The One That Got Away Read online

  “Excuse me?” She asked as her eyebrows rose on her forehead.

  “You’re over-qualified for an assistant’s job. I don’t want you to waste your talent here.”

  “Is it because we used to know each other?” she asked.

  Her words stung more than I’d like to admit, but they were partially true.

  We didn't know each other anymore. Too much time had passed, and too many things had happened.

  “No, it’s not that. I don’t...”

  “Please tell me,” she insisted.

  I exhaled through my nose and decided to tell the truth. “I can’t hire you because you’re too attractive, you’re a female, and I’m in a bit of a legal situation at the moment.”

  Her eyebrows narrowed. “What kind of legal situation? Are you in trouble?”

  In a way. “My previous assistant, the one who recently resigned. She slapped me with a sexual harassment lawsuit, which I am now dealing with.”

  It made my whole being shudder in disgust to admit such a thing.

  “Sexual harassment? Are you kidding me?” Her tone was razor sharp now.

  I shook my head. “No. I wish I were.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” she scoffed, crossing her arms and her legs. A very clear sign of being angry and upset.

  I looked at her, a bit startled. “You think I would do something like that?”

  “Who knows what you’re capable of?” she answered snidely.

  “Not this.”

  Surely, she didn’t think I would harass an employee? What sort of snake did she think I was??

  “Did you have sex with her and forget to call her too?” she asked, glaring as though the ten year old wound were still fresh.

  “No,” I answered simply. “She claimed I came on to her and suggested inappropriate... things. Things I wanted to do to her,” I explained, not quite sure why I felt so defensive.

  We hadn’t seen one another in more than ten years, but it still felt like I could tell her anything, even if it meant her cutting me with her words.

  The contempt was visible in her eyes now, and she shifted in her seat, as if to place more distance between us.

  “Did you?”

  “Of course not. You know I would never do something like that,” I defended.

  She scoffed again. “I don’t know you well enough to make that kind of assumption. I just asked if you did, from a legal perspective.”

  Her words were like knives in my chest, but once again, I deserved them. “Right. No, I didn’t.”

  “You can’t hire me because of the lawsuit, or—”

  “We have history too, Cass.”

  “Please don’t call me that,” she said with a frown and stood up from the couch.

  “I can help you get a job,” I said, feeling the desperation rise inside me. “One that is more suited to your qualifications. I have a friend who owns a law firm and you’d be perfect there. They specialize in Business Law, representing companies with civil matters. They’d be happy to have someone like you there.”

  She glanced at me and pursed her lips. “I don’t want you to do me any favors.”

  “It’s the least I could after everything I put you through.”

  Her eyes narrowed for a moment and she took a step towards me. “I’m not ungrateful for your help, Liam, but nothing you do now is going to fix what you did back then.”

  My gut tightened as though she’d punched me, but I kept my composure. “I’m not that guy anymore, and if you would just give me a chance to prove that—”

  “No. I can’t do that,” she interjected.

  “Cass, please—”

  “I asked you not to call me that. You waived your right to call me Cass when you left me the way you did,” she spat, her pained emotions evident in her blue eyes.

  She whirled around, opened the door and stormed out.

  Damn it.

  I took a deep breath, my chest tight from the daggers she’d thrown my way, and closed my eyes for a few seconds. I glanced down at her resume and reached for my phone, but stopped midway.

  I didn’t want to intrude on her life, because she clearly didn’t want me in it anymore. Just the sight of me had upset her, and I supposed it was only natural, but her anger and pain were obviously still so raw.

  I’d have thought after all this time she would have moved on and forgotten all about me.

  I sat quietly on the teal couch until Jenna called me, asking if she could send the next applicant up.

  “No, I’m done for the day. I have an emergency to deal with. Have them reschedule.”

  “Mr. Ross, it’s only ten o’clock-”

  “Don’t question me, Jenna. Now is not the time. Just do as I say.”

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Ross. My apologies.”

  The call ended and even though I shouldn’t have directed my anger and disappointment at Jenna, she knew better than to question me about anything.

  I left the interview room, rushed to my office to collect a few things then left the building. Jenna was busy on a call when I walked past, but her eyes focused on me for a moment before she cast them down to the keyboard in front of her.

  The drive home from the office was brief, and the weight lifted from my shoulders as soon as I stepped into my home.

  My safe place.

  It was really the only place where I felt at ease... except for today. For the few minutes I’d spent with Cass I’d been happy again, before she’d reminded me what a shitty asshole I was back then.

  A nauseating feeling rose in my stomach and I dropped my head. I had to do something about this.

  I grabbed my phone and dialed Eric’s number.

  “Eric Hartmann,” he answered.

  “Hey, Eric. It’s Liam.”

  “Liam, how are you?”

  “I’ve been better.”

  “Did something happen? Did Katie—”

  “No, she didn’t do anything else. Do you still have a vacancy for a paralegal at your firm?”

  “I do, but I’m not going to take on any of your girlfriends,” Eric said.

  I shook my head.

  “No, this isn’t anything like that. I was doing interviews for a new assistant, and this woman came in. She had such an impressive resume, completely over-qualified to be an assistant. She finished in the top three in her class at UC Denver, and graduated with a perfect 4.0. She’s got her paralegal certificate as well, and I thought she’d be a great fit in a law office”

  “Wow, that’s quite impressive. How do you know her?”

  “We used to live in the same town when we were kids, can you believe that?” I tried to sound genuine, because I was telling almost the whole truth.

  “Okay. You can email her resume to me. It sounds promising.”

  “Thanks, Eric. I appreciate it.”

  And I did. I’d never thought I’d be able to make up being suck a shit to Cass, but I had to try.

  “How are you really doing? Especially with this whole... thing?”

  “As I said, I’ve been better. I feel powerless, and...” I raked my fingers through my hair and sighed, “I honestly don’t even know how I feel. I just wish this would all go away.”

  “So do I. You’re my best friend and I know you’re an upstanding guy, Liam. You wouldn’t do something like this. But you have to know it’s going to get worse until it gets better. Katie’s lawyers are going to make sure they dig up every ounce of dirt on you and try to use it against you.”

  “I know.”

  “Is there anything that would implicate you in the past?”

  I sighed and sat back on the couch, trying to think of anything remotely related to harassment, but the only thing I could think of was Cass. Her face flashed in my mind—that beautiful face—and her voice resonated inside me.

  I wasn’t over her, clearly.

  Or not as much as I’d believed I was.

  “No, not that I can think of.”

  “Well, if you do, you ha
ve to tell Morgan.”

  “Obviously. He’s my lawyer. I tell him everything.”

  “Poor guy,” Eric joked, which made me smile for a second.

  “I have to go. I have something I need to do,” I told him, sitting upright on the couch.

  “Sure, buddy. Take care.”

  “You, too.”

  I placed the phone on the table in front of me and sat motionless for a few seconds before I stood.

  God, I felt old. Old and tired.

  I went and took a hot shower, and changed into some comfortable clothes. Time for a trip down memory lane.

  I entered my home office and opened the corner closet. From the top shelf, I retrieved a photo album, one I hadn’t looked at for months, then placed it on my desk. I sank into my leather chair and opened it to the first page.

  Cass’s smiling face, along with me by her side, graced most of the pictures, but as I flicked through the pages, I searched for the one photograph that I used to look at whenever I could.

  It had been taken on a bright, sunny day. The last snow of the season had fallen and Cass had insisted we build a snowman before everything turned to sludge.

  And of course, we did. I rarely said no to the woman when she was enthusiastic about something.

  I’d grabbed her camera and taken a picture of her as she playfully threw a handful of snow at me, resulting in the most beautiful photo of her.

  Her eyes were bright blue against the white snow behind her, and it was one of the moments where she’d been at her happiest.

  I’d been at my happiest.

  But that hadn’t good enough for me.

  I paged through the album, looking at her face in each photo, her expressions so full of life and love and happiness.

  I always knew when she was upset, when her brother was being a little shit, or when she was stressed out during exams. She had always been so easy to read, but I’d never realized how much I hurt her when I’d left.

  If only she’d give me a chance to make things right between us, let me be who she deserved, but I was pretty sure that ship had sailed.

  It was such a long time ago. We weren’t the same people anymore.

  Those two young people in the photographs no longer existed.

  Our love didn’t either.

  It was gone.

  And it was all my fault.

  Chapter Three

  Cassidy

  I walked through the revolving doors of Sutter Rehabilitation Hospital and smiled at the receptionist, who knew me by name now. My head was still spinning from my interview this morning. Seeing Liam had brought back so many feelings I’d thought were dead and buried.

  Learning that Liam was being sued for sexual harassment by his previous assistant was a bit of a shock, but it only proved to me that he hadn’t changed.

  He was still the same, selfish asshole who left me in Crested Butte without as much as a goodbye.

  The emptiness ached inside me as I walked down the hallway to Nathan’s room and I came to a standstill in front of his door. I didn’t want him to see me like this, all broken and upset. He didn’t need a sister who couldn’t keep her shit together.

  I had to be strong for him, and being upset over a guy from my past, over something that happened such a long time ago was just plain stupid.

  I had told myself for years that I was over him, and that I deserved better.

  But as much as I wanted to hate him, which I did, a part of me still loved him. A part I’d tried to deny, to destroy, and failed.

  I took a deep breath, swallowed my feelings and opened the door. My little brother was in his hospital bed, flicking angrily through the channels. As soon as he saw me, he smiled his usual crooked smile.

  “Hey,” I greeted him and placed my bag on the reclining chair in the corner of the room. “How are you feeling?”

  “Still paralyzed from the waist down, so I’m going with not so good,” Nathan grumbled. “How about you?”

  “I’ve been better,” I sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I went for an interview this morning.”

  “The one in the financial district?”

  “That’s the one,” I answered.

  “And? How did it go?”

  “Catastrophic,” I answered honestly. “I spilled coffee all over my favorite blouse. I was late and then when I eventually got to the interview itself, it turned out I was over-qualified according to...”

  My voice trailed off as Liam’s face popped into my mind. His green eyes, his perfect jawline, the way he smelled.

  “Cassie?”

  I glanced up and my confused gaze met Nathan’s.

  “According to who?” he asked.

  I let out a sigh and shook my head. “The guy who interviewed me. He said I was over-qualified for the job, and he didn’t want me to waste my talents by being his assistant.”

  “That was kind of nice of him,” Nathan pointed out.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I was really counting on getting that job, but now that I think about it, I wouldn’t have fit in there. It was way too stuffy, and my boss would have been such a pain.”

  “Things happen for a reason, sis,” Nathan sighed.

  I glanced at him with a frown and pursed my lips. My little brother was six years younger but he was wise beyond his years, something I had always loved about him. He was the most mature male I knew.

  So, if Nathan was right, what was the reason Liam and my path crossed once again?

  I shrugged my shoulders, as it wasn’t something I wanted to talk about, or even think about at the moment. I needed to spend an hour with Nathan and then concentrate on finding a job, and fast.

  “I guess so.”

  “There’s even a reason why I’m in this hospital bed right now, not being able to walk.”

  “Nathan—”

  “No, it’s fine, Cassie. I’m not trying to win your sympathy or make you feel guilty or anything. I know you’re doing your best, and you should be proud of yourself that you made it this far,” he said to me.

  I glanced at him, pursing my lips to stop the tears from spilling onto my cheeks. He was the only one who’d ever called me Cassie. When he was a toddler it was easier for him to pronounce than Cassidy but as he grew, he’d never taken to calling me by my given name.

  We spent the rest of the hour talking about the most random things, like we always did.

  My visit was almost up when he said, “I found the perfect guy for you.”

  “What?” Impossible.

  “You heard me,” Nathan answered smugly.

  “And where did you find this perfect man?” I asked and cocked my head.

  “He works here at the hospital. I see him twice a week.”

  “Are you talking about your physical therapist?”

  “So, you have noticed him,” Nathan winked.

  Of course, I had. I noticed everything. And the PT was hot, in that young, cute sort of way.

  “He’s your physical therapist,” I defended.

  “And?”

  I cocked my head. I had more important things to focus on, like getting a job.

  “I’ll put in a good word for you tomorrow,” he said with a wink.

  “Please don’t. He definitely doesn’t need to go on a date with a woman who is neck-deep in debt. You got that?”

  “You’re such a buzz-kill.”

  I sighed and nodded at him. “I know. It’s just who I am.” My eyes flashed briefly to the clock on the wall and I sighed. “I have to go.”

  “I know.”

  “I wish I could stay longer—”

  “No, no. I don’t expect you to sit here and entertain me. You have a life too.”

  “I do?” I chuckled and twisted my fingers in my hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “My PT is at three,” Nathan winked at me.

  “Noted, thank you.”

  There were a few moments of silence between us, and as I slid off the bed, Nathan grabbed my hand.
“Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  He glanced at me solemnly and answered, “For everything. For working hard, and taking care of me.”

  “You’re my brother, Nathan. You’re the only family I have left. If I don’t do it, then who will?” I shrugged, trying hard to fight back the tears in my eyes.

  This situation made me feel so useless, so helpless. It was crap.

  “I love you,” he said, his voice sounding a little hoarse.

  I leaned over and pulled him into a tight embrace. “I love you too, buddy.” I closed my eyes for a moment and felt the tears make their way down my cheek.

  As I pulled away, I quickly wiped them away and smiled at him.

  “You’re crying now?” he muttered.

  “I’m fine, I swear,” I defended. “Being an adult isn’t as fun as I thought it would be, and before you say anything about you being a burden, that’s not true. You’ll never be a burden to me. I’m just going through a few things, but I’m okay. I promise.”

  I had to be.

  “That’s not what I asked, but since you brought it up, is there anything I can do?”

  “You’re alive, so that already helps. You should just focus on getting better, so we can get you the hell out of here, okay? You just leave the adulting to me,” I answered, trying hard to assure not only Nathan but myself as well.

  “And you’re sure you can handle it?”

  “I’m trying,” I said simply. “It’s just been a hard day, that’s all. Nothing a bubble bath and pizza can’t fix, right?”

  “Right. Ehile I waste away on hospital food and showers with a nurse named Fred.”

  I suppressed a laugh and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I—”

  “No, go ahead. Enjoy. Pretty soon I’ll be home and annoying the living hell out of you,” he promised.

  “I’m counting the days,” I said, paused for a moment before turning to the door. “Bye, buddy.”

  He gave me a casual wave and I left.

  As I approached the front desk, Sarah, the receptionist waved me over. “Cassidy?”

  “Hey, Sarah. How are you?” I asked quietly.

  “Pretty good, yourself?”

  “I’ve been better, thank you.”

  I didn’t know what else to say. Sarah knew my situation. She’d known about it from the start, so she would understand my less than enthusiastic response. I shouldn’t be so bitter. After all, she did care, and she’d been caring enough to help us out on more than one occasion.