“I took what I could get while you were away,” he says. “So, why not London?”

“My family is here. I thought it was time to come back. This is a great opportunity. It teaches me the ropes to open my own company.”

“You’re a partner,” he says.

“For now,” I say in all honesty. “There are no guarantees about my future. The day I own my own company, I’ll know that no matter what, no one can take it away from me. I need something tangible to call it mine.”

He nods as if understanding and remains silent for a few beats. When I’m almost sure he’s about to leave he says, “I’m sorry.”

The tone of those two words takes me by surprise. He says them earnestly and his eyes look at me the way they used to during our weekend. “For?” I asked confused.

“I fucked up,” he responds. “I’m sorry I left you when I should’ve put you as my priority. I broke my promise. Not only that, the position should’ve been yours, and I should’ve kicked that asshole from the company when you came to me.”

Did I ever think about what would happen if I saw him again?

Yes, I fantasized about the million ways to make him suffer, murder him, and dispose of his body. Everything up until this minute has happened the way I predicted; how I remembered. Him being an asshole and me not taking any shit from him.

An apology? I have no idea how to take it.

“What happened to him?” I ask, not wanting to accept that he regrets his fucking behavior. He can take his sorry words and shoved them wherever they fit him.

“I fired him a couple of months after you left,” he says. “I blacklisted him. Not that it changed anything between us, but I just had to do something.”

Knowing Gary is no longer working for him doesn’t do much to my need for Miller’s blood. Is it his blood or him that I want?

He swallows slowly, his eyes watching me. “Will you ever forgive me?”

“I moved back because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I get to be with my family. You and your company mean nothing to me. Will I enjoy seeing you lose clients?” I shrug. “It’ll be a pleasure to watch because your losses are my gains. You have no idea how it feels to lose everything you worked for in a matter of days. But I’ll be glad to give you a little taste of the hell you put me through.”

I walk away from him and stop in front of the mat. There’s no point to try to go back to it. I gather all my things.