Chance on Love (28 page)

“Boo-hoo, you big baby. I was going to suck up to you for a job. You were going to
fire
me.”

Chance gave her a hard look. “Yeah, you sucked quite a bit, didn’t you,
Stephanie?
”

In a flash, she slapped him, and her hand stung from the contact. Her chest heaved as she stared at him, this man she thought she had come to know...to love. She couldn’t remember feeling more ashamed and disgusted with herself.

“I...hated you when we first met,” she said, looking past his shoulder. “I
hated
you. I just thought, ‘Hey, this bastard took something from you—two somethings if I counted losing my mentor—the least you can do is make him give you one of those things and eventually you’ll have both.’ It was supposed to be so simple and then...”

She looked at him. “Things started to change, and I thought you weren’t this monster I’d built up in my head. I mistook you for an actual human being with actual emotions and a Gammy and a fucking Jackhuahua.”

Her chin quivered a bit. “You—you said you...loved me and—” She shook her head when her eyes began to sting as much as her hand did. “I was the idiot who believed you. That’s on me.”

He scowled at her. “You said some things I was stupid enough to believe too so you’re not alone.”

She peered into those eyes she had grown to love—and she went numb. The guard she had so foolishly lowered was firmly back in place. “You’re wrong, Valentine. I
am
alone. Just like always.”

“You’re alone because that’s how you choose to be. You want to know what I thought when I first met
you?
”

“I don’t give a shit.”

“I thought, ‘This woman has to be
the
bitchiest, most unpleasant person I’ve ever met in my life.’ You were a rude, frustrating, foul-mouthed pain in the ass. Don’t get me wrong. You’re
still
that. But you were complicated, outspoken, clever, and...fascinating. Then, the more I got to know you—” He gave her a sad smile. “The more I
thought
I knew you, I started to see the woman you were underneath this crude, combative shell you’ve built around yourself.”

So he’d glimpsed the real Stephanie, the one she kept hidden from most? Right. His words would no longer have an effect. Chance Valentine was dead to her. She should’ve known her first instinct about him had been right. He deserved nothing but contempt. “What was the necklace about?” she asked, her voice emotionless.

“What do you mean?”

“Was it some sort of payment for my...services? Like I was your whore? Or was it just a flashy way to show off your money and impress me?”

He looked away. “I thought it would help you fall in love with me.”

“And why would you want me to do that?”

Chance sighed before giving her an unwavering stare. “So I could break your heart.”

She nodded. It was all she could do. The ice had started forming inside her as soon as she’d realized what he’d been planning. The transformation was now complete. Had she really expected this to turn out any differently? She lifted the corner of her lips slightly.

“Well, Valentine, it looks like we’re right back where we started. You’re not quite sure how to feel about me and, well...” She laughed quietly and without humor. “I hate you.”

She turned and walked away. There was nothing left to say other than some of the very first words she’d ever spoken to him. “Don’t worry about firing me, you asshole,” she said as she opened the door. “I quit.”

Chapter 33

Closing the door to her office, she glanced around the tiny space. It was hard to fathom that she’d soon take her very last look at it, at the entire station. What she had worked so hard for had finally slipped out of her grasp once and for all. Strangely, she didn’t feel as devastated as she thought she would. Only a month ago, the very idea of losing her career was tantamount to losing herself, her
life
—but now she just felt...empty.

Amber flung open the door. “Hey.”

“Come in,” Stephanie said tiredly, dropping to her chair.

“What’s going on?” Amber frowned, closing the door behind her. “Carly’s out there grinning like a Cheshire cat.”

She gave Amber a rueful smile. “She thinks she just ruined my life. She’s very pleased with herself right now.”

“Oh no, what happened?”

“She let Chance in on the little plan I originally had for him—”

“How did she even—”

“And then she let me in on the little plan he had for
me
.”

Amber arched an eyebrow. “What plan?”

“His plan to fire me.”

“What?” She laughed. “Carly’s so full of it. Mr. Valentine wouldn’t dream of firing you, especially since the two of you—” Her smile evaporated as she sat down. “He
fired
you?”

Stephanie relayed the whole turn of events. When she was finished, Amber’s eyes were as wide as saucers.

“So you’re quitting? No, Steph, please.”

“It’s not as if I have much choice. It’s either that or get the boot. I’d rather leave with my head held high, and honestly...” Stephanie ran a hand through her hair as she considered what she was about to say next. “I’m not completely sure this is a bad thing.”

Amber held up her hands as she sat back with a huff. “Okay, now you’re scaring me. This job is your life.”

“
Was
my life.”

“What makes you think it isn’t anymore, just all of a sudden?”

“My reaction to losing it,” Stephanie said softly. They stared at each other silently for several long moments.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Well, I’m going to finish up the next couple of weeks here and then,” she frowned, “I don’t know.”

Amber’s eyes started to glisten.

Stephanie groaned. “Don’t get all mushy on me.”

“What are we going to do without you? You and Kenny practically ran this place and he’s gone. If you leave too...”

“You’ll be fine.” She gave her a little smile. “Besides, you’re not just my coworker, you nut. You’re my best friend. We’ll still see each other all the time.”

Nodding, Amber grabbed a tissue from the box on the desk and dabbed at her eyes. “Right. And maybe you can still meet me at Mister’s after work. I mean, if that fits in with whatever schedule you’ll have at your new job. On the bright side,” she said, walking to the door, “maybe you’ll find something you’ll love even more than the news.”

“Yeah,” Stephanie said quietly. “Maybe.” It wasn’t likely, but it was within the realm of possibility. There she was seeing fucking bright sides, and at a time like this. She stared down at the desk. God, it had taken years, but she might have just caught Amber’s icky optimist disease.
Damn it.

The door opened again.

Stephanie raised her head when she heard Carly’s incessant giggling. “Shouldn’t you be packing up your belongings?” Turning, she looked behind her. “Should I get security to escort you off the premises?” With a huge grin, she faced Stephanie once more.

Stephanie sat back, crossing her arms. “That won’t be necessary. I have a couple more weeks left.”

That wiped the smile off Carly’s face. “Huh? Oh well, I’ve dealt with you for years, I guess two more weeks won’t kill me.” She tilted her head. “I can’t believe Chance even gave you the opportunity—”

“Valentine didn’t give me anything, Carl
ene
. I know this might lessen your joy just a bit, but...he didn’t fire me. I quit.”

Carly gave her a bored look. “To save face, obviously.” She poked out her bottom lip. “Poor Stephanie. It’s so sad.” She laughed.

Stephanie stared at her. Any other time, she would have been seething and Carly would have been in physical danger. Now Stephanie was just...tired. “Thank you,” she said.

Carly’s laughter caught in her throat. “W-what?”

“Thank you. I know the last thing you intended to do was help me, but you did. Chance and I...” She sighed. “We may have gone on pretending we were something more than we were for God knows how long. And the end result would only have been worse. So thank you.”

Carly frowned at her for a couple seconds. “Oh,” she said, nodding. “I see what this is—more face-saving. You don’t want to give me the satisfaction of seeing you down.” She waved a hand at her. “Such a party pooper. It’s fine, though, because I still get the satisfaction of being right. You said I couldn’t hurt you.”

She stood, looking her right in the eye. “You didn’t.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “Enjoy your last two weeks.” She turned and walked out.

Stephanie took a deep breath as she stared after her. She hadn’t been lying. Only one person meant enough—had the power—to hurt her so deeply she didn’t even have anger to fall back on anymore. To leave her cold inside...a numb, empty shell with no fight left in her.

That son of a bitch, Valentine.

It was then, and only then, that she fully accepted why.

I’m in love with the schmuck.

****

She lay across her bed, staring at the wall. How the hell had she gotten here? In love? Stephanie Love didn’t do love. And she certainly didn’t do it with an asshole who had betrayed her. Only...she had. The fucked up thing—well, other than
being in love
, ugh—was that she didn’t even know how it had happened.

She’d told him she hated him. She wished she did. That was an emotion she could deal with, one with which she was all too familiar. She wanted it back. She wanted that anger back, that fire. And that asshole had taken it all away. She
should
hate him. If she had a brain in her head, she would. What a pathetic loser she’d become and all for the one thing she’d always said she didn’t believe in.

The knock on the door barely registered at first. Stephanie turned toward the sound and wrinkled her brow. Chance?

Not that she wanted to see him. He was the last person she wanted to see. Still, she hurried to answer the door. If it
was
that bastard, she did want to see him after all—to tell him what a miserable piece of shit he was and that he could rot in hell. She yanked the door open and immediately tried to close it. “I’m not in the mood for this, trust me.”

Frank pushed against the door with his hand. “Stephie, please.”

“Go away.” She finally managed to close the door.

“You’re part of my ninth step,” he called.

She froze. “What the hell are you talking about, Frank?”

“In the twelve step program,” he yelled. “I—I’m on nine...I have to make amends to people I’ve wronged.”

Stephanie opened the door just a tiny bit. “Twelve step program?” She eyed him suspiciously and only then noticed his clothes. Ill-fitting, but relatively neat. He was clean-shaven and his eyes... bright and clear. She pulled the door back. “What happened to you?”

He gave her a little smile. “Can I come in?”

She wasn’t in the mood for this. She wasn’t strong enough for a fight, and it was always a fight whenever they were around one another. She couldn’t deny her curiosity, however. Besides, getting him to leave would be a fight in itself. She stepped aside. “Make it quick.”

His smile widened as he entered her home and looked around. “This sure is a nice place you’ve got here, Stephie.” He’d been there a few times, but never inside. He’d only made it to the front door and usually at ungodly hours. Drunkenly yelling out his feelings had not made him her neighbors’ favorite person.

She sat down on the couch and crossed her arms. “Thanks.” She may have lost her fight, but she still wasn’t interested in beating around the bush. “Why are you here?”

“Amends, I told you.” He took a seat across from her. “After Mr. Valentine said he’d help me get back on the straight and narrow—”

“After he what?”

Frank lifted his eyebrows. “He didn’t tell you? He could have been nicer about it. The man
did
threaten to kill me if I ever hurt you again.”

She fought against the slight thawing sensation nagging at her heart.

Frank sighed. “But I deserved it. He was right. My only shot at getting to be any kind of part of my kids’ lives would be to get clean. It’s not easy. I won’t sit here and lie to you. I’ve been...” He pressed his hands together. “I’ve been real shaky, sweaty, and, um, real anxious. I want a drink so damned bad I can hardly stand it, Stephie. But I haven’t had one.”

She didn’t even know what to say to him. It was good, of course, and she believed him. But it seemed too little, too late as far as their relationship went. She almost hated to dash his dreams about being a part of her life. It might send him right back into the bottom of a bottle. Though, that wouldn’t be
her
problem. Still, she hesitated. “Frank, ah...” She cleared her throat. “It’s good that you’re trying to stay sober, but—”

“And I’m gonna make it this time, baby. With Mr. Valentine helping me, I know I will.” He sat back. “He’s set me up with a real nice place and a job. It’s not much, but it’s a start. And if I stay clean, he says I’ll move up in no time.”

Frank’s eyes shone with excitement. Stephanie didn’t have it in her to tell him that he was just a pawn in Valentine’s sick game, a way to make her fall in love with him. That bastard had actually made Frank believe he had a shot at becoming a productive person again. When, really, he was just another damned diamond necklace.

A spark of anger flared. That schmuck had used her father in the hopes that helping him, appearing to care, would make her fall madly in love. Well, she may be in love, but she was
not
giving him the time of day.

No gratitude for ‘helping’ her father, no vitriol for using him. Valentine was getting absolutely nothing else from her for the rest of their time together. In two weeks, they’d both be gone from the station, and she would never have to look at his smug face again.

“Now, I know, baby girl,” Frank said. “I know what you’re thinkin’. ‘This ol’ dog don’t have no new tricks in him.’ But I do. I may fail, but I’m gonna try anyway. And
if
I fail, well then...” He chuckled and shook his head. “I’m just gonna have to try again.” He leaned forward. “I came here to say some things to you, Stephie.”