Rush: A Second Chance Romance by Ellen Lane

Author:Ellen Lane [Lane, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-09-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4 - Diametrically Opposed

“The gall. The fucking unmitigated gall…” Charlotte paced back and forth through the kitchen restlessly, anger driving her steps. “How dare he!”

Lila, who was sitting at the table not three feet from her friend, winced. “Calm down. You’ve been pacing for half an hour. If you’re not careful you’re going to wear a hole in the tile.”

“He was an asshole, Lila!” Charlotte continued, almost as if she hadn’t heard the blonde. “He told me that he needed to speak to Jackson to be sure that he’d made the right decision. What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Lila winced. “I’ll admit, it doesn’t sound good.”

“Of course it fucking doesn’t! He’s threatening me, Lila! Me and all I’ve worked for! How could he think...how could he want…” Charlotte trailed off, words completely deserting her. For the first time in her life, she found herself at an absolute loss to find a statement that adequately described how she felt.

Like something had been dangled in front of her and snatched away before she’d really even had a chance to nurture it. Both betrayed and more pissed off than she could ever remember being.

And, atop that, she was mad at herself. Because even after all the man had said to her - the imperious way he’d gazed down his nose at her, knowing that he held her very future in his hands, she was hurt he’d so easily brushed her off.

Why the hell should she care about the approval of a man like that?

“Lottie, I’m going to need you to take a deep breath for me.” Lila, ever calm, raised her hands in an attempt to get Charlotte to focus on something beside her anger. “Deep breath, ok?” For a moment, the redhead merely glared at her. Her braid had come undone, her lipstick had smeared, and the moment she got home she had unzipped the skirt that was all but choking her waistline. She knew that she had to look an absolute mess and the last thing she wanted at that particular moment was to breathe.

But Lila was trying to help. That was all Lila ever tried to do and Charlotte knew, from experience, that if she blew up on one of the only people that understood her in the heat of the moment, she’d regret it.

So, she forced herself to take a breath. In for a full five seconds, and then out. “Good.” Lila directed her in another breath. “Let’s go again.”

Charlotte felt rather like a petulant child being disciplined, but she obeyed. Unsurprisingly, after a few more breaths, she began to feel slightly calmer. There was, of course, still a hot river of anger and outrage coursing through her just below the skin, but she didn’t feel like she was about to destroy their kitchen anymore.

“Better?” Lila ventured cautiously, just before the elder woman dropped into a chair across from her.

“Yeah, slightly,” Charlotte croaked, before tugging free the remains of her braid. As her hair resumed its previous wild tangle of curls, Lila gave her a small smile.

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