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"Yes, I should eat," I agreed, settling down to eat. The food tasted heavenly, and my headache started to fade away with each bite. I finished my food and hugged Becca before heading back to my apartment.
"Thank you, Becca. I love you," I said, grateful for her.
"I love you too," she replied, waving goodbye as I walked out the door.
***
I sat down on the plush dining chair, taking in the grandeur of the room. The long dining table was adorned with all sorts of exotic dishes, and the aroma of spices and herbs wafted through the air. I felt more than slightly nervous, wondering what my father had wanted to discuss with me. We hadn't sat down for a meal together in so long, and the unusualness made me uneasy.
The chef kept bringing out more and more food, filling the table to the brim. I picked at the dishes—my appetite nonexistent due to the pounding headache that felt like it was splitting my head in two. My father peppered me with questions about work, but my answers were vague and unenthusiastic.
I finally asked, "Dad, why are we here, really?"
My father's response was simple, "To eat. They said you haven't been holding up well these past few months. You look like you've lost a lot of weight."
I let out a chuckle, despite the pain in my head. "I already ate, Dad. But I will tell the cook to pack some for me to take home. Everything looks delicious," I commented, trying to steer the conversation away from myself.
"I haven’t seen James around for weeks now. Can I ask what you have done to him?"
"Laura, what happened to James he did to himself. He had been stealing from me, abusing his authority, I had always known this and overlooked it, but then he started to violate a lot of rules," he said.
"So, where did he go?" I asked.
"Jail."
My eyes bulged out. "Are you serious?"
"It's quite simple. He already had a lot of shadiness going on before he extended his misdealings to you," my dad said.
Just then, a man entered the room and whispered something into my father's ear. He nodded, and I felt a knot form in my stomach. I stood to leave. Whatever was happening now, I really didn't want to be a part of it. But my father's words made me stay put.
"Sit down, Laura. We have to see this with both of our eyes," he said.
I sighed and looked down at my phone, trying to show my disinterest. When I looked up again, I saw him standing there. Anthony. My heart stopped as I registered the sight before me.
What!?My brain kept repeating the same thing. "Is that Anthony?" I finally said out loud.
"Yes, Laura. I'm back for you," he said, his voice ringing through the room.
I screamed and ran into his arms, feeling all the pain and tension in my body instantly melt away.
Chapter twenty-three
Anthony
As Laura and I sat at the table, my heart was still pounding with excitement from seeing her again after so long. The chef kept bringing out dish after dish, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. I was too preoccupied with Laura, who seemed to be in her own world, scrolling through her phone and grinning from ear to ear.
Her father noticed my lack of appetite and ordered me to eat. I picked at the food, not really tasting anything. All I could focus on was Laura, who was still glued to her phone.
"I should have come back sooner," I said, feeling guilty for making her suffer.
"It's okay," her father replied. "I would never have taken you seriously if you had immediately chosen to stay with her."
I nodded, grateful for his understanding. He then asked me if I would be returning to work as well, to which I replied with a nod.
"Then I'll see you there tomorrow," he said, rising from his seat and heading upstairs, presumably to his room.
Laura finally looked up from her phone, her eyes shining with happiness. She took my hand in hers, and we left the house together.
