Chasing Destiny (29 page)

The two came to a halt in front of the elevator and Jacob pressed the button to summon it to their floor. Tim was babbling about a curvy brunette he’d spotted the previous week, but Jacob wasn’t paying much attention; he was too pre-occupied with the internal battle raging inside of him. He knew it was time to move on; begin the process of salvaging the fragmented pieces that was his life, but his wounds were still fresh and he questioned his readiness. Maybe he needed more time; a few days or possibly even a few more weeks?

Nonsense, he thought. He had a good poker face, but he couldn’t bullshit himself. He’d taken a gamble and he’d lost everything.

The bell chimed, indicating that the elevator had arrived, and temporarily jolting Jacob back to reality. Tim was still talking about the big-breasted brunette as the shiny, gold doors slid open, revealing a five foot-three, blonde-haired beauty.

“
Cassie…?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Tim glanced at Jacob, the cute mystery blonde standing in the elevator, and then back again toward Jacob. How in the hell does Jacob always attract the hottest women, he wondered?

Cassie couldn’t move. Her legs felt heavy—like her shoes were fabricated with cement. Her breath caught at the sight of him; his gray shirt sleeves were rolled midway up his forearms and his salmon-colored tie was slightly loosened around his neck. He looked every bit of the stylish, executive bachelor that he was. “Hi, Jake…”

Jacob stared in disbelief, afraid that if he blinked the apparition would suddenly disappear. His eyes were fixated on hers; his mind succumbing to an inescapable daze. He really needed to get some sleep, he thought. Liberating his mind of Cassie had been difficult at best, but hallucinations of her standing in front of him made him question his psyche.

The door to the elevator began to close and Jacob reached forward and pushed it back open with one of his hands. “What are you doing here?” he asked softly in disbelief.

“Ah, Miss, if you’ll excuse us—we were just on our way out”, Tim interrupted. He turned to look at Jacob and placed his hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to say his goodbyes to the beautiful stranger. “C’mon, man, we’re going to be late.”

Cassie glanced at the man standing beside Jacob before turning her attention back to him. “I’m sorry. I guess I caught you at a bad time”, she uttered softly.

Jacob swallowed hard, his hand still forcing the elevator door open. “No, it’s okay—”

“No it’s not”, Tim interrupted again. He folded his arms across his chest and looked at Jacob with an intense glare. “You’re not skipping out on
another
guy’s night!”

What was she doing, she wondered? She’d walked away last month and pleaded with him not to follow her. She’d made it perfectly clear that they were over and he needed to move-on. Clearly that
was what he was attempting to do now by
hanging out with the guys. What right did she have to show up unannounced? She closed her eyes briefly, hoping that the floor to the elevator would open up and swallow her whole. When that didn’t happen, she did the next best thing. She reached for the control panel and pressed the button to close the doors.

“I should go—I’m so sorry.” The door jerked into motion and came to a sudden halt; Jacob’s hand was still holding it open.

Jacob reached forward with his free hand and motioned for her to take a step forward. “C’mon”, he said. Cassie hesitated for a moment, but finally took his hand and exited the elevator. Once he had her securely in his grip, he turned his attention to Tim. “Go on ahead. I’ll meet up with you later.”

Tim let out a frustrated sigh and started toward the elevator. “Why do I suddenly get the feeling that I’m going to be stood up?” He mumbled. He turned around and pressed the button to transport him to the main lobby. “Remember I have needs. It’s been weeks!” he called
out as the doors finally slid closed.

“
What on earth is he talking
about?”
Cassie asked curiously
.

Jacob waved his free hand in front of him, disregarding any credibility Tim had. “That’s Tim. He’s convinced that my presence at guy’s night is his lucky charm—like a rabbit’s foot or something. He hasn’t been laid since the last time I showed up.”

Cassie’s eye’s narrowed as if she was in deep thought. “Oh”, she spoke softly. “I don’t think he likes me very much.”

Jacob smiled and chuckled softly
under his breath. “Don’t take it personally—he’s usually a really nice guy. He’s just got a one-track mind right now!”

She nodded her head as if she suddenly understood, although the thought of Jacob surrounded by countless women at a local bar nicked her already fragile heart. She glanced down at her hand, still in his grasp. His thumb grazed her skin lightly, tracing imaginary circles along the back of it. The sensation sent electricity up her arm and raised the hair on the back of her neck. The act came so natural to him and she wondered if he was even aware that he was doing it.

She didn’t have to wonder for long. After he glanced at their joined hands he quickly pulled away and placed them in his pocket.

“It’s really good to see you”, he offered
, his genuine tone unmistakable
.

“It’s good to see you, too.” She
nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?” she asked.

“Yeah… of course.” Jacob picked up his briefcase and placed his hand lightly on the small of her back as he retraced the steps back to his office. He opened the door and motioned for her to enter first. Once inside he turned on the lights, closed the door quietly behind him, and sat his briefcase beside the burgundy, tufted leather love seat in the corner.

He observed her from across the room. She sauntered away from him
toward the oversized window
.

“So, this is your office?” She asked.

“Yes, it is—my
home away from home
.”

Cassie kept her back turned, her attention fixated on the picturesque East River. “This is an amazing view! I’m sure it sparks a lot of creativity.”

She’s stalling
. “Yeah… So, are you going to tell me why you’re here? I find it hard to believe you came all this way to discuss the view from my office.”

She hesitated for a few, long beats, compiling the courage and strength to reveal her reasons for her surprise appearance. “Landon’s relocating to Seattle. He asked me to move-in with him…”

Jacob felt as though an aneurysm had burst in his already weakened heart. He pinched the bridge of his nose and clenched his eyes shut. An uncontrollable explosion of anger erupted inside of him. Shockwaves of rage radiated from his core and leaked from his pores. As much as he wanted to remain calm, his surly tone escaped him impulsively. “And what—you jumped on a plane and flew all the way here for my blessing? Sorry, baby—can’t do that!”

“I left”, she responded softly.

Jacob quickly glanced up; his eye’s landing on the back of her head across the room. “What?” he asked in disbelief.

Cassie turned her body around to face him, her eyes meeting his for the first time since she stepped into his office. “We… we broke up”, she clarified.

Jacob felt the rushing current of anger recede and couldn’t help but feel guilty for allowing his temper to govern him. He felt the corners of his mouth relax. “Really?”

“Yeah…”

He couldn’t contain his grin as he slowly ambled toward her. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“No you’re not”, she stated as she smiled back at him.

Jacob slowly closed the distance between them. “Okay—guilty. I lied.” He came to a halt in front of her and reached for her hands. “You’re trembling.”

“I’m nervous”, she affirmed.

“What about?”

“Um, there’s something I need to tell you”, she explained.

“Okay—” he tilted his head toward the leather loveseat “—let’s sit down.” He led her to her seat and then sat down beside her. He sensed that whatever she was about to say to him was going to be difficult for her. He instinctively kissed the back of her hands, hoping to settle her nerves. “You have my undivided attention.”

Cassie took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I didn’t… I didn’t tell you the truth before”, she began.

Confusion settled across his face. “You
are
moving to Seattle with Landon?”

“No… not about that.”

“Then what?”

Cassie looked down at her lap. Her hands were resting in his, his thumbs grazing her skin again; the movement conveying comfort while simultaneously coaxing her to continue. “I lied when I told you that you weren’t my reality.”

“Cass—”

“No—please let me finish. I turned down your proposal at the reception last month because… because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Jacob lowered his head. “Okay—now I’m really confused. Typically if a woman
doesn’t
want to hurt the man that proposed to her, she says yes.”

“Typically, yes—you’re exactly correct. Unfortunately, nothing about our situation was or is typical. Personally speaking, Landon is a perfect gentleman, but he can be very cut-throat and
conniving professionally. Jake, if he found
out about us, he’d seek revenge and he’d do everything in his power to
ruin your career
.”

Jacob shook his already bowed head, unable to comprehend her need to protect him. “That doesn’t matter to me.”

“Jake—your career is your
life
!”

He released her hands and cradled
her face, losing himself in her honest and
longing hazel eyes. “No it isn’t…
You are…”
He wiped a fleeing tear from her cheek with his thumb and waited
patiently for her to respond
.

A swell of despair overwhelmed her and with nowhere to go, her tears became steadier; each droplet releasing the constraint circumventing her heart. “I don’t want to be responsible for jeopardizing everything you’ve worked so hard for.”

“I’m not scared of Landon Woods… I’m scared of losing you”, he whispered. Jacob leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers before meeting her gaze once again.”

A consistent stream of moisture descended down her face as she stared back into his eyes. She’d faced her biggest fear and he’d reassured her that they were unwarranted. “Promise me that whatever happens, that you won’t regret this very moment five years from now”, she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

“
Only under one condition
…”

The corners of her mouth ascended. “What’s that?”

Jacob lightly pressed his forehead against hers and lowered his voice for emphasis. “That you tell me you love me
every day.
”

Cassie cupped the sides of his face and brushed her thumbs over the stubble on his jaw. “I love you”, she confessed.

Jacob closed his eyes, savoring the sound of her voice. “Say it again”, he softly requested.

“
I love you”,
she whispered.

Jacob opened his eyes and smiled. He reached for her hands on either side of his face and slowly removed them before standing up. He ambled toward the door, turning the rod to close the blinds and then turned the lock. He turned around to face her and then offered his hand. “
Show me…”