AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glance back at him when I’m safely inside my building where he can’t see me. He stays a minute longer and then drives off. It hurts to see his tail lights disappear. What a disastrous evening. I go up to my apartment, drop my purse on my bed and strip off my clothes. Then I get in the shower and under the cover of the water, I allow the tears to fall. I feel like a baby, crying over a disagreement. I’ve always hated fights and not being on good terms with someone.
After the shower, I towel off and slip into a comfortable night shirt. I get in bed and mercifully, I fall asleep fast. The following morning, I wake up feeling light and cheerful, until the events of the previous night come back to me. My good mood evaporates. I get up and head to the kitchen for coffee.
While it brews, I go back for my phone, forgotten in my purse the previous night. I don’t want to admit it even to myself but I’m checking if Jace has texted or even called. Nothing from him, but I do have two messages. One from Marcus, asking me to for dinner. I text back, saying I’ll be there. The only way to convince my big brother that I’m okay is to have him see me.
The other is from Chris.Delivery service. Want some breakfast?
That makes me smile. Chris is special like that. He does random kind things that make me feel cared for. Before my brother got used to my friendship with Chris, he was sure there was something between us. We’ve never been attracted to each other and he’s a good sounding board for my guy problems. I do the same for him. I give him pointers from a woman’s point of view.
I text him back, glad for the distraction. Last night is playing like a video in my head over and over again. I can’t change what happened and brooding over it is definitely not helping.
Chris rings my bell and I buzz him in.
“Hey.” My stomach growls as the scent of food hits my nostrils.
Chris kisses my cheek and enters. “I was sure you’d be with lover boy.”
For some reason, the words offend me. “Don’t call him that. His name is Jace, as you very well know.”
“I was teasing. Relax. What’s up with you? Why are you so irritable?”
“We had a disagreement.” I can’t say fight. That implies an intimacy that Jace and I don’t have. I have to keep reminding myself that even though it feels as if we’re close, we’re actually not.
We’re practically strangers. Sex, even hot sex does not make you close to someone. Time spent together does. I go to the kitchen and return with two plates which I place on the table. Chris has brought Starbucks coffee as well. I don’t care how awesome your coffee machine is. No homemade coffee can top Starbucks coffee.
He opens the breakfast packages. There are pancakes, sausages, and bacon. I salivate at the food and right now, I feel like I can eat the whole lot. I know myself though and I only serve myself a single pancake, a sausage, and a slice of bacon.
“Tell Uncle Chris what happened?”
I laugh. “That sounds so lewd.” I recount for him the events of the previous evening. He interrupts me when I tell him about Ivy and the story about how she met Alec Anderson.
“I’m impressed, Livia. You hit the jackpot in less than two weeks,” Chris says. “Amelia will shit her pants when she reads that story.”
I frown. “I don’t plan on sending it to Olivia. Ivy told me that story confidentially.”
Chris stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Don’t be stupid. All this is a job. It’s work. These people are not your friends. Do you think she would have told you that if she knew you were a journalist who worked for a magazine?”
“Of course not.” I’m so conflicted. Chris is right. The only reason I’m in their lives is because of my work.
“You have to send it to her,” Chris continues. “You want that column, don’t you? Then show her what you can do.”
Chapter 12: Jace
It’s been one hell of a weekend. The only thing that’s kept me sane is the clinic. It’s been my refuge when I can’t stand my own thoughts. I spent most of yesterday at different parts of the clinic helping out. Alan, one of the reproductive endocrinologists, who has been with us for years accused me of not having a life outside of the clinic.
“Why would you come in on a Sunday if you don’t have to?” he asked me.
I murmured something in response instead of saying what I really wanted to say: I had a fight with my girlfriend. Except that it’s a lie. Olivia is not my girlfriend. I feel like a fool every time I remember the last heated conversation we had. According to Olivia, we had just been messing around and no one needed to know.
And there I was behaving as if we were in a relationship. I feel so fucking old. When did people become so casual about sex and relationships?
I head straight to my office, glad that I don’t share the floor with anyone else. I tense as I enter but Olivia hasn’t arrived yet. I power up my computer, take off my jacket, and settle down. I check the reports from last night, even though I was at the clinic for half of the night. Nothing major happened after I left but there are emails with requests for equipment and such. I’m occupied but every time I hear a sound, I jump.
Olivia eventually comes in at seven-thirty and I listen to her every move. I wish that my walls were made of glass so that I could observe her. At eight, a knock comes on the door and she walks in carrying my coffee.
My pulse quickens as I watch her. God, I’ve missed her. Suddenly I don’t care about what she said. I can’t summon my anger. Not when I’m confronted with her loveliness. She’s wearing pants and I feel cheated of the view of her legs.
She keeps her gaze away from me as she sets the coffee on my desk.
