With the tears starting to roll faster down Audrey’s cheeks, snot drained from her nose as choking sobs ripped through her body. She knew that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t let him go, not yet. All she could do was tell him about her condition and let him choose. Then if he rejected her, she would be in the exact same place she was now. And what about Levi? Could she really be done? Was she already done? Had she been done and that’s why she stood up to him? She couldn’t help but think about Lucas and Fallon. What would they think about it all?

Audrey leaned against the wall, crying her heart out over Tate, and thinking that she was in one hell of a pickle.

~*~

Audrey was drained.

Emotionally and physically.

It almost kept her home for the day, but she had a meeting with her dad. Walking down the long orange- filled hall to her father’s office, she couldn’t help but hate the color of her family’s company. Being a big University of Tennessee fan, Audrey’s great, great, grandpa decided that the company’s colors needed to be orange and white, and so everything was. And that meant everything: floors, walls, furniture. It was disgusting and the place screamed for a makeover, but her father loved it just as much as his father had. Hopefully one day, when the company went to Fallon, she’d change the color. Maybe then Audrey would like working there.

Probably not.

Walking quickly towards her father’s office, Audrey moved her hands down the front of her chocolate brown sheath dress. It was extremely plain, but she dressed it up with gold jewelry and sexy brown, high heeled boots that came to mid thigh. The boots had gold chains hanging along the sides and gold heels. Her hair was up in a messy bun with her Ray-Bans holding up her bangs. Turning the corner, she moved her hands up to the gold birdcage that hung from her neck. She slid it back and forth along the chain. Doing that caused her to think of the tattoos on Tate’s chest, but that was only for a second before she was thinking of the hard lines and sexy dips of his chest.

Fantastic.

With a shake of her head, Audrey knocked on her father’s door. When she heard him say, “Come in,” she went in with a smile on her face.

“Hey Daddy,” she said shutting the door behind her.

William stood and came around the desk to hug her tightly, “Hello, darlin’, how are you?”

“Tired, but no big deal, here are those consumer reports on the Big Country wine that was released in California and the ones from Fallon’s Cellar.”

William nodded, taking the papers from her and sitting behind his desk. Moving through the papers, a grin remained on his face. He had been a different man ever since Fallon’s wedding. It was weird, but good all in one. Even Fallon was getting along with him, and that was really weird. Maybe she could tell him about wanting to leave; maybe she would get a different response.

Maybe pigs will fly one day.

“She has done really well with that cellar,” William muttered.

Audrey nodded, “She has.”

William nodded again, and continued to look through the papers, asking questions here and there. Audrey answered them quickly and efficiently, wanting more than anything to go back home and get in bed.

Putting the papers down, William looked up, “You look beautiful today, darling.”

Audrey smiled as her cheeks warmed, “Thank you, Daddy.”

William nodded and like always he asked, “Everything okay?”

Audrey held his gaze as she had an internal battle with herself about telling him she wanted to leave. He always asked her that, it was almost like he knew she wanted to leave but knew she wouldn’t say it first. Could she do it, could she tell him she wasn’t happy?

Why do something you don’t love?

Hearing Tate’s voice didn’t help. Looking over at her father, she nodded her head, “Everything is fine.”

Feeling like an idiot, Audrey made her way back to her office. She knew she should have said something but she wasn’t ready for that fight with her father. He was different, yes, but she knew how he felt about his girls working for the company. It was almost mandatory with being a Parker. It was kind of spooky in a way.

Going into her office, she grabbed her purse off her desk just as her phone started to ring. Bringing it out of her pocket, she saw it was Piper.

“Hola!” Audrey gushed as she locked her office and headed out the building.

“What up, chica!” Piper gushed back, obviously in a great mood.

“Nothing much, I’m tired, going home to bed.”

“Lazy ass, wish I had that luxury.”

Audrey laughed, “You work for your sister, how hard could it be to just leave?”

“Harder than you think. Harper hasn’t been doing well lately,” Piper said sadly.

Audrey stopped in the middle of the hall, “Is everything okay?”

“No, apparently my sister has had 5 miscarriages in the last year, and has told no one. The last one put her in the hospital and they told her she might not be able to ever carry another child. Her uterus is weak or something.”

“Oh my gosh, Piper, tell her I’m praying for her. Gosh, that sucks,” Audrey said, her heart breaking for Harper. She didn’t know that Harper wanted more babies after her gorgeous daughter, but she couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Meanwhile, Elli was knocking them out every 9 months.

“I will, thank you. So yeah, I’ve been running things all week and it’s been hectic, I even took Ally for a couple days. She’s here now.”