Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)(37)

 

He glowered at her, but it did not deter Cade. She took a few steps forward. "I worked my ass off trying to prove that I'm good. To make sure you notice that I am just as hard working as any of the people here. I've gotten more bruises and muscle strains than I've ever had in my entire life during training. I've stayed longer hours than most of the desk jockeys. The first chance that I thought you finally realized I'm good enough, you're saying that it wasn't even your idea?"

 

By the time she finished, her hands gripped the edge of the massive desk, her body tilted forward, and her face was flushed red. Mac slowly pushed up and stood. At his full height, he looked intimidating. His shoulders were wide. Even at his age, Cade knew that he managed to exercise regularly and keep fit. "Why did you come here, Miss Williams?"

 

Cade stretched to her full height as well, and squared off her shoulders.

 

"Why did you come to Vancouver, leave your grandmother alone, and work for me? If you don't believe much in my company and question my ability to run one, why are you here?"

 

Did she dare tell him the truth? That she wanted to know if he was her father? And what if he was? After all this time, he hadn't shown any affection to her. He had questioned her abilities and skills, even now. Would an affirmation that Mac had an affair with her mother twenty-some years ago endear him to her?

 

Cade felt the hammering in her chest. She'd fallen deaf from the loud pulsating in her head. Her mouth opened, ready to say something, but Mac interjected.

 

"Gather your stuff. You're out of here. I don't have time to watch over staff who act like children." With that, he sat back down and replaced his glasses, ignoring Cade's fuming.

 

"You're not even going to listen to the reasons why I left Harley?"  

 

Mac didn't bother offering her a glance. He kept reading over the file in front of him as he said, "You're done here. Leave before I have you carried out."

 

As soon as she stepped out of his office, she felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She knew the whole office was focused on her at that moment. No one was talking. Had they known she would fail? Were they aware that Mac would fire her?

 

Swallowing back a sob, she held her head up high until she reached her desk. There were only a few things she needed to take back-a photo of her grandmother and a troll doll that she had kept for years for good luck. But she didn't feel lucky at all. She hadn't felt lucky in a while, ever since her father had imparted that secret in his deathbed. She carried the two items to the entrance with her. Before she pushed open the door, she glanced back at Juliette, who had tears down her face.

 

"We'll talk later, okay?" Cade promised her friend. Juliette quietly nodded and wiped away her tears.

 

When she made it back to the street, Cade let her shoulders slump forward. The defeat had clamoured up to her throat, choking her. She pressed the back of her wrist against her mouth to keep the scream and agony inside. The heavens opened up and the rush of rain soaked her as she stood still. Was she being punished for abandoning her grandmother and Harley? Two people who had depended on her. Two people she had cared for, and whom she had let down.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Harley let out a sigh of relief when the light turned green before pulling out the key card from the slot. As soon as she was in the room, she tip-toed her way to the bed, what had been Cade's bed, and laid her head on the soft pillow. She sniffed and hoped that she would smell Cade's vanilla-scented shampoo, but the hotel had cleaned up and changed the sheets.

 

She hadn't been too sure if the room was available. Cade had left days ago. Her father could have gotten rid of the room across from their suite. Harley was thankful that he hadn't yet. This was the only way she could feel close to Cade again.

 

Harley missed her.

 

She missed the way Cade laughed at her silly little jokes, missed Cade's fingers stroking her hair to get her to sleep. She missed having someone to talk to who would understand and never judge her. She missed the one person who had treated her like an eight-year-old, and let her be an eight-year-old.

 

Reaching for her cellphone in her robe pocket, she pulled up the photos of her and Cade. The tears began to run down, instantly soaking the pillow. They were having so much fun. Things were going great. Then Fiona had shown up and ruined everything. Harley had had to put up with Fiona's antics for years. She'd had to deal with her outbursts and her tantrums, her alcoholism, her lack of care for anyone but herself. Truly, if it wasn't for Harley, she was sure Fiona would have croaked a long time ago. But Fiona had never recognized that. This time, she had gone too far. If she hadn't come to the hotel, Cade would still be with her. They could be watching a movie right now or eating mountains of chocolates or bowls of popcorn.