Page 52 of Stuck Together

I slipped into the elevator without being seen. I just wanted to forget this night ever happened.

***

ISTEPPED OUTSIDE ANDwrapped my coat around me. Now that I was safely away from watchful eyes, tears welled up in my own. I wiped my eyes dry and fought back the urge to fall apart in the middle of the sidewalk.

I couldn't believe this was happening to me again. If we lost this account because of my stupidity, I’d lose this job too. And I couldn’t afford that. No one believed me when I filed the complaint against Daniel and they wouldn’t believe me now. If anything, this would only make me look worse.

Jonathan was a powerful and rich man from one of the oldest families in the northeast. No one would believe me over him. How did I always get myself into these messes?

I needed to clear my head and process how to work through this. I needed a plan. Surely, Althea wouldn't fire me. She’d believed me about Daniel. Maybe she’d believe me about Jonathan too.

But if he decided not to hire us to manage the account, I’d be the reason for the loss. If I hadn’t started working here, this never would have happened, and Althea Group would’ve still won the account. I lost it for them. Althea would never be able to ignore that.

“Having fun tonight, Madison.” I spun around. Logan was leaning against the side of the building. His voice was flat, and his expression was cold and distant.

“Logan, there you are. I was looking everywhere for you.” I stepped toward him, but he put up his hand, gesturing for me to stop.

“Somehow I kinda doubt that.” He looked down at the ground and there was sadness to his words.

“What’s wrong? Why are you out here?”

His expression hardened when he looked up at me, and in that one look from him I knew I’d lost him. “I needed to think.”

Logan and I may have had our problems in the past, but he’d never looked at me like that. His face was filled with pain, disgust, and disappointment. Did he see what Jonathan did to me? Did he blame me for it? “Listen, I need to—”

“Madison, don’t.” He pushed off the wall and stepped away from me. “How stupid do you think I am? I thought I meant something to you. You said you needed time before we officially announced our relationship, but really you were just using me to get ahead in your career.”

“What are you talking about?”

His face crinkled up into a scowl like I’d never seen before. “You seemed awfully cozy with Jonathan up there.”

“So you saw what he did?”

His nostrils flared and his eyes burned with anger. “I saw what you let him do to you.”

I gasped. He couldn’t be serious. “Let him? I didn't let him do anything.”

Was that what he really thought of me? That I somehow asked for Jonathan to come on to me and threaten me. The tears that had stung my eyes dried up and were replaced by raw anger. I’d been let down by a lot of people in my life, but I never expected this from Logan.

Logan clenched his hands into fists at his side, his body stiff and the anger he held in evident by the look in his eyes. “You let than man take your hand. You let him kiss you right here below your ear where I kiss you.”

Logan brushed his finger across the skin below my ear. His touch cold and hard. “And you just stood there and let him do it.”

I trembled. “I pushed him away.”

“I don't want to hear it, Madison. You're just like every other woman. I thought you were different. But I guess I was wrong. Maybe you should give Jonathan a chance. Looks like you two were hitting it off well enough.”

“Will you listen to what you’re saying? I don’t know what you think you saw up there, but I pushed him away. I told him no. He insinuated that I had sleep with him or else we’d lose the account. Do you really think that I’mthatgirl?”

His expression softened, but not enough. I caught a hint of doubt in his eyes, but he wasn’t ready to hear the truth. I reached for his hand, but he pulled away. “Don't.”

He turned away from me and walked away.

“Logan, please.” I called after him. “You didn't see everything. You couldn’t have.”

He didn't stop. He didn't give me a chance to explain. He just walked away.

If Logan didn't believe me, then there was no way Althea would either.