AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With a grateful nod, I returned to my apartment and locked the door behind me. As I went through the motions of dressing and getting ready for work, my mind swirled with emotions - fear and anxiety taking center stage.
Deep down, I knew Aleshia was right. Reporting the incident to the authorities was a necessary step. Yet, the thought of entangling myself in a legal process and revisiting my past traumas felt almost unbearable.
Nonetheless, I couldn't ignore the persistent nagging feeling that compelled me to take action - for my safety and to sever ties with Cole, who had haunted me for far too long.
As I exited my apartment, my heart weighed heavy with fear.
The subway car was lined with unfamiliar faces as a relentless wave of commuters surged towards their destinations—my nerves churning with overwhelming intensity, scanning the crowd constantly for Cole’s face.
To make matters worse, I knew I’d soon be facing Jeremy, and we’d have to discuss what had happened last night.
A part of me wanted just to run away and avoid the inevitable confrontation. The temptation to feign illness and retreat into the safe confines of my apartment beckoned like a siren's call, promising refuge from the brewing storm at work and the possibility of running into Cole again. However, I couldn’t keep up the cycle of avoidance. Besides, I wouldn’t want to give Jeremy the pleasure of knowing how badly he hurt me last night.
The subway car continued its relentless journey forward as the wheels clattered upon tracks. My eyes drifted toward the window where dimly lit tunnel walls blurred into an indistinguishable whirlwind. For a fleeting moment, I felt like a passenger aboard a speeding train, hurtling toward an uncertain destination. The discomfort in the pit of my stomach reminded me of the turbulence that awaited me at this journey's end.
As the subway car gradually slowed to a halt at my station, I braced myself. Jeremy had to be faced, and our tangled web of emotions confronted head-on.
With a resigned exhale, I made my way toward the exit - determined to confront the brewing storm on the horizon, no matter how scary.
Walking out of the subway station, I was enveloped by the refreshing embrace of the morning air. My heart was still pounding with a mixture of anxiety and trepidation.
The memory of Cole at my doorstep nagged at me, leaving me feeling vulnerable and exposed. Every nerve seemed on high alert as I scanned my surroundings for any trace of him.
Approaching the office building, adrenaline coursed through me when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure disappearing into the adjacent coffee shop.
Could it have been Cole? Or was it merely a figment of my imagination- a product of my uneasy mind? I shook my head, hoping to eliminate this awful feeling.
Doubt gnawed at me, and I was suddenly torn between confronting Jeremy about abandoning me at the restaurant and begging for his help against this potential threat.
With trembling hands, I grasped the door handle and pushed my way into the office lobby's familiar confines, desperately seeking comfort in its routine atmosphere.
The familiar hum of morning activity greeted me as I walked toward my office, careful not to make eye contact with anyone.
Still, underneath it all, I wondered if anyone could sense the angst simmering just beneath my surface.
However, something else was going on.
I vaguely made out someone saying there had been power outages throughout the city. It was then that I noticed the lights flickering.
Settling into my chair, I tried to concentrate on my work, fingers dancing nimbly across the keyboard as I diligently attended to emails and reviewed spreadsheets. However, my mind persistently wandered back to the man I had seen outside the coffee shop – was it Cole? Was he following me? The idea of it was threatening to drive me mad.
Glancing at the clock, I realized that Jeremy would soon show up to work. The prospect of confiding in him filled me with nervousness. While sharing details about this encounter was necessary, I couldn't help but fear that Jeremy wouldn’t believe me. He had abandoned me at the restaurant. What if he thought I was making this up to guilt him? Or worse- what if doing so would lead to even more complicated questions? What if this made Jeremy doubt my ability to balance work with my personal life?
A soft chime from my phone snapped me back to reality. It was a text message from Aleshia. "How are you holding up? You made it to work, okay?"
Sighing with relief, I let my fingertips glide over the touchscreen keyboard, ignoring the inconsistent light flickers overhead.
"I'm managing for now. Thank you."
The words felt inadequate but were a mere facade of forced composure.
As I pressed send, a slight movement caught my attention in the corner of my eye. Jeremy was walking down the hallway outside my office with his usual confidence. His expression was characteristically determined and focused.
The sight of him sent another spike of anxiety coursing through me. It was almost time for that awkward but much-needed conversation.
Summoning all my courage, I acknowledged that I could no longer linger in uncertainty. It was important for me to confront Jeremy and explain the truth about all the events that had unfolded the previous night.
Pushing back my anxiety, I walked out of my office and entered the hallway, heading toward Jeremy’s office and the conversation I’d dreaded since last night.
