Preserving Love: A Contemporary Romance Series (Nick & Lexi Book 2) by Kay Brody Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kay Brody
him?” she looked at me knowing the answer I would give.
“That’s not the same thing,” I argued.
“Sure it is,” she wasn’t going to let up. “If you having the shop caused him problems, would you give it up?”
“Of course not! I worked hard to be able to open this. It’s my business. It’s what I do. It’s who I am!”
“But he’s supposed to give up what he does and who he is for you?”
“It’s different,” I tried to explain. “I own this. This is mine. His is just…”
“A job?” She asked. “Like the rest of us have? So because we don’t own our businesses the work we do is expendable?”
“I didn’t say that,” her argumentative side getting on my nerves.
“Then why should he give up a job for you when you wouldn’t do the same for him?”
I opened my mouth to answer but the words didn’t come out. It was in that moment that I realized she was right. I was asking something from him that I wasn’t even willing to give in return. Hell, I wouldn’t even give up the volunteer job for him, let alone the one that paid my bills.
I was a hypocrite. I was mad at him for doing what he had to do. I was angry at him for refusing to put me before his career. This was his design. His dream. And I was acting like it was a personal insult to me. What kind of a person was I?
“You’re right,” I mouthed quietly, picking up my phone. “I was wrong. I need to see him.”
*****
Evan
“So how are things with this woman that has turned your head?” Lucas asked.
I had decided to spend my lunch hour having a long overdue phone conversation with my brother. I needed his advice considering he was far more familiar with women than I was. Besides, I was beginning to feel completely alone in the small southern town that was growing to hate me.
“They could be better bro,” I answered honestly. “It’s not going so hot and I don’t have a damn clue how to fix it.”
“So tell me what’s happened and I’ll give ya my two cents,” he laughed. “Not that I’m super successful with women.”
“No, I’d pretty much do the exact opposite of what you’d do,” I teased. Lucas had been with many women, none of which he could seem to hold onto. He seemed to prefer it that way.
“That just might work for ya,” he joked. “So spill it. What went wrong?”
I leaned back in the chair at my desk and began to tell him everything. I shared about the previous battle we’d had and how it’d brought us closer. I told him about how I’d felt when the community hated me. I confessed how much she’d meant to me.
Then I told him about the design offer and how I’d refused. I talked about how Lexi had insisted before she’d known and how she’d been worried once she found out. Then the tactics that the company was using and that I was the one having to handle it because it was my design. I shared about our lunch conversation and then the Facebook chat.
I told him how the Society was using our relationship to try and push her out of her position but she was standing her ground and yet I was cowering to everything ordered to me.
Like always, he just listened. He let me pour out all of my feelings and he didn’t interrupt or try to stop me from talking. Then he gave me his advice. The most honest and heartfelt thing he knew to say. That I had to find a way to be happy with the choices I was making. If I chose Lexi and said goodbye to the design, I’d resent myself and her. If I lost her over the design I’d resent my job. I had to find a way to have both and be peaceful with the decision.
He was right. I knew that much. I just didn’t know how to achieve any of that. I wasn’t sure how to manage both and keep from offending either my boss or the girl I care so much about.
“Thanks for the chat bro,” my lunch time was almost up and I needed to get back to work. The company had a lot of things going on and we only had two weeks to present
“That’s not the same thing,” I argued.
“Sure it is,” she wasn’t going to let up. “If you having the shop caused him problems, would you give it up?”
“Of course not! I worked hard to be able to open this. It’s my business. It’s what I do. It’s who I am!”
“But he’s supposed to give up what he does and who he is for you?”
“It’s different,” I tried to explain. “I own this. This is mine. His is just…”
“A job?” She asked. “Like the rest of us have? So because we don’t own our businesses the work we do is expendable?”
“I didn’t say that,” her argumentative side getting on my nerves.
“Then why should he give up a job for you when you wouldn’t do the same for him?”
I opened my mouth to answer but the words didn’t come out. It was in that moment that I realized she was right. I was asking something from him that I wasn’t even willing to give in return. Hell, I wouldn’t even give up the volunteer job for him, let alone the one that paid my bills.
I was a hypocrite. I was mad at him for doing what he had to do. I was angry at him for refusing to put me before his career. This was his design. His dream. And I was acting like it was a personal insult to me. What kind of a person was I?
“You’re right,” I mouthed quietly, picking up my phone. “I was wrong. I need to see him.”
*****
Evan
“So how are things with this woman that has turned your head?” Lucas asked.
I had decided to spend my lunch hour having a long overdue phone conversation with my brother. I needed his advice considering he was far more familiar with women than I was. Besides, I was beginning to feel completely alone in the small southern town that was growing to hate me.
“They could be better bro,” I answered honestly. “It’s not going so hot and I don’t have a damn clue how to fix it.”
“So tell me what’s happened and I’ll give ya my two cents,” he laughed. “Not that I’m super successful with women.”
“No, I’d pretty much do the exact opposite of what you’d do,” I teased. Lucas had been with many women, none of which he could seem to hold onto. He seemed to prefer it that way.
“That just might work for ya,” he joked. “So spill it. What went wrong?”
I leaned back in the chair at my desk and began to tell him everything. I shared about the previous battle we’d had and how it’d brought us closer. I told him about how I’d felt when the community hated me. I confessed how much she’d meant to me.
Then I told him about the design offer and how I’d refused. I talked about how Lexi had insisted before she’d known and how she’d been worried once she found out. Then the tactics that the company was using and that I was the one having to handle it because it was my design. I shared about our lunch conversation and then the Facebook chat.
I told him how the Society was using our relationship to try and push her out of her position but she was standing her ground and yet I was cowering to everything ordered to me.
Like always, he just listened. He let me pour out all of my feelings and he didn’t interrupt or try to stop me from talking. Then he gave me his advice. The most honest and heartfelt thing he knew to say. That I had to find a way to be happy with the choices I was making. If I chose Lexi and said goodbye to the design, I’d resent myself and her. If I lost her over the design I’d resent my job. I had to find a way to have both and be peaceful with the decision.
He was right. I knew that much. I just didn’t know how to achieve any of that. I wasn’t sure how to manage both and keep from offending either my boss or the girl I care so much about.
“Thanks for the chat bro,” my lunch time was almost up and I needed to get back to work. The company had a lot of things going on and we only had two weeks to present