Cord slammed through the door of my office, features twisted in anger. “You implied our companies are merging?”
Kelsey rolled her eyes and took another sip from her bottle. “Calm down. We talked about this.”
Her dismissive smirk set my teeth on edge, and I pounded my fist on the table. “You might as well have announced to the world it was a done deal. We never agreed to that!”
She pulled out her phone and thumbed over the screen. “You needed your asses bailed out. Did you see the positive response to my announcement? I have three major outlets ready to run positive, scandal-free stories about FitMi. You should thank me.”
Cord paced. “We talked about you coming over as COO after you shut down coaching at HottrYou. That’s what we agreed to.”
She arched one eyebrow and shrugged.
“This is not happening, Kelsey. You need to put out a retraction.” I slammed my fist on the desk.
“Okay,” she said with an easy shrug of her shoulders.
I didn’t believe she’d cave so easily. “Okay?”
“Sure,” she said, setting the water bottle down and smoothing her skirt. “I’m sure flip-flopping on the heels of your CEO sleeping with a client paid to review the app won’t bother your investors at all. I said we were bringing the best of both platforms together, but I’ll just walk it back. While I’m doing that, why don’t I tip off the press you were with her when she crash dieted into the ER. That’ll speak volumes to your superior coaching, won’t it?”
Her blasé tone and barely veiled threat hit me like a two-by-four. “Are you kidding me with this? You’d do all of this because I rejected you? In what universe do you think this would make me want to be with you, and when did you become this fucking vindictive?”
“I already told you, I’m not trying to seduce you. I’m just letting you know the score.” Kelsey assessed my features and dragged a finger down my biceps. Her expression softened, voice shifting into a fake sympathetic tone. “You miss the fat girl. You really had it bad for her, huh?”
My voice was a growl. “You don’t get to talk about her.”
Cord stepped between us, and Kelsey gave me a pitying look but straightened. “Fine. It’s not really about her, anyway, and I’m not being vindictive, Wes. I’m sure you don’t believe it, but I’m being prudent and saving my company. Mixing up the heart and head was never my thing. That was always you.” She smoothed her skirt again and stepped back. “I did want you back, Wes, and I am sorry for how I treated you four years ago. I really am. I truly hoped we could start up again, but you said no, and it sucked, but I’m not a thirteen-year-old girl. I listened, and I got over it. I do what I need to take care of myself. Survival is my top priority. You’ve always known that, and you know why.” She held my gaze for a beat, and all the reasons I’d forgiven her crap for years washed over me. The fucked-up families club. This was different, though, and before I could respond, she waved over her shoulder and strutted out the door. “We can meet next week to hammer out the details. Take some time to think about the benefits.”
I stared at the doorway, fists clenched at my side, my heart thudding in my chest with rage, a memory, and emotions I couldn’t name.
Cord called out to Pearl, “Can you get Mason and legal and . . . I don’t know, get everyone together ASAP?” He paced the small room. “What did you ever see in her?”
“She’s changed,” I muttered, leaning back against my desk.
“Are you serious?” He stared at me in disbelief. “Kelsey was always all about Kelsey.”
“She has her reasons, but I never thought she’d pull something like this.”
Years of memories crashed down on me. The eye rolls. The dismissive tones. The hundreds of small ways she’d reminded me I was expendable, so I had no upper hand. The way I’d thought I was saving her, even when she made it very clear she didn’t want or need saving. Kelsey made sure she had control in every situation. It was something I’d admired in her at first.
“Well, sorry to burst your bubble.” Cord kicked his feet up on the desk. “I should have known not to trust her on this. What just happened is pure Kelsey.” He motioned around the room. “There’s no fucking way we’re going through with her asinine idea.”
Pearl walked in with Mason, who clapped his hands together. “Okay, Pearl and I have been talking. We have some ideas.”