They Discussed Parameters At My Wedding, I Discussed My Exit Chapter 02
A massive storm hit the next morning. The rain was so heavy the streets were practically flooding.
I ran downstairs to catch a ride with Reid. We all
worked at the same institute, even if I was just the receptionist.
Reid was already in the car, talking to Sloane in the passenger seat.
I knocked on the window. He didn’t even look up. The car pulled away.
“Reid, wait!”
I ran after the car. My feet slipped on the wet asphalt and I went down hard, scraping my elbow raw.
Reid still didn’t notice me.
Whenever Sloane was around, I ceased to exist.
I wiped the blood and mud off my arm and ran for the subway.
I was still late.
Reid and Sloane strolled past my desk, shoulder to
shoulder. The second they saw me, their faces dropped.
“You’re late. Again. Do you even take this job seriously?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Why didn’t you
wait for me this morning?”
Sloane answered before he could.
“He didn’t do it on purpose, Tessa. It’s just, you don’t
really get how it works. Every second matters in the
lab. We couldn’t exactly just sit there idling.”
She gave my shoulder a little squeeze, like that made everything okay.
Reid sighed.
He looked at me the way you’d look at a toddler
throwing a tantrum over nothing.
“You knew it was raining. Why didn’t you leave. earlier?”
“I’ve been telling you since college to manage your
time better. Why don’t you ever listen?”
“I’m not expecting you to be like Sloane. But can you at least be professional?”
But when Sloane forgot her bag, it was a different story.
He’d smile and tease her about it. A genius in the lab,
he’d say. A total mess everywhere else.
Something in me went quiet. I didn’t have the energy to fight.
Then, without warning, Reid stepped away from me.
Turned his head like I was a stranger.
Some coworkers were approaching.
Institute policy: no workplace relationships. At least,
that was his rule.
But the coworkers walking by didn’t hesitate to stop
and tease him, about Sloane.
“Well, if it isn’t the institute’s favorite power couple,
Dr. Voss and Dr. Merritt.”
“You two carpooling again? Adorable.”
I kept my head down. I should’ve been used to it by now.
To everyone at the institute, Reid and Sloane were the
perfect match. Childhood friends. Matching PhDs. The
research duo everyone talked about.
Then one of them noticed.
“Who says Reid doesn’t know how to treat a woman?
Look at Sloane’s bag. That’s this season’s drop. You
can’t even get your hands on one of those.”
My eyes drifted to it before I could stop myself.
It was beautiful.
I’d told Reid about that bag. He’d ordered me a
knockoff from some random site instead.
Said he was too busy to tell the difference.
But Sloane had the real thing. Limited edition.
“Hey, Tessa. Can’t you see Dr. Merritt and Dr. Voss are busy?”
“Grab us some coffees, would you? Don’t you know how to read the room?”
I swallowed my pride and went to get the coffee.
But as I handed them out, Sloane flung her hands up
mid–story, knocking the tray. Coffee went everywhere.
Scalding liquid soaked through my sleeve, burning all the way down my arm.
Reid shoved me out of the way and grabbed Sloane’s hand.
“Sloane! Are you all right?”
Once he was sure she was fine, he checked the papers
on the table, every page, every data sheet, making sure nothing was ruined.
Only then did he look at me.
“You can’t even hand out coffee without making a
mess? Those are her hands, Tessa. She needs them for the lab.”
“Is the experiment really all you care about, Reid?”
Sloane sighed, feigning exasperation.
Then her eyes landed on my arm, the raw, red skin spreading under my sleeve.
“Reid, oh my God, Tessa is burned. Go get the first aid kit, quick!”
Reid finally looked at my arm. He frowned, grabbing my wrist to inspect it.
He glanced around first, making sure no one was watching, then blew softly on the burn.
“Does it hurt? Wait here. I’ll get some burn cream.”
By the end of the day, I was still waiting for that cream.
Reid had rushed Sloane into the lab the second they’d walked away.
He’d completely forgotten about me.