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I turn and slip out the door. No one notices. I didn’t expect them to.
The tears start before I even reach the elevator. The wait seems interminable, so I take the open staircase in the center of the building. Architecturally, they are amazing, but it’s not something I appreciate right now. I run down the stairs as fast as I can, my tears blurring my vision. I’m almost to the bottom when I hear my name.
“Mila, wait.”
It’s Zane. He’s actually coming after me. I’m surprised he noticed I left.
I keep walking as fast as I can. I just want to get away. I’m not in a good frame of mind and facing him won’t turn out well. My mind is a dangerous place right now.
I feel his hand on my shoulder, so I stop without turning around. “Mila, please.”
He walks around me until we’re face to face. “Mila, I’m so sorry. I’ve been facing twenty-hour days with everything that needed to be done and I didn’t want to disturb you in the middle of the night and... Mila?”
He cups my chin and gently pushes my face up. He seems surprised by my tears. “Tears?” He caresses my cheek. “Tears?” he says again. “Hey, everything’s okay. Please don’t cry.”
I’m finally with Zane, where I’ve yearned to be. I want to fall into his arms and let him comfort me like only he can. But I feel such a strange disconnect between us.
“Everything is not okay,” I say quietly.
He seems taken aback as he studies my face. “Are you all right?” he whispers.
I blink my eyes heavily, tasting my salty tears as they dribble onto my lips. I don’t answer his question.
“It’ll all work out. I promise.” He cradles my broken hand in his, running his fingertips over my cast.
“That’s not a promise you can keep.”
“Yes, I can. I can promise you happiness.”
Can he? I don’t know anymore. “Let me leave, please.”
“Mila... I know we need to talk. I’m sorry this week has been so crazy. I haven’t had a moment to myself, so much has happened, I...”
“I know. And I understand. I really do. It’s a lot to process, though. Please, I need to go.”
He remains quiet and doesn’t move. I look up at him and we share eye contact for a few moments. So much has happened over the past couple weeks, it’s like we’re strangers. We shouldn’t be. We should’ve been clinging to each other amidst the trials in our lives.
His expression changes as he studies me. “Hey, are you sure you’re all right?”
I’m still baffled that anyone can ask me that question and expect a positive answer. I shrug.
His posture rigid, he frowns. “Mila?”
Zane’s eyes wander to the right of me as a deep voice interrupts us. “Mr. Martel, you’re needed upstairs.”
“I’ll be right there.” He runs one hand over his face.
He searches my eyes, his expression clouding. “I’m sorry, I...” He lets out his breath, frustrated at being pulled in so many directions.
I need to let him go. Free him. “Please, I really need to leave. Right now. I have to be somewhere.”
I have an appointment with my apartment. It’s waiting for me to go home and cry, stare at the walls, and sulk. Because that’s my life now and I’m very, very busy doing it. Feeling sorry for myself is time consuming. His life is eventful. So is mine. In very different ways.
He doesn’t step to one side, so I walk around him and practically run out of the building.
I doubt I’ll hear from Zane Martel again.
chapter thirty-four
