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I miss the scent of her light perfume lingering in the air. I miss the sound of her voice as she returns phone calls for me. I miss the rapid click-clacking of her responding to emails on my behalf.
I hate looking to my right, expecting her to be there at the ready, only to find empty space. I hate how much I miss her warmth, her smile, her laugh.
I’ve dated my fair share of women. I’ve broken a few hearts; I’ve been the one to walk away. But this is officially the first time I can say thatmyheart is the one broken.
Nobody warned me how empty I’d feel. I never would have expected to feel this hollow. Not seeing Eden everyday… Not even knowing where she’s gone…
It’s a special kind of pain.
I don’t care for it.
There’s a knock at my door. I let out a pre-emptive groan because I know exactly who it is.
“I have those financial reports you asked for, Mr. Stride,” Renee says, all but skipping into my office with a stack of papers tucked beneath her arm.
At first, I thought it was creepy how she’s chosen to style herself after Eden. I initially thought it was just a fashion choice. There’s no law that says she can’t change her hairstyle and shop at the same stores, but the similarities go much deeper than that. It’s imitation at its finest, from the way she raises her voice to sound a bit closer to Eden’s range, to the way she tries to copy her laugh and emulate Eden’s grin.
It creeps me the fuck out.
“I told you you could just send it via email,” I grumble. “It’s a waste of paper.”
“You know how sensitive that information can be,” she says, unbothered. She sets everything down and circles my desk, leaning casually against its edge next to me. “I wanted to deliver these to you in person. You know, for security.”
“Thank you, Ms. Thatch. That’ll be all.”
“How did your meeting with the investors go?”
“Fine.”
“Oh, I know that tone. It must not have gone very well.”
“I still have some work to take care of,” I tell her stiffly. “You’re dismissed.”
“Are you sure? I know how busy you can get during post-production. I really don’t mind sticking around to help alleviate some of the workload.”
“No. Go home.”
Renee giggles. She tries to sound like Eden, but the sound comes across as more of a squawk. It’s keys scraping along the side of my Ferrari in my ear. She scoots a little closer, the side of her thigh bumping my hand. “Come on, Hunter. Don’t be like that. Nobody likes to be alone.”
“I prefer it, actually.”
“I don’t believe you.”
What she does next crosses so many lines that I can’t even begin to count them.
Renee crawls onto my lap, straddling me and wrapping her arms securely around my neck. My hands fly out to her hips to try and keep her at bay. Unfortunately, this is a massive mistake on my part because she seems to take it as some sort of invitation.
“Oh, Hunter,” she coos. “I hate seeing you like this.”
“Get the fuck off, Renee.”
“I know you’re upset about Eden, but maybe I can help with that.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I said get the fuck off!”
“Don’t you understand, Hunter? I’ve been trying to get your attention for ages. A girl like Eden was never going to make it in this world. It’s far too demanding, but not for me.”
She moves in like she’s going to kiss me, but I don’t let her get any further. I throw her off me, uncaring when she lands on her ass with an undignifiedoof.
