Page 106 of Madden

Chapter Thirty

Brielle ~ Three Weeks Later

“What are you still doing here?” Davis asks, peeking his head into my office.

I glance down at the clock for the first time in a while and am surprised it’s so late already. It’s a quarter to five, so most of the office has started to clear out for the day.

I’ve been putting in extra hours, living and breathing my job. I’ll be honest, it’s not at all because I want to be here. It’s the only thing helping me get through the days by keeping my mind off Madden.

“I guess I should probably get packed up and take off, huh?”

“If you want to go out for dinner or grab a few drinks tonight, let me know. I can stick around, and we can hit up Blackbird.”

I nod, trying to consider it. What else do I have to do?

Nothing. I’m sick of going home only to drown myself in a glass of wine and sob into a bowl of ice cream.

Sooner or later, I need to come back down to earth and accept reality.

Starting now.

I’ve had a lot on my mind over the past week, and I’ve made a big decision. One I’ve been dreading sharing.

Change is hard for me, especially when I’m dipping my toes into the wild unknown. Maybe it’s from growing up around my father, listening to him drone on and on about making something of myself when I grow up.

Living up to him and his incredibly high expectations have made me constantly fear failure. Which explains why I’ve spent the entire week sticking my head in the sand, focusing on work, when I know it’s why I’m not happy anymore.

“Actually, I’ll take you up on it. Dinner and drinks sound great. Before I go, though, do you know if Sawyer is still in her office?”

He nods. “She’s finalizing the submissions for the June issue.”

I push my chair back from my desk and force myself to get this over with. I can’t keep living my life in fear. This next step may feel unsteady, but I know it’s the right move to make.

If it’ll bring happiness back into my life, it’s what I need to do.

“I’ll meet you down in the lobby,” he says.

“You know what? Let’s plan to meet at Blackbird in an hour. I have some things to wrap up, and I don’t want you waiting on me.”

He nods, leaving me with a wave. I exhale a heavy breath and shake out the nervous jitters before making my way to Sawyer’s office.

“Sawyer, do you have a moment?” I ask, popping my head in, finding her buried in her laptop.

I try to force some energy into my voice, but even I can hear the apprehension.

She smiles up at me and nods. “Of course, have a seat.”

She spins her chair away from her computer to face me.

The one thing I’ve loved about working with her is how easy she is to talk to whenever I’ve come to her. Especially now, when I’ve been dreading this conversation and replaying it over and over in my mind.

“I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you,” Sawyer interjects.

“Okay, sure. How about you go first?”

“Well, I have to admit, I was a bit taken aback by your submission for June. Your interview with Isla Grace was incredible, and your photos were stunning. I know you told me you wanted creative freedom for the article, and you were right. Everything came together perfectly.”

Isla Grace is a country singer taking the music industry by storm. She was discovered on TikTok and blew up practically overnight.