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“I’m sorry, Mr. Burnham, but like I told you, I still have some things to do here. Maybe some other time?”
He reaches out to tug at a strand of my hair that escaped my ponytail. His finger brushes my temple and I step back.
“Another time, then. Off you go now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You don’t need to tell me twice.
I dash out of his office, heaving a sigh of relief. I’ve survived another day.
* * *
I glance at the time. Eight-thirty. It’s been a long day at the office, and I thought it’d never end. Maverick’s appearance and Chris keeping me back late at the office didn’t help matters.
Stretching my legs on the table, I yawn. I tear open my bag of cookies, ready to delve in and watch a Netflix movie. A sound from the door catches my attention.
Who’s that at this time of the night? My breath hitches when it dawns on me that Maverick knows where I live. What if he’s come visiting again?
I swallow as I head for the door. A young woman of average height and with short, red hair stands in front of me. She raises her head and smiles. Abbie.
I hesitate, uncertain as we face each other. When Abbie left a month ago, it was under sad circumstances. After her breakup with her boyfriend of four years, she became aloof. Withdrawn. The woman standing before me looks like her old self.
“Noelle!” Laughing, she surges forward and grabs me in a bear hug. “Say something!”
I return the hug instantly, wrapping my arms around her. She’s much frailer than before. My heart sinks.
“Abbie! It’s so good to see you!”
We rock back and forth, neither of us attempting to break the embrace.
“How long are you staying?” I ask, dreading the worst.
She laughs. “Looks like I’m back for good! It’s just me and you now.”
“Great!” I squeeze her once more, before releasing her.
I help her with one of her two trunks, setting it in a corner of the living room. She walks around, scanning the area. I gaze at her figure, my brows furrowing. She’s gotten thinner.
She sinks into a couch and turns to me, tapping the space near her. “We have a shit ton of things to talk about.”
“Tell me about it. Hey, have you eaten dinner?”
She grabs my pack of cookies and munches on a few. She shakes her head, and I sigh.
“Did you eat lunch?”
She shakes her head again, only this time more slowly.
Taking a deep breath, I ask, “How about breakfast?”
She looks down. Sighing, I head for the kitchen. I grab a spaghetti pack and some refrigerated meatloaf, beginning my preparations for dinner. Abbie walks into the kitchen a few minutes after.
“Don’t worry about me, Elle. I promise I’m eating. I was just very busy today so I couldn’t get proper food. At least I’ll get dinner, so yeah.” She flashes me a smile.
I glance at the microwave.
“The meatloaf should be done in fifteen minutes. Then, I’ll make the spaghetti. There’s still sauce, so I’ll just microwave that as well. In the meantime, I made some hot cocoa to go with the cookies.”
“Alright.”
