Chapter 20 : Facing Facts

**Cat POV "Mom, Mom!" I cried. I tried shaking her, but she still wouldn't respond. "What happened?" one of the construction workers asked, coming up to me. He knelt down, putting a hand on my back. He grabbed my mother's wrist. "She just passed out," I said, hyperventilating. The construction worker frowned slightly. "Is she okay? What's wrong?" I asked. "She's unconscious, but her pulse is strong. Is there somewhere we can take her to get her more comfortable?" he asked. "Um… yeah, the guest house at Mr. Carter's," I said, pointing back to the house. "I've got her," the construction worker said. He picked my mom up so easily, carrying her bridal style back to the guest house. He instructed the other construction workers to get back to work. I hurried after him. He must have been the foreman or something, overseeing the construction crew. "I'm sorry if this disrupts your workday," I said, not sure what else to say. "We'll get the job done," he assured me. When we got to the guest house, the construction worker set my mom on the couch. He got a glass of water and sprinkled some on her face. My mom moaned and opened her eyes. She blinked several times, staring at the construction worker, then glancing at me. "See, she's awake now. Should we take her to the hospital for a follow-up?" he asked, setting the water aside. "No, I'm fine," my mom said. She wiped her face with her sleeve and sat up, glaring at me. "Mom, maybe you should go to a doctor. You did just pass out," I suggested. My mom sniffed. She jumped up and pointed a finger at me. "You did this! This is your fault!" she cried. "What?" I asked. "What are you talking about?" "You did something to Aaron, didn't you?! You ruined your relationship and scared him off. He was the best thing that ever happened to you and you ruined it!" she screamed. "Mom, that's not what happened," I argued, holding my hands up. "Shut up! Were you jealous that Aaron and I had a good relationship? Were you jealous that he liked me more than you?" she asked. "Umm… what?" I asked. That didn't even make any sense. I looked at the construction worker. He gave a little shrug, his mouth in a subtle frown. "What did you do to him!?" my mom screamed, jumping at me. The construction worker got between me and my mother. He held his arms out like a muscular wall between us. "You should calm down," he insisted. "No! That is my daughter, and she's being stupid and selfish!" my mom shouted, poking the construction worker in the chest. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I'm not going to let you yell at the woman that was concerned for your well-being a few moments ago," he insisted. "Fine, fine! Hide behind your new boyfriend. Just know, Aaron is much better off without you," my mom hissed. She turned on her heel and walked out, slamming the door so hard the little cottage shook. My hands were shaking too. I squeezed them into fists and started pacing back and forth. Twice, someone I cared about had screamed at me in this cottage. This was supposed to be my home, a place I felt safe. "Are you alright?" the construction worker asked. I shook my head and flopped down on the couch. Leaning forward, I dropped my head into my hands. "That's my mom," I whispered, shaking my head. "She seems a little uptight," he said awkwardly. I laughed dryly and shrugged. "And the worst part is, I'm worried that she shouldn't be driving so soon after fainting." "She said she's fine. I'm sure she's fine," the construction worker said. Looking up at him, I saw how tense he looked. His muscles were bulging, and his arms were crossed. He looked like he wanted to help me more but didn't know what to say. A wave of emotion swept through me, and my eyes welled with tears. I couldn't believe my mom had accused me of ruining things with Aaron. After everything that had happened, it was just too much. There was only one person in the entire world right now that believed my side of the story. Sobbing, I wrapped my arms around my stomach and rocked back and forth. "Hey, it'll be okay. I'm sure your mom is fine to drive," the construction worker said, sitting next to me. He reached out a few times, hesitated, then finally put his arm around me. Sniffling, I leaned against him. He went rigid, but he kept his arm around me. "I know she'll be okay. Th-that's not wh-why…" I sobbed again and closed my eyes. "I know I might be stepping out of line here, but you seem like a really nice young woman. What is it that has you so upset? I can tell it is way bigger than your mom," the construction worker offered. I sniffled again and wiped my nose. The floodgates opened. Through sobs and trembles, I told the construction worker everything. I told him about moving to the city and Aaron, how I ended up taking favor from my boss, how Aaron and Fiona had turned the tables on me, and how I lost my house and was considering leaving the job. "And now… well now I'm trapped in this job. I can't quit without moving, and I can't move anywhere without a job. Obviously, I can't move back with my mom," I went on, groaning and sniffling again. "This isn't the only job in the world," he offered. "Yeah, but it is the only large firm in this city. I can't leave this city…" I went on, sniffling more. "There, there," the construction worker said, patting my back lightly. I chuckled softly through the tears. "You really suck at this." "I'm sorry, I'm not usually the one comforting damsels in distress," he muttered. I sighed and pulled away from him. "I'm not a damsel in distress!" "No, no, of course not," he said, holding his hands up and grinning at me. Giggling, I pushed at him playfully. "Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. You should probably get back to the construction crew." He stood up and stretched, cracking his back. "Oh, I'm not here to work with them." "You're not?" I asked. I grabbed a tissue off the table beside the couch and wiped my face and nose clean. "No. My name is Jason. I'm the structural engineer for the firm," he said. I froze, my jaw dropping slightly. "Y-you look like a construction worker," I said, pointing to the orange, reflective vest he was wearing. Jason smirked and shrugged. "I'm just on site today. I've been trying to get Luke to carve out a time that I can meet you. As the new architect, we'll be working closely together." "Oh, right," I muttered. Well, this was awkward. I looked at the crumpled tissue in my lap and chewed my lower lip. I'd just spilled my guts to this guy, thinking he was some construction worker I'd never see again. Apparently, if I stayed working here, I'd be working closely with Jason. "Tell me about the ideas you had. Luke said you had some good ones. I can work them into the structural design," he suggested. Jason went back to the kitchen and got me a fresh glass of water. "Well, I think the work you guys have already done is brilliant, but I know what people want in houses and a lot of it comes down to lighting," I said. I sipped the water and leaned back on the couch. Jason chuckled and shook his head. "Luke said you were smart and witty. I'm glad he wasn't wrong this time." "I'm happy to provide amusement," I muttered. "Alright, Cat, what else do people like in houses?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Efficiency, especially when it comes to utilities. If they are shelling out this much money for a 30-year mortgage, they aren't going to want to pay higher expenses on heating, electricity, and everything else," I pointed out. "Ahh, that's why you gave Luke an earful about the solar panel placement?" he asked. I nodded, cupping my hands around my water glass. Jason was just trying to distract me. I could tell that's what he was doing, but it didn't bother me. I was grateful for the distraction, and I could always talk about my job. "This is a pretty big project for a new architect," Jason pointed out. He leaned casually against the living room wall. "What can I say, I'm good at what I do," I teased, sticking my tongue out at him. Jason chuckled again. "I imagine that is true. You do know Luke rarely hires anyone straight out of college." "Really?" I asked, sitting up. That genuinely surprised me. Luke had been so excited to get me working on new projects. I thought it was because he wanted to get me immersed in the company. It would make sense to throw a new, young architect straight out of college into multiple projects to get a feel for it. "Really. He's got to have high hopes for you for sticking you on two of the largest projects in the firm right now," Jason said, nodding. "I really hope not to disappoint," I muttered, relaxing on the couch again. "It seems doubtful," Jason said. "I do have to get back to work, however." "Oh, right. It is still a workday," I said. I stood up and stretched. "Are you feeling better?" he asked as he headed for the front door. "I am. Thank you for this," I said, holding my arms out. "For what?" Jason asked, creasing his brow. "Talking, making me feel better," I said. "Of course. I am here for you, any time. We work together now," he reminded me. I nodded. I couldn't tell him that I was still considering resigning, not after everything else I'd shared. Chewing my lower lip, I smiled lightly at Jason. He'd done me a big favor. I appreciated how he'd come to my defense, how he'd worked to make me feel better even though he knew that he wasn't great at comforting others. "We'll talk tomorrow, okay? And I mean really talk–about work. This can be ancient history by then," he suggested. "Good idea," I said, giggling. I finished the water and went to the kitchen to wash the two glasses. "So, I will see you tomorrow, Cat," Jason called. "Yeah, that sounds good. Have a great afternoon," I called back. He opened the door and started whistling as he walked away. Meeting Jason almost made me want to keep the job. "Mr. Carter," I heard Jason say as he headed down the walk. "Crap," I whispered. Luke was coming to see me. I didn't know what to say to him about his girlfriend.