AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She typed it up and had it with her the next morning, prepared to share her decision with Daniel, but he didn’t show up. She was worried. Daniel hadn’t been absent from the office for three days in the company’s existence. She hoped and prayed he was okay.
Everyone in the office was buzzing that no one had heard from him other than a cryptic text he’d sent to Mary to cancel his appointments for the remainder of the week. Despite the heaviness in her chest, Angela knew that she had to leave.
So on Friday, she arrived early before everyone in the office, dressed in jeans and a sleeveless top, and brought boxes with her to pack up her office. She was nearly done when Myrna stopped by her door.
“Do you know what’s going on with Daniel?” Myrna inquired.
“Why would I know anything?” Angela asked curtly.
“C’mon, Angela.” Myrna closed the office door behind her and came toward her desk. Her blue eyes peered into Angela’s. “I know you’ve been seeing Daniel.”
Angela stopped packing up the box. “You’re mistaken.”
“Well, for starters, Daniel’s been MIA for days and you’re in here packing. And you don’t think I haven’t noticed the dark circles under your eyes the last couple of days?” Myrna asked quietly. “Or that you’ve been crying?”
“Is it that obvious?” Angela reached for her drawer, grabbed her purse and pulled out her compact mirror, searching for any signs. She didn’t realize she’d just confirmed Myrna’s suspicions until Myrna sat down in front of her.
“Oh, Angela.” Myrna shook her head.
Angela glanced up from the mirror. “Please don’t say I told you so, because I really can’t hear that right now. I know what you said and I didn’t listen, okay? So you’re right. There. Are you happy now?”
Myrna frowned. “Of course not. I didn’t want you to get hurt. Which obviously you are.”
“It’s my own fault,” Angela said, “for wanting more than was on the table.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Angela. You’re a wonderful woman and Daniel is a fool for not realizing that.”
“I’m no fool,” a masculine voice said from behind them.
Angela glanced up and was startled to find Daniel standing in the doorway of her office. “Daniel!” His name whooshed from her lips.
He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His eyes were bloodshot and there was more than a five o’clock shadow on his jaw. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in days. And his eyes were darkened with pain.
“Mr. Cobb.” Myrna rose to her feet. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
He held his hand up, halting her speech. “Myrna, I need a word alone with Angela, please.”
She inclined her head. “Of course.” She brushed past him quickly, leaving Angela and Daniel alone, staring at each other.
Angela was stunned, not just by Daniel’s appearance, but that he was standing in front of her in pain. He looked like he hadn’t slept. He looked as bad as she felt.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.
He didn’t answer and gave a resigned shrug. He glanced around her office, taking in the upheaval of boxes everywhere. “You’re packing?”
Angela didn’t answer. Her mouth felt as dry as a bone and she was unable to speak.
“So you’re going to leave me, too?”
Too? She was confused. He wasn’t making any sense.
Swallowing, Angela found her voice. “What do you want, Daniel?”
“We need to talk.”
“You didn’t want to talk a few days ago. What’s changed now?”
“Please, Angela. I need to talk to you in private. Away from prying eyes.” He opened her glass door and held it for her.
Angela noticed that several members of the agency were standing near her office watching the scene unfold between them. He was right. She didn’t want to be fodder for office gossip, so she nodded. “All right.” She grabbed her purse and walked out past him.
Several sets of eyes followed them as they made their way to the elevator bank. She didn’t know what to say as she stood beside Daniel. It was odd to be standing beside him as if they were strangers. But after he’d walked out on her, Angela was at a loss as to what he could possibly want to talk about. Would he tell her how much Mia meant to him?
