Without waiting for an answer, she swept out of his office, shutting the door behind her. He watched her through the window that led out into the main office area—his attention on one person in particular.
Maggie sat at her desk, holding her head, looking as if she was about to cry. His mother stopped to speak to her, and she tensed.
Swallowing hard, he closed the blinds and ignored the gut instinct to go out there and make sure she was all right. Instead, he sat at his desk and picked up the papers his mother had dropped on his desk. Unfortunately, he found exactly what he’d been looking for all day long. He found the reason why his mother wanted him to marry up.
And there was no escaping the undeniable truth. If he wanted to save his father’s company, he’d have to do the unthinkable. He’d have to marry Elizabeth and be miserable for the rest of his goddamn life.
He closed his eyes, Maggie’s laugh ringing through his head. It only made him feel even more depressed, because he was about to lose that. Lose her. Everything was about to slip out of his hands, because he had to save his father’s company.
The door opened again, but stopped halfway.
Someone knocked.
He scowled at it, and whoever dared to interrupt him. “Who is it?”
“It’s me.” Maggie peeked her head in, and her fresh-faced beauty was like a punch in the throat. “Do you have a second?”
Everything he’d wanted and couldn’t have, stared him right in the face. Mocked him. He’d been so damn sure they could make things work, and now he had to let her go. That hurt a hell of a lot more than it should have, which only pissed him off more.
“I’m busy,” he said through clenched teeth. “Make it quick.”
She shut the door behind her but didn’t come inside the office more than necessary. She clutched the knob, shifting on her feet. “Are you okay?”
“No,” he bit out. “I’m not fucking okay. Now isn’t a good time.”
She blinked, clearly taken aback at him snapping her head off. “Oh. Sorry.”
When she didn’t speak any more, he gestured for her to get on with it. He was being an ass, but he couldn’t seem to stop. He was going to lose her because of something his father did—and that pissed him the hell off. It might not be her fault, but right now, it felt like it was. “Well? What did you want?”
She hesitated, and he wanted to scream at her to get the hell out before he said or did something he’d regret, but he didn’t make a sound. He just sat there like a fucking fool. “I have to…I mean…I had a question. My parents got bad news today, and…well, uh, I—”
Something inside of him exploded, and there was no stopping the flow of words once they came. He’d just found out he was all but trapped in an arranged marriage he didn’t want, and she couldn’t get a damn sentence out? “Jesus Christ. Spit it the fuck out. I don’t have all damn day to sit here while you get up the nerve to speak.”
Her jaw dropped. “What’s your problem? Forget it. I don’t want your help anymore.”
“Great. Just fucking great.”
“Screw you.” Turning her back on him, she fumbled with the doorknob, but her hands trembled too badly to turn it. “Come on, you stupid door.”
He shoved his chair back and stalked across the room to her. She finally managed to get it open, but he thumped a hand on the wood, shutting it with a loud bang. “What. Did. You. Want?”
She spun, her back against the door. “N-Nothing. Forget it.”
“Maggie.” He gritted his teeth together, trying to get a hold on his temper. It wasn’t her fault his world was falling apart. She didn’t do anything wrong, and he shouldn’t be snarling in her face like the beast he was. “Just tell me.”
“I—I’m leaving.”
A knife of pain sliced through his chest. Out of all the things he expected her to say, this was pretty much at the bottom of the list. “Where are you going?”
“Home. I have to—” She cut herself off, pressing her lips together. “I mean, I quit. I can’t be your researcher, or your fiancée, or…your anything.”
What the hell was going on today?
He’d been trying to find a way to tell her the same thing, that he couldn’t be her anything, but now that he faced it, he couldn’t lose her. “What happened? What’s changed?”
“Everything’s changed. I—I have to go.”
“Tell me why, damn it.” He backed her against the door even more, refusing to budge. Not till he had some sort of answer. “Why are you leaving me?”
“Stop yelling at me,” she snapped, her face pale. “Let me go. I want to go.”
Funny. He hadn’t even realized he’d raised his voice.
“Damn it. I—I need you. Need this. You can’t just—” Walk away from me. “I’m sorry I yelled. Please, just—just—” Forgive me.
Unable to put his words into actual words, he slammed his mouth down on hers, trapping her between the door and his chest. He couldn’t just throw her away and act as if she didn’t matter. Marry someone else and forget all about her. He couldn’t do it.
There had to be another way. What they had, it was special. What they had…it was…it was…love. That’s what the wrenching, stabbing pain in his chest was. He loved her, and he didn’t want to lose her. Not when she’d only just shown him how to live.
She shoved his shoulders and twisted herself free. “I said let me go.”
He stumbled back, shock punching him in the gut. “Jesus. What’s—?”
“I have to go home to South Dakota.” She balled her hands and lifted her chin. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving. I have to go pack, or I’ll miss my flight. It’s over. I can’t be your fiancée anymore.”
It was happening. She was leaving him. And she hadn’t even thought twice about it. Or him. While he’d been playing the part of a lovesick fool, she’d been busily planning her departure. Just like that, she’d washed her hands of him. “Wow.”
She tugged on a piece of hair. “I just—you can’t help me out of this. You can’t—it’s not something your money—”
He stiffened. “Money? What the hell does money have to do with—?” He broke off, the pieces of the puzzle forming into one giant ugly-ass picture. His mother had been right all along. He was broke, and she was jumping ship. That didn’t make any sense…and yet, it did. It really fucking did. “My mother already told you, didn’t she?”
She blinked. “Wait, what? I—”
“Never mind, I don’t give a damn what the hell you have to say at this point.” He swept his hand, virtually shooing her away like an unwanted pest. “Get the fuck out of here. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”
“Benjamin.” Her face paled. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said softly. “But I have to—”
“—Go. Yeah. I got that loud and clear, Ms. Donovan.” He crossed his arms. “So, go, then. No one’s stopping you, least of all me. You want out? You’re out.”
She grabbed the doorknob, but didn’t turn it. Mumbling, she faced him again. “You’re angry with me. Let me explain—”
Angry? That didn’t even begin to cover what he was feeling.
Betrayed. Gutted. Hurt. Alone. Those words all applied to how he felt.
“I’m not angry. I’m just waiting for you to get the hell out.”
Still, she hesitated. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to give the proper two weeks’ notice,” she said, her voice low and hesitant. “I hope that won’t affect any references I might need from the company. And I’m sorry if I let you down.”
He was rocking from the pain of her leaving him, just as his mother predicted, because he’d lost his money, and she was worried about her references? Well, fuck that. And fuck her. This is what happened when you let someone in. They hurt you. She’d been right. Trust was a weapon, and she stabbed him in the back without a second thought. “I don’t give a damn about any of that. If you’re going, go. I don’t care.”