He grabbed her shoulders. “Did he fire you?”
She didn’t immediately understand his question.
“Your boss, did he fire you because he found out about you and me?” Zach repeated and looked at her with an impenetrable gaze.
She shook her head. “No, he didn’t. He knows nothing of us.”
“Then why don’t you work for the SEC anymore? What happened?”
She tried to shake off his hands, but he didn’t allow it. “Nothing happened. I quit.”
His jaw seemed to tighten. “Damn it, why? You need this job. You told me so yourself.”
The rain continued to pound down on them, but she ignored it. “I couldn’t work there any longer. That’s all.” She stepped back, and his hands fell off her shoulders. Relieved, she exhaled.
“No, that’s not everything.”
Zach’s harsh tone sent a shudder through her.
“What really happened? Please, Rochelle, tell me what’s going on, because I have the feeling this is my fault.” With his fingers he lifted her chin, so she had to look into his eyes. “Please, tell me the truth.” His voice was softer now, but not any less insistent.
A sigh tore from her breast. What did it matter if she told him her real reason for quitting?
“Yochum wanted to promote me for bringing in Emily Grover. It’s a coup for the department.”
Zach’s forehead furrowed. “But that’s excellent. A promotion. Why wouldn’t you want that?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Few people would. But tending her resignation had been the only option.
“Please explain it to me.”
She evaded his gaze. “I couldn’t continue like this. Always assuming the worst in people. It’s getting harder and harder for me to trust somebody.” She lifted her eyes to his face. “How can I continue in a job that’s destroyed so much? Don’t you see that? I couldn’t trust you, because I always saw you as the suspect. I was always looking for evidence that you were guilty. I do that with everybody. I always assume that people are lying to me. I can never see the good in people. It’s this damn job. It’s changed me. I can’t go on like that. I don’t want to be like that. I want to trust others. I don’t want to always see the worst in people.” Her tears mixed with the rain.
“Oh Rochelle…” Zach brushed a strand of her hair from her face.
“I didn’t trust you and that destroyed everything between us. And you? You helped my brother. You gave him a job, paid off his debts—”
“How do you know that?” he interrupted, clearly surprised.
“Steve told me the name of the company he’s working for. By chance I saw the name in documentation about Ivers International. It’s one of your subsidiaries. Oh Zach, why didn’t you tell me?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t want you to be with me, because I’m helping your brother. I only wanted you to not have to worry about him anymore.”
A loud sob tore from her chest. “See… you do things that are selfless. You also paid that loan shark off, didn’t you?”
He shrugged. “It’s wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? For me and my brother, it was a huge deal. And how do I thank you for it? By accusing you!”
“You only did your job. Everybody in your situation would have done the same.”
“I don’t want to be in situations like that anymore. Because it’s the reason I lost you. And that hurts more than anything else.” She closed her eyes.
Zach’s arms pulled her closer until she found herself pressed to his chest. “You haven’t lost me. I’m still here.”
She jerked her head up and stared at him. Was she hallucinating?
He smiled. “Rochelle, I can’t just give you up because of such a trifle.”
“A trifle? I didn’t trust you.”
“Then I’ll just have to work harder so I can earn your trust.”
In disbelief, she stared at him. “Do you mean that? You forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” He shook his head and the rainwater dripped from his hair. By now, he was as soaked as she. Zach took her head in both his hands and brought his face close to hers. “I’m in love with you, Rochelle, and love fixes everything.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Oh Zach, is that true?”
“That I love you or that everything is fine now?” He grinned.
“Both.”