Chapter 165

William called after I was home to tell me Amy was okay. He saw the truck parked behind Gray’s, and he saw her going in the back door to her family’s apartment above the restaurant.

But when he called Amy’s name, she hurried inside and closed the door.

I was relieved Amy was safe, but I mourned the loss of my friend. There had to be a way to win back her trust and make her see I really did care about her.

I stayed home the rest of the weekend, spending time with Alex and going for runs with Diana.

“Be patient and give Amy some space,” she told me on our Sunday evening run. “Eventually, she will forgive you, and you can rebuild your bond with her.”

“I hope so,” I said. “I miss her already.”

When I arrived at school Monday morning, my eyes immediately zeroed in on the bench under the tree where we always met each morning.

It was empty.

I walked over and sat down anyway, hoping Amy was running late. In my mind, I could see her hurrying toward me and plopping down on the bench while complaining about her faulty alarm clock.

But the first bell rang, and she never appeared.

I saw her in the hallway before second period. She turned her head in the other direction when I called her name and hurried into the classroom.

We always sat together in math class, but she sat in another seat across the room.

I walked over to her and said her name. But she wouldn't look up from her textbook when she mumbled, “Please leave me alone.”

What choice did I have? I went to my seat and sat down.

After class, Amy rushed out of the room as soon as the bell rang. I felt like a stalker following her, so I gave up for now and went to werewolf history class.

I tried to smile when William walked into the room and sat beside me, but I couldn’t.

“How are things with Amy?” he asked.

“She’s avoiding me and won’t talk to me,” I whispered.

I didn’t want what happened to Amy becoming an item for the school gossip mills. It would be disrespectful to her, and I was ashamed of my part in what happened.

“I’m leaving before lunch,” I reminded him. “Will you keep an eye on Amy if you can? I’m worried about her.”

“Sure,” he agreed. “She isn’t talking to me either, but I’ll sit as near her as possible in the cafeteria and make sure nobody bothers her.”

“Thanks,” I said and turned my attention to the teacher.

After class, I signed out and hurried to the gate where Joe was waiting with the limousine.

I knew Amy was in the cafeteria by now, probably texting with Justin. So I thought I’d try to contact her.

I sent her a text that said, “I’m sorry.” I immediately received a message from her cell carrier stating she wasn’t accepting calls or texts from my number.

Tears stung my eyes when I realized our fifteen-year friendship was over.

“Give her time,” Diana reminded me. “You can’t expect her to overcome her anger and humiliation this quickly. But it will happen.”

“It’s hard to imagine my life without her,” I said.

“Move on with your life and do something good for others while you wait for her,” Diana suggested. “Go ahead with her plan for the progressive dinner, or design a new program to help the Beta community in her honor.”

I sat quietly, thinking about Diana’s suggestion during the rest of the trip to my office. By the time I was in the express elevator, I had an idea.

It would be a new division of Wilson, Inc. with its own business model. It would make money for the company and assist the Beta community.

I sat at my desk the rest of the day, working out the details. I would assemble a proposal for the board by next weekend and get the project rolling.

It would take my mind off of Amy, and it would do a lot of good.

I was finished with the first draft when Victor showed up at my door with two mocha lattes and a box of eclairs.

“This is a nice surprise,” I said.

Victor placed one of the coffees and an eclair in front of me. “I thought you could use a coffee break. You looked incredibly focused when I came in. What are you working on?”

“It’s a new division for the company,” I replied. “It will have its own business model and branding.”

“Does it have an acceptable profit margin?” he asked.

I sipped my coffee and let out a small moan of delight. “More than acceptable if it’s executed correctly. And I’m going to see that it is done right.”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “I’m intrigued. Care to tell me more?”

“Not yet,” I said. “But you’ll be the first person I discuss it with after the proposal is solidified.”

Victor raised his coffee and a salute. “Fair enough.” He took a sip. “How is your friend?”

“Not speaking to me,” I replied. “And I don’t blame her.”

I met Victor’s gaze, and he saw the sadness in my eyes.

He put down the eclair he was eating and gave me his full attention. “Let’s talk about it.”

I sighed and took another sip of my coffee. Holding the cup in both hands, I began.

“Do you remember the night when I asked you if I was going the right way? If it was right to put the company first over everything else?”

He didn’t take long to remember. “Yes, that was the night we spoke in your driveway after William left.”

I nodded. “You told me that as Alex’s sole heir, it’s my duty to always put the company first.”

“I did say that, but it isn’t exactly what I meant.” He looked me in my eyes again. “I told you the other night that the debacle at the party may be my fault.”

He groaned. “What I should have told you is that you need to balance what you cherish with your responsibilities,” he said. “The people who matter to you the most must be a priority in your life too.”

“My parents, Alex, and you are as important as my company,” he explained. “When Alex was In the hospital, or when you needed me to teach you to dance, or when you needed to learn how to run your company, I made it work alongside my corporate obligations.”

“I should have gone to Amy right away,” I said. He was right. I messed things up badly.

“But I would bet it took you less time than you think it did for you to go to Amy that night,” Victor said. “During times of stress, things can seem to move in slow motion.”

“I felt trapped,” I said. “At that moment, I didn’t care about his deal, but I couldn’t walk away while Richard Myers was speaking.”

I toyed with the coffee lid. “And then he told me the girls bullying Amy were his daughters, and I froze for a moment. I was panicking.”

“I understand that,” Victor said. “Anyone in your exact position would have felt the same way. You’ll get better at finding balance in time.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, note to self: go to the rescue of my loved ones before closing a deal.”

“That’s not what you did, Daisy,” Victor scolded. “It wasn’t that you were making a deal. It was your respect for your elders that kept you from running to Amy’s side. You couldn’t walk away while Richard was speaking.”

“Yes,” I admitted. “That was a big part of it.”

“Good. Recognize what happened. Own your mistake, and when Amy is ready to talk again, tell her what happened from your perspective.”

“I’m going to find a way to earn back her trust and forgiveness,” I said. “I will have my best friend in my life again.”

Victor smiled. “I know you will. You can do anything you decide to do.”