The Key She Could Never Give Me Chapter 02

The Key She Could Never Give Me Chapter 02

Back at the restaurant, I pushed open the door to the back room and shoved the wedding suit catalog into the bottom of my suitcase.

The room had originally been used for storage.

Later, I’d cleared it out and made it livable.

The folding bed sat against the wall.

The wardrobe had come from a thrift store.

Back then, Sloane had stood in the doorway watching me work, smiling.

She’d told me to hang on a little longer.

Once the new house was ready, we wouldn’t have to live like this anymore.

I believed her then.

A move-in countdown board still hung behind the door.

I’d made it myself.

It started at 180 days.

Every day, I crossed off another square.

Until today.

I stood there looking at it for a moment.

Then I reached up and took it down.

I didn’t own many clothes.

Packing didn’t take long.

When Sloane came back, I was dragging my suitcase toward the door.

The second she saw me, she stopped.

“Where are you going?”

“There’s an open bed in the staff housing.”

“I’m moving over there.”

She immediately blocked the doorway.

“Blake, seriously?”

“You’re really doing this?”

I didn’t look up.

I just tightened my grip on the suitcase handle.

“I just want to sleep somewhere that actually gets daylight.”

She stared at me.

“Staff housing is crowded.”

“You won’t be comfortable there.”

I finally looked at her.

“And I’m supposed to be comfortable in a storage room?”

That stopped her.

Her voice softened.

“Jase is in a tough spot right now.”

“Can’t you just put up with this a little longer?”

I nodded.

“Fine.”

She relaxed and reached for my suitcasee.

I stepped back before she could touch it.

“I’ll go by myself.”

That night, I moved into the staff housing.

The next day was the grand opening of our fifth location.

I got there at six in the morning.

The first thing I noticed was the promotional poster outside.

It had been changed.

The spot that was supposed to have my name on it now had Jase’s.

He stood beside Sloane in a brand-new uniform.

A few employees started teasing him, calling him the new boss.

He lowered his head.

He didn’t correct them.

I walked over and stopped in front of Sloane.

“Who changed the poster?”

She pulled me aside.

“They need proof of income for the custody evaluation.”

“Jase needs to be listed as a co-founder.”

She lowered her voice.

“He helped with the marketing and the interior setup.”

“It’s not like we made it up.”

I just stared at her.

“Those two years we ran the food truck…”

“When you had a high fever, who finished all the deliveries for you?”

“When we opened our first restaurant, who stayed in that kitchen until my legs were shaking?”

She frowned.

“I know how much you’ve done.”

“But you don’t need a poster to prove what you’ve done.”

“Jase is different.”

“He needs the paperwork right now.”

The emcee called for her from the front.

Sloane straightened her sleeves.

“Don’t start anything today.”

“I’ll explain later.”

I didn’t say another word.

The grand opening began.

Sloane took the microphone.

Then she turned and took Jase’s hand.

“The person I really need to thank is Jase.”

“He took on a lot of the work.”

“He stayed by my side through the hardest part.”

The crowd burst into applause.

Emma was brought up front.

Sloane reached over and gently patted her head, smiling warmly.

I turned around and went into the kitchen.

The oil in the pan had just heated up when a drop splashed onto the back of my hand.

Sloane came in to grab something and noticed the red mark.

“What happened?”

I didn’t answer.

She glanced outside.

Then at my hand.

“Rinse it off.”

“Don’t let it slow down service.”

I nodded and held my hand under the faucet.

Not long after that, a commotion broke out in the front.

Emma had knocked over a cup of water.

Sloane immediately handed the microphone to someone else, picked Emma up, and carried her into the break room.

After the grand opening ended, Sloane called me into the office.

A new staffing chart sat on the desk.

“For now, Jase’s name is going down as general manager here.”

I flipped through two pages.

Then I looked up.

“So where do I go?”

“Back to the flagship location.”

She sat behind the desk, her tone perfectly calm.

“The kitchen needs you.”

“You know how everything runs.”

“And you’re tough.”

“You can handle it.”

I looked at her quietly for a moment.

Then I set the staffing chart back on the desk.

“Got it.”

Her expression softened.

“Blake, I knew you’d understand.”

“Once things settle down, I’ll make it up to you.”

I tucked my burned hand into my sleeve.

And said nothing.