I clutched my over-the-shoulder briefcase tightly as I shifted my purse up my shoulder. With my coffee in hand and my head held high, I walked off the elevator and down the hallway. I cursed Ryan’s office being right there, staring the elevator in the face so anyone getting off it could see straight into his office. His door was wide open and his head whipped up from his papers. The second he saw me, his face morphed.

I sped up my walking.

“Kylie?” he asked.

I walked around the corner and fumbled with the keys to my office. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to explain. I simply wanted to throw myself into work and forget about the argument I’d had with Adam. I knew if Ryan came poking around, I’d talk to him. I knew if he came into my office and started asking questions, the emotions I’d kept under lock and key all throughout the car ride back to my apartment would come spilling over.

“Kylie?” Ryan asked.

The soft tap at my door pulled a sigh from my lips as I sank into my leather chair.

“Come in,” I said.

The door pushed open and slid across the soft carpet. I kicked off my shoes and dug my toes in, curling them around the soft tendrils that cradled my feet. I looked into Ryan’s eyes and kept my face as stoic as I could, but my toes screamed for mercy.

All I had to do was stay rooted long enough to get him out of my office.

“You are aware it’s only Wednesday, right?” he asked.

“I’m aware, yes,” I said.

“You aren’t due back into the office until tomorrow.”

“I figured I’d come in early and get a head start on things.”

“There’s nothing to get a head start on it you aren’t gone long enough for things to pile up.”

“Then I’ll simply resume my original workday as scheduled,” I said.

He walked in and shut my door behind him—an action that caused my heels to dig into the carpet. He walked over to the seat in front of my desk and sat down, his fingers propping his head up. His long, languid leg slid over his knee and his gaze held mine intentionally.

I got a firsthand glimpse at why people found him so intimidating in the boardroom.

“How was vacation?” Ryan asked.

I swallowed thickly as my feet began to shake from the tension they were under.

“It was eye-opening,” I said.

“Did the state park treat you kindly?”

“More or less.”

“How long do you want to play this game before you tell me what happened?”

“As long as it takes to keep me from crying in front of my boss,” I said plainly.

I watched something akin to hurt roll over his features before his face settled back into its stoic form.

“What happened, Kylie?” he asked.

His voice was darker than I’d expected it to be.

“I really don’t think it’s—”

“I don’t care what you think it is,” he said. “Tell me what my son did.”

“It isn’t just him, Ryan. It’s both of us,” I said.

“Talk to me.”

“I really shouldn't.”

“You can, and you will. I’ll sit here all day if that’s what it takes.”

That sentiment brought tears to my eyes. Adam used to put that kind of effort into me. He used to do things like that all the time. Now all he did was apologize and dance around pathetic attempts at making me happy when I could see in his face how miserable he was.

I shook my head. “I really can’t,” I said breathlessly.

“What. Did. He do?”

“We got into an argument and he sort of…unleashed.”

“Define unleashed,” Ryan said.

“He yelled,” I said as a tear cascaded down my cheek. “He said…a lot of things.”

“What kinds of things?”

“I don’t even know where to start,” I said.

“From the beginning,” Ryan said. “And don’t leave anything out.”

He reached into his suit coat and pull out a handkerchief. Then he leaned over and placed it on my desk. I reached for it, bringing it to my tears before any more of them could fall and make me look weaker than I already did.

I really hated to cry.

“I brought up some details about the move I figured we could discuss,” I said. “My suggestion was to coordinate our moves and then possibly hire movers to make the day much easier on us. You know, so we could enjoy it. And his immediate response was that he didn’t want to talk about it because it stressed him out. I didn’t understand why that stressed him out. In my mind, it should only cause excitement, so I asked Adam if he still wanted to move in with me, and he paused.”

“He paused.”

“For a long time. I had to speak to him before he spoke back,” I said. “He came to and accused us of fighting and I yelled at him, told him he always thought we were fighting when I was only trying to discuss things with him. Then he yelled back. He accused me of shutting him out and I told him I wasn’t shutting him out. I was only trying to get him to communicate with me. I figured out he still resents my taking this job instead of working with him.”

I leveled my eyes at Ryan to search for a reaction, but there was none.

“Continue,” he said.

His voice sounded hard, and it made me nervous.

“He told me to quit my job here and go work for him, and it spiraled out of control. I accused him of lying to me all the time when he told me he was happy for me when really he wasn’t. He admitted that it does irk him that I’m working here for you, then said I only talk about communication when it suits me. He thought I should’ve not taken your job until we had talked about it, and I yelled again. I told him that I don’t compromise his career. I only support it, and he should give me the same. I called him a control freak.”

I snickered and shook my head as the memory of the fight came rushing back.

“He tried to apologize and I told him I was tired of his apologies. I told him that instead of growing and morphing with me, he stays stuck. I said he wants to control me, and when he can’t do that, he tucks himself inward and hopes I’ll make a decision that plays in his favor. I told him he enjoyed being a film producer because he can control every aspect of everything in his world, and it upsets him that he can’t control his world when it comes to me.”

“The theory makes sense,” Ryan said.

“I told him it was the only logical explanation after he denied it, and he said ‘fuck you and your logical explanations.’”

“He what now?”

“I’ve never seen him that upset before. Adam has never yelled at me. He’s always been so patient, even when I get worked up about stuff like this,” I said. “But he yelled, and he yelled so loud, it echoed along the trees of the forest. He said he was sick of everyone telling him he had to follow a certain path for his life. He was tired of people telling him he was supposed to move in with me and ask me to marry him and have children. He said he didn’t want to live his life that way, and that he couldn't understand why him just wanting to be with me wasn't enough.”

“What was your response?” Ryan asked.

I looked up into his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

“I told him that him losing himself in me isn’t enough because I want all the other things as well.”

The silence that hung between us was pregnant with unsaid words.

“Then we called each other frustrating and I told him I wanted to go home,” I said. “That was it, our fun, romantic, stress-free vacation—complete with fishing.”

“Say it, Kylie.”

“Say what?”

“The one thing you’re afraid to say.”

My jaw trembled as I looked into my lap, at my fingertips playing with Ryan’s handkerchief.

“I don’t think Adam wants to move in with me,” I said breathlessly.

Putting it out into the world crumbled every single wall I’d erected. My toes uncurled from the floor and I placed my head in my hands, sobbing as my shoulders heaved. I felt my heart shattering into a million pieces as the weight of my fight with Adam came crashing down on top of me.

He didn’t want the same life I wanted.

Our futures no longer aligned.

“I’m sorry,” I said breathlessly. “I shouldn't…be doing this in front…of you all the time.”

“You have no need to apologize,” Ryan said. “I’m the perfect person to rant to because I know my son. At least I thought I did.”

I cried into my hands until I couldn't cry anymore. Then I felt a warm hand wrap around my elbow. I stood up on my bare feet as a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a strength I didn't expect. My cheek landed on the softest material I’d ever felt. Ryan’s hands rubbed up and down my back as my tears fell onto his tie. I tried to catch my breath as the moment engulfed me wholly.

Ryan was hugging me, comforting me the way his son should’ve been.

“I admit Adam has been different lately,” he said.

“I don’t know what happened to us,” I said in a whisper.

“I don’t understand why Adam treats you the way he does. Coming from his father, you deserve better than that from my son. From any man for that matter.”

“He wasn’t always like this,” I said with a sniffle. “Not always.”

“I know. I know he wasn’t. I know he’s better than this. And I wish I had answers for you, Kylie. I really do.”

“Things are so weird between us right now, and we move in together in less than two weeks. What am I supposed to do? What can I do?”

His embrace tightened around my body, and I felt my knees grow weak. I snaked my arms around his waist, shocked at the strength hidden underneath his tailored suit. I was glad we were alone in my office. I wasn't sure how any of this would look to anyone else. My tears finally dried and I drew in a deep breath, trying my best to regain my composure.

His embrace made me feel so much better.

“Here,” I said as I held up his handkerchief.

He stepped away from me before he held out his hand.

“Keep it. I have plenty. And before you apologize, don’t. You can come talk to me anytime about anything, Kylie, day or night.”

My eyes fluttered up to his as a kind smile graced his cheeks.

“Thank you, Ryan,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”