunge toward the glass, soaking up the sight of the sleek grey body cutting through the waves.

Water sprays through its blowhole, and as a second beast surfaces, I find my voice again.

“Holy shit. Did… did you see that?” I think I might be close to crying all over again.

“I’m right behind you,” he whispers.

And he means it literally as he wraps his hands around my waist, holding me up.

Just in time.

Looks like the emotional quicksand I’ve been drowning in hasn’t ruined my luck today.

We might never see another one of these gentle giants, but they’re here.

Here with us.

I’m floating, exiting my body and entering this alternate reality where this handsome, confusing man is breaking my heart at the same time he gives me a miracle.

Another whale bursts through the surf, splattering us with water, and I squeal incoherently. I don’t mind the rain that’s beginning to fall, slightly clouding our view.

Crying.

I’m definitely crying.

“They’re so majestic,” I say, wiping my cheeks, willing myself to stop going to pieces for one freaking minute.

But Shepherd is barely watching the whales. His eyes are on me, even as he grabs his phone with one hand and taps off a message.

“Just told Juan to hold position and keep a safe distance. They’re yours as long as they’ll stay,” he whispers reverently.

Together, we watch them in awestruck silence.

Even Molly doesn’t bark, observing as they ply the seas like bears pushing through brush.

I’m hit with a thousand memories of the last time this happened with the otters.

I didn’t know what was coming then.

Now, the future is too clear, but I try to stay in the moment, just relishing the scene.

If only I could stop time.

Capture this instant, set it in amber, press it between the pages of my memory, chop it out of reality, and paste it into the scrapbook of my life.

My eyes are wide, trying not to miss a single thing.

Every second, I’m here.

I’m present.

I’m living a godsend with Shepherd and I don’t want to forget.

As we watch the pod slowly make its way away from the yacht, back into the open sea, we remain speechless.

There’s only his hands, locked around my waist, anchoring us to this unspoken final moment that’s our parting gift.

But at least I know he’s with me, even if my heart refuses to understand why it has to be our last.

My chest is heavy, weighed down with regrets, but the spark of joy from seeing the whales helps me forget the future.

Almost.

I’ll never forget who brought me here.

I’ll never lose the heartache.

When I finally get the courage to glance up, he’s watching me with this fond, bittersweet, barely there smile.

It’s definitely for me and not the whales.

He looks at me like he’s seeing something precious for the last time, before it becomes a lost treasure.

Here we go again.

I’m splinters.

This time, the sudden pain strikes so hard I gasp. I have to look away before he sees it in my face.

The last time.

The last effing time.

Shepherd squeezes my hand as the whales sink back below the surface and the storm that’s been brewing overhead picks up, pelting the windows with diamond droplets.

“Was it as awesome as you hoped?”

Yes, yes.

And no, not nearly.

I turn, leaning into him, needing to feel him one more time.

“Can you check my pulse?” I manage. “I can’t believe we actually saw them. And crap, I didn’t even get a picture…”

“I had Juan capturing everything with the ship’s cameras. I’ll be sure to forward you the footage. Should be easy enough to edit however you’d like.”

Oh my God.

He really thought of everything.

“You know, even if part of this sucks… I’m glad we came,” I force out behind a sob. “If this is it for us, I can’t imagine a better finish.”

Besides not severing our hearts at all.

He nods slowly, his hands burning my sides.

I wonder if he feels it too.

He gives a long sigh, but before I can ask what’s on his mind, he says, “We’ll keep working on adapting our surveillance technology to conservation. The drones are just the beginning.”

“You really think so?”

“I’d be a damned fool to walk away from a brilliant idea.”

So why are you walking away from me?

I wish I could stop smiling at him calling me brilliant long enough to ask.

Never mind the fact that I get his logic.

I’m too young and sunny and he’s too dark and damaged and obsessed with his work, and we’ve been nothing but trouble since the day we met. And Dad might still put a price on his head, but—

But we shouldn’t be breaking up something so good.

My smile mirrors his, full of sad frustration. My cheeks feel raw against the drying salt on my skin.

“Thanks again, Shepherd. I’ll never forget it.” My voice is so thick. “And I’m sorry if I ever misjudged you when you just keep telling me how smart and pretty I am.”

“You saw me too well, Dess. That’s always been the problem.”

He glances down at me, a frown touching his eyes as his fingers brush my jaw. The caress is so light it feels almost imaginary.

He isn’t wrong.

This man who’s capable of such gentleness, such tenderness, such fierceness and courage, and yet he hides it all so well.

My eyes sting. I have to suck in a deep breath before smiling up at him.

He says nothing now, looking down at me, his eyes storming and dark.

Time loses all meaning until I feel Molly pawing at my leg, checking to see if I’m still alive.

Eventually, he clears his throat and looks back out the window.

The whales are long gone and the rain is hitting harder now.

It’s like a middle finger from Mother Nature telling us that this special moment is definitely over.

“I want you to know it’s under control. Soon, you won’t have to worry about Meghan or her warped mother anymore,” he tells me.

“Why? What happened?”

“You’ve heard about the legal drama, I’m sure. Mark was the one who stole the drone, and we have evidence. He was working with Meghan and Adriana. He grabbed a prototype from the lab and sold them the photos of us he took. His stupidity is our smoking gun.”

My brain short-circuits.

Mark?

Overgrown annoying puppy Mark Cantor did this?

Anger ignites my insides, and I brace my hands against Shepherd’s chest.

He’s so broad, so big, I feel safe enough to absorb the shock when I’m in his arms.

“He… he hated me that much?” I ask. “Jesus. I never thought…”

I shake my head.

Mark never showed me more than awkward overfriendliness.

If anything, I thought maybe he had a work crush on me.

Or maybe he wanted to impress me because he had a compulsive desire to suck up to people and make them like him.

Just look at how he treated everyone else.

Look how he treated Shepherd, Mr. Brownnoser extraordinaire.

Or so I thought.

“I’m glad you caught him, but honestly, I’m furious. The fact that he was using me the whole flipping time—”

“It’s not about you, Destiny,” Shepherd interrupts, taking my chin. He tilts my head so I look him in the eyes again. “This was about me. About sticking it to the man in his entitled mind. He expected a promotion for breathing. The little reprobate thought he saw a chance to make some money and fuck me over, and he took it.”

“Still. He used me. He turned me into a weapon against you…”

“No. He tried,” Shepherd says sharply. “The kid would’ve used anyone who’d give him a leg up. I’ve seen his type a thousand times. Cutthroat little cowards who’ll lie and cheat their way to the top, not caring who they step on along the way.”

I nod limply.

My stomach bottoms out. But although thinking about how two-faced Mark is creeps me out, it’s also a relief.

We finally have answers.

No, evidence.

A smoking gun, just like he said.

“Wait, so you have total proof they paid him off?”

“Enough to connect the dots.” He grins. “My legal team never had a case handed to them so neat.”

“Wow.”

My brain is spinning as it snaps into place.

I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.

His nonstop whining about being ‘just an intern,’ his daily salary complaints, even though he drives a newer car than me.

The way he targeted me, always sucking up, trying to make me think he just wanted a friend or he was that hard up for a date.

“So, you’re suing him to death, right?”

“Criminal charges. Only way they ease up is if he spills everything on the Cervas. They’re not worming their way out of this. It’s just a matter of time. I have the proof—unauthorized access and material theft. All that’s left to do is pour the heat on Meghan. Seeing how she acts, I suspect she’ll come to her senses sooner or later. She’ll crack and she’ll tell us just how fucked up her mother really is to save her own skin.”

Ouch.

Poor Meghan.

Yes, she’s a massive tool and a phony—even if she’s been under crazy pressure—but with a mother like that?

It’s hard to despise her.

I really want to know how much she’s been threatened and ground into compliance.

With any luck, she won’t get the bad ending. This whole thing blowing open could be a fresh start for her.

Adriana, on the other hand…

I hope that witch gets whacked in the face by her own broomstick.

The message from Meghan flashes again in my brain. I purse my lips, wondering what that was all about.

Another pathetic scheme by her mom, probably.

Something meant to drive a wedge between me and Shepherd, if she wasn’t fishing for information about our plans so she could cause more mischief.

Adriana Cerva really should’ve hired better minions than Mark.

I grit my teeth at the thought.

“Once she’s discredited,” Shepherd continues, “the ripple effect should finish off Dumas’ claims. They’ve been dropping off the radar anyway, now that she’s milked time in the spotlight. People lose interest fast without a steady stream of fresh crap. Then we can get on with our lives.”

“Two birds, one stone,” I agree. “Pretty awesome sleuthing.”

And it is, if only it wasn’t one more sign of the end.

We go silent, still sharing a smile as I pull away. I settle next to him and stroke Molly’s neck.

It’s colder now, the realization stark and silent and hurting, even if I’m thrilled we get to walk away from this in one piece.

Shepherd doesn’t move, either.

We’re both trapped in each other’s presence, and I think maybe if I freeze in place, we’ll never address the elephant in the room again.

But maybe we don’t need each other.

What’s that saying again?

All’s well that ends well?

This is, technically, the best ending possible to something that was never meant to be.

We just don’t have the courage to admit it.

But Shepherd blinks as he clears his throat.

“I was thinking,” he says, “about releasing you from the Young Influencers program early. You’ll still get your money, so don’t fret about that.”

“What?” I take a step back.

“I’ve decided to match the prize with an investment of my own. You’re getting double—four million dollars,” he assures me, like it’s the only thing that’s ever mattered.

Holy crap.

Of course, I care about the money.

I’m thrilled to have a sizable donation to a charity of my choice, but hearing the rest knifes me in the heart.

He’s letting me go.

Officially.

“In the long run, it’s better this way,” he says. “You won’t be around to suffer any more whispers or evil eyes in the office. I won’t risk tainting your reputation further as the legal actions against Mark and the Cervas hit the news cycle.”

“My reputation? Don’t you mean yours?” The anger, the hurt, just erupts right out of me.

His gaze holds steady as it locks on mine.

“If that’s what I meant, I would have said it. Your reputation is the only thing that’s mattered since those photos dropped, Dess. You’ve suffered enough and I won’t keep tarnishing you.”

The air punches out of me.

My gut fills with lead, jagged and sharp.

The shards cut even as they drag me down.

Fresh tears sting my eyes and I have to turn away.

“Don’t you think it’s a little late for that now? Pretending we were never together?”

“Destiny—” He sighs.

“Is this why you really brought me here today? So you could soften the blow and then tell me to my face to leave?”

His face tightens.

The ending we saw rampaging toward us slams me in the face so hard I’m almost blinded. The elephant in the room, trampling over my heart and leaving it for dead.

I wonder if I already have ugly tears rolling down my cheeks when I notice I’ve bitten the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood.

This is so ridiculous.

I knew this big goodbye was bound to hurt, so why does it matter how he does it?

Why do I care so much?

I knew I was bad for him from our anti-meet-cute.

Just like I knew this was never destined to be anything more.

But my chest splits open, a black hole swallowing his words. If only it could absorb the icy stare etched on his face.

“We came here because I know how much this means to you. If I hadn’t gotten the tip about the whales, this conversation would’ve happened in my office,” he throws back.

“Okay. So now we go home and I fuck right out of your life? Easy-peasy, right?”

“Easy?” he snarls, hurt welling in his eyes.

I immediately regret my snark.

Even Molly pulls away, clearing the void between us to flop down on the rug in the center of the room again like she can’t stand the pain vibrating the air.

“Goddammit it, Destiny. What did you think was going to happen? I’m trying to protect you. Can’t you see it?”

Unfortunately, I can.

It just rips me apart to say it.

“…I just thought we’d face this together and I’d finish out my time,” I whisper. “You know I hate special treatments. I agreed to the terms you set when I signed on as your influencer. You seriously want to send me packing so I can’t do the work I was hired to do? Won’t that look worse when reporters circle back from the legal drama again?”

“They’ll agree it’s understandable, considering—fuck, everything,” he growls.

The rough confidence in his voice kills me.

I shake my head, turning away.

“For the record, I didn’t want it to go down like this. I wish you’d understand that. The best way to save your future is to get you the hell away. Staying on and leaving yourself open to more bullshit, you can’t tell me that’s a good idea.” There’s an urgency in his voice that draws me in, forces me to look at him and assess whether I believe him.

Do I?

Yes.

Do I want to?

God, no.

But before he can say anything else—before I let him stomp on what’s left of my heart—there’s a sharp static crackle from the ship’s intercom speaker in the corner.

The noise catches us so off guard we both whip our heads toward it. That’s when I notice how much the wind has picked up, battering the giant windows so hard they’re almost rattling in their frames.

Then Captain Juan’s voice comes through the racket.

“All hands, all hands, this is your captain speaking. The ship has declared a weather emergency. Please listen closely to the following instructions…”