I woke up Thursday morning and reached for my phone. I had every intention of calling out again until my rational mind woke up. I couldn't keep calling in and hiding. Eventually, I’d have to go into work and turn stuff in. Get stuff done in-house. Sure, there was plenty of work on my computer desk at home to keep me busy through the weekend, but there were also things I couldn't access from home that I needed. Like physical receipts to scan into the system and the software to create calculations and graphics investors were waiting on for updated projections.

So, I rolled out of bed and got ready for work.

I had kept my nose buried in work throughout the entire week at home, which meant I was still unsure what to do about everything. That fun little weekend deadline was looming over my head, and I wasn’t sure if I’d have a job if I didn’t give Ryan the right answer. But nothing would get solved if I kept staying home and avoiding him. And avoiding Adam and my own mind.

Adam and I had a long relationship, and throughout the entire thing we had grown so much together. We had shared so much and made so many memories that would stick with me forever. Vacations and camping trips and celebrations and birthdays. Christmas presents and surprise parties and long lovemaking sessions that made me limp to class the next morning. But our personalities were a stark contrast to each other, and it always got us into fights. One of us always rubbed the other wrong eventually.

There were things about us that didn’t click. I was a documentary fanatic and he hated them, so unless I wanted to watch them alone, I didn’t watch them at all. He was a sci-fi freak, and I couldn’t see the point of it. He’d get on a tangent about some Doctor show or BBC or Star Trek—or Wars, or something like that—and I’d have no idea what he was talking about. And the action movies. Ugh. They made me roll my eyes. They were nothing but explosions and subpar plots at best.

Adam never tried watching any of my favorite movies, so when something came out that I wanted to go see, I usually ended up going alone.

Unless I bribed him with sex after.

I also struggled to enjoy his filmmaking. I knew it was his passion, but I didn't give a rat’s ass about it. He wanted me to be this integral part of his team, and I wanted nothing to do with it. He wanted to rope me into his company and be this colossal team that took on Hollywood and stuck it to the big man, and all I wanted was for him to shut up about it.

All those things were just as pivotal as the good things we shared.

My head began to hurt as I debated the pros and cons of our history.

I grabbed my things and headed to my car. I ventured into work and made my way to my office. I shut my door and locked it, signaling that I didn’t want to be bothered. But when my mind started wandering about Adam again, I figured I could use a break. I closed out my computer and locked everything up, then headed to the break room for some coffee. Maybe I’d grab an apple or a doughnut or something from the vending machine.

I grabbed the largest Styrofoam cup there was and filled it with the scalding, decadent liquid.

I reached into the fridge and grabbed the caramel coffee creamer. It was my favorite, and it was always stocked. I dumped some into my coffee and began to stir, my mouth watering for the caffeine to fill my veins.

But the shadow that loomed over my body caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

“It’s good to see you back.”

I brought my coffee to my lips and turned around, looking up into the face of my boss, the illuminated face of Ryan.

“Look, I know I only have until tomorrow to make my decision, but I can’t help how I’m feeling,” I said. “So if you really are sticking to some deadline, you’re probably not going to like my answer.”

“I understand,” he said.

“So, yeah. That’s it,” I said.

“Leave town with me.”

I paused with my coffee at my lips as I furrowed my brow.

“What?” I asked.

“Leave town with me. A weekend in California on the beach. No strings attached, no sex required, no commitment necessary. I think the two of us getting away from all this might do us some good.”

“I can’t jet off to California with you. I have work to do.”

“Not this weekend. Your boss is making you take it off.”

“I told you I would make up those hours, Ryan.”

“And you did that by remoting in all throughout the week and knocking things out. You’ve more than pulled your weight,” he said.

“Ryan, if this is some tactic you’re using to sway—”

“Your decision can wait, Kylie.”

I almost dropped my coffee down my blouse.

“Really?” I asked.

“It was an idiotic thing for me to ask of you. Your emotions don’t work on a deadline. And I understand the pain you’re going through, the emptiness you feel. The confusion you’re experiencing. My divorce sent me through those same things.”

“This is hardly a divorce,” I said.

“But the foundation is the same. You had a lengthy relationship and it ended on a dime and left you feeling like your future had been robbed. I had a lengthy marriage and it ended on a dime and left me feeling like my bank account had been robbed.”

I giggled into my coffee and watched a smile slide across his cheeks. I’d missed that smile. I’d missed that dazzling look in his eye.

“A weekend away does sound nice,” I said.

“I figured it might,” Ryan said.

“And if my boss is forcing me to take the weekend off, then I would be free for it.”

“He sees your worth, Kylie. He knows how hard you work for his company. He also wants what’s best for you, no matter what that means for him.”

I reached out for his chest and patted it, and he wrapped his hand around mine. He didn’t bring my fingertips to his lips to kiss and he didn’t bend down to try to take control of the moment. He simply graced me with his touch and held my hand over his heart so I could feel it beating.

Deftly.

Rapidly.

Hard.

“A weekend away sounds lovely, Ryan. I’d love to go with you.”

“Then we leave in the morning,” he said.

“Wait. We aren’t working tomorrow?” I asked.

“I’m giving most of the company the day off actually. We’ve been working almost around the clock here in all the departments, and I think everyone could use a long weekend. We’re all strung a little too tightly right now.”

“Has something happened?”

“Nothing bad,” he said. “But I do think the time away will do us both some good. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure we have separate accommodations.”

“You don’t have to treat me like a pariah, Ryan. I just have to sift through some things. That’s all.”

“So if I booked us a penthouse suite with a Jacuzzi hot tub on the private balcony, the fact that it would have two separate bedrooms would be enough?”

“That’s very specific for a hypothetical,” I said with a giggle. I brought my coffee to my lips as his eyes danced between mine. “That’s fine, yes,” I said.

“Perfect, because I booked it this morning. Pack for a beach weekend. My jet leaves with us in it at eight in the morning. I’ll pick you up around seven thirty so you don’t have to worry about docking your car anywhere.”

“How long did it take you to plan this?” I asked.

Ryan released my hand, and I slid it down his torso before wrapping it back around my coffee cup.

“Less than two hours,” he said. “I woke up this morning and figured we could both use the time away.”

“What if I said no?”

“Then I would’ve gone alone.”

“That’s not fun, going to the beach alone,” I said.

“Then it’s a good thing you said yes.”

He winked at me, and heat creep up the back of my neck. He backed away from me before turning around, then slid his hands into his pockets. I watched him walk away, his long legs taking giant strides that carried him toward the door. He looked wonderful in his suits. No matter the color or the style, they fit him in ways I’d never seen a man fill out a suit before. I cocked my head to the side and watched him walk around the corner, disappearing down the hallway.

I sighed deeply before I brought my coffee to my lips, savoring the strong, caffeinated taste.

A weekend with Ryan sounded a lot more appealing than attempting to reconcile a relationship with Adam.

And I figured that was a decent step in a solid direction emotionally.