Pride & Precedents (The Park Brothers #2)

28. Camila

Chapter twenty-eight

Camila

" B ye, guys! Next time, I'll bring my Critical Pass flashcards. They're a total game changer for some of those tricky multiple-choice questions."

Kyle, a lanky twenty-something with dirty blonde hair, oversized glasses, and a prominent nose, bows his thanks and Amina, a short Indian woman in full makeup, blows a kiss before they disappear down the stairs to the F train. They're both five years younger than I am and look like they walked straight out of an Old Navy ad. Also, they have their shit down.

Joining the in-person study group was long overdue. With Kyle and Amina's help, I finally feel like I'm moving past rote memorization to full comprehension. As a proud Bronxite, it stings that they're both from Queens, but they're still good people. I'm going to make this test my bitch!

As soon as I reach the escalators at Penn Station, I pop my headphones in and crank the volume up to eleven. Initially, I spent every waking moment studying, even downloading exam prep podcasts to listen to on the subway. But with the test coming up next week and my anxiety at an all-time high, I've started forcing myself to take breaks. My newest rule? Music only music during my commute.

Celia Cruz sings a song of yearning as I push past the rush hour traffic and feel a twinge of guilt that I'm not at work. Yes, it's common to take time off for exam prep, especially at a law firm. Yes, since I left, I've been getting the best sleep of my life and exploring parts of the city I've been neglecting. But I know I didn't leave in the most professional way.

I also know I owe Henry more than the cold shoulder after years of working together. Just because things didn't work out between us, it doesn't mean we can't be civil. I'll need to talk to him about that recommendation, anyway. Maybe I'll stop by reception tomorrow and see if I can catch him at lunch.

As I turn onto my street, familiar horn-rimmed glasses catch my eye. Or, I can talk to him now , since Henry's currently leaning against the railing in front of my building. What the hell?

I try to slow down, maybe duck between the buildings to take the back entrance, but he sees me anyway. He straightens and nervously wipes one hand on his pants, holding a bouquet of purple flowers in the other. In jeans and a blazer, he looks more like one of my professors than a legal shark. Fuck me if that doesn't make him look even hotter.

I come to a stop two feet in front of him, leaving enough space so I won't just jump into his arms on instinct. I've missed him! He pushes his glasses further up his nose and I can see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows.

"What are you doing here, Henry?" I hate how accusatory that sounded, but I still feel a bit raw.

"I—" He clears his throat. "I wanted to see you. I brought you these." He awkwardly pushes the flowers in my direction and I simply stare at them.

"The florist said hyacinth is for forgiveness," he adds, still holding the flowers out to me. After another moment of hesitation, I take the bouquet. I'm a little pissed at how beautiful it is, and that he thought to ask the florist for a recommendation. Sub Zero was never this thoughtful, which means I'm talking to Henry. But which one?

"Thank you. This is really…sweet." One corner of his mouth lifts in a small smile and the silence stretches between us. As usual, I'm the first to break it.

"Don't get me wrong, the flowers are beautiful, but I still don't know why you're here. It's 4:30pm on a Thursday. Shouldn't you be at work?"

He shifts uncomfortably before meeting my eyes.

"I've been suspended. For three months." I gasp and nearly drop the flowers and all my bags.

"What?! What happened?" Henry shrugs like the biggest twist since the ending of "Fight Club" is nothing to him.

"The senior partners weren't too happy with how things went down with Naomi. Asking to be taken off such a high-profile case is extremely unusual, even with inappropriate behavior on the client's part." He sighs.

"They would've let it go…but then…someone reported us. If not for Bannister, I'd be out of a job."

I feel a pain in my palm and realize I have the strap of my satchel in a death grip.

"That bitch."

"What?" Henry says, clearly surprised by my reaction.

"It was Vanessa." His eyes widen.

"Vanessa? How would she have known?"

I sigh and lean against the railing next to him.

"That day I left? The day of the kiss?" Henry drops his eyes, obviously reliving that terrible memory.

"She was standing right outside the door. I'm not sure how much she heard, but when I saw her, she accused me of sleeping with you to get my position. Apparently, she's been pissed at me this whole time."

Henry's jaw is like granite, his eyes filled with lethal intent.

"She said that to you?"

I shrug.

"As you know, I can handle the assholes at work. I thought it was just some catty bullshit. But you're saying she went to the partners?"

"Either she did, or she told Jonathan and he did," Henry growls.

All the more reason to get out of dodge.

"They really almost fired you? For something that isn't technically against the rules?"

"Actually, it was like you said."

I look at him, confused.

"They weren't happy, but I got in more trouble because I didn't tell them beforehand. Once someone filed a report, there weren't a lot of options."

I don't say "I told you so", but I think it.

"You can go ahead and say it," he says with a smirk. "I fucked up. I knew it as soon as you walked out the door, but I thought we'd have a chance to talk it out."

"Henry. I…" I raise and drop my hand, unsure what to say, where to start.

Henry chuckles.

"It's honestly no big deal." I furrow my brow. "I mean, it is a big deal, but it feels like it was meant to be. Seven years is way too long to go with practically no down time. No vacation, staying late every night, and working through every weekend? It was a recipe for disaster. If it hadn't been this, it would have been something else."

I'm struggling to come to terms with the firm's top earner spouting the virtues of stopping to smell the roses. It's unheard of.

"Well…I can't say I'm not surprised. I'm beyond surprised. But if you're able to embrace this whole situation and finally take some much needed time off, then I'm happy for you. You definitely earned it."

Henry gives me a genuine smile and I'm thankful to be already leaning against the railing.

"I'm also here to warn you," he says. Something shifts in his eyes. He's gone from unsure to determined, even cocky.

"Warn me?" I reply, raising an eyebrow. He just smirks in response.

"Yes. I'm here to warn you I'm not giving up on us. You can storm out of the office over a mistake." He raises an arm when I open my mouth to interrupt. "A mistake I regretted immediately, even more than not pushing Naomi when she put her hand on my knee."

His face is obviously contrite, and my heart squeezes.

"You can ignore my calls and texts. You can bury yourself in studying—which I totally get, by the way. But soon, when you're done with the bar and can add Esquire to your name, we're going to talk. We're going to talk and you're going to hear me out and stop being so stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn," I argue, ignoring the juvenile pout in my voice. He gives me an adoring smile in return.

"You are stubborn, but it's OK. I'm not perfect either." He looks into my eyes, emotion swirling right at the surface. There's lust there, and determination to get his way; it's part of what makes him a formidable lawyer. There's also something else. Something too big for me to process on five hours of sleep with a week still left on my study plan. He must sense my inner turmoil.

"I'm not here to get into everything right now; there'll be time for that later. You're probably beside yourself with nerves over the test next week." I can't help but nod.

"That's totally normal. Just stick with your schedule, make sure that schedule includes sleep, and the day before the exam, don't study at all. Give your brain a break. Once you pass, and you're going to pass," he says with a certainty that makes me grin, "we're going to talk and we're going to get past this."

He lifts the hand not holding a tote full of binders and kisses my knuckles. His velvet soft lips have me wishing he'd come upstairs, study plan be damned. Instead, he winks and heads to the waiting car parked in front of my building. I give Murray a small wave; his only response is a knowing smile.