Page 294 of Mr. Charming

Thankful the bathroom had emptied as everyone prepared to listen to my brother’s speech, I went to the sink, washing the tears and vomit from my face with cold tap water. I then stared at my reflection for a moment, seeing that I looked worse for the wear. My hair and makeup were ruined, making me look just as bad as I felt.

How could I have messed up so badly? After all Tobias had done for me in the aftermath of Zander—opening his home and workplace to me, loaning me a car, giving me the opportunity to have a safe haven and get back on me feet…

“And the worst sister award goes to…” I said, and gave a laugh that quickly shifted into an ugly cry.

I reached for paper towels to dry my face, and then realized I couldn’t stay. I needed to leave.

With trembling hands, I reached into my purse and ordered and Uber.

When I finally left the bathroom, Anderson stood right outside of the door.

“Joanna, are you all right?” he asked, rushing toward me.

I held my hand out, stopping him.

“Joanna—”

“No,” I said. “Just leave me alone.”

“Let me take you home.”

I shook my head. “I’ve already got a ride.”

“Uber? Why? I’ll take you home. I don’t give a damn about your brother.”

His words sent another pang through my chest, forcing me to realize once again the damage I had done to their friendship.

“I’m so sorry to come between the two of you like this,” I said, tears coming to my eyes once again.

Anderson shook his head. “Don’t you dare take all the blame. I’m at fault too. And Tobias, he’ll get over it. Don’t worry about him.”

Anderson may as well have been talking to a brick wall though, because I wasn’t in the mood to be comforted. I just wanted to get out of the building and put the whole miserable night behind me.

“Goodbye, Anderson,” I said, and rushed passed him. Just as he had chased after my brother, he began chasing after me. But I didn’t look back, and I ignored the stares I got as I rushed through the ballroom and toward the exit.

“Joanna!” Anderson yelled.

But I hopped into the car that was waiting for me without looking back.

CHAPTER 21

Anderson

I got to work early Monday morning, determined to catch Joanna when she entered the building and insisted that the two of us approach Tobias together and get him to see reason. From the moment she ran out of the gala and hopped into the cab, I had been trying to call her repeatedly. But she wouldn’t accept any of my calls. She wouldn’t even answer any of my texts…

And neither would Tobias, for that matter.

I never knew how much losing both of them would impact my life until I was faced with the reality of it happening. The Gentry family had been in my life for decades, and I had taken for granted how important they were to me. Now, with neither Tobias or Joanna speaking to me, it felt like my whole world had been shifted completely upside down, and if things stayed this way for much longer, I didn’t know how I was going to possibly carry on. A deep depression was starting to come over me, something I had never felt before in all my life. I could hardly even bring myself to get out of bed.

When my alarm clock went off Monday morning, I’d just lied there, letting it screech, unable to muster the energy to turn it off. I only turned it off when I heard the angry thumping from the tenant below me who had undoubtedly taken a broom to bang on her ceiling to send me a message. I already felt like shit, so by no means did I want to hear Ms. Ryan’s angry mouth, or find out that she’d complained to the landlord about me over a damned alarm clock.

When I finally managed to sit up in bed, I instantly reached for my phone—hoping that I had a message from Joanna, or even Tobias. But of course, I’d had no such luck. Besides, I had barely slept to begin with; if either of them had tried to contact me, I would have known immediately.

With a sigh, I figured that I was just going to have to talk to them in person when I got to work. That thought alone was the only thing that encouraged me to get out of bed. I was determined to get them both together in the office so that we could all talk like the rational adults we were supposed to be.

I forced myself through my morning routine, showering, dressing, eating a bagel, and getting to the office, determined to accomplish my task. Yet when I got to work that morning, I quickly learned that

I was in for a rude awakening.