AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In that moment, I made a silent vow to stand by her side, to be her unwavering support no matter what.
“You won’t lose everything,” I said, my voice firm with conviction. “I’ll help you through this, Vanessa. You don’t have to face it alone.”
Her eyes met mine, and within their depths, I saw a glimmer of hope amidst the storm. It was a fragile thing, easily extinguished, but I was determined to nurture it, to be the anchor she needed in the tempest of her doubts. As we sat there, entwined in the shared silence of understanding, I knew that I was willing to face any challenge, bear any burden, as long as it meant easing the weight on her shoulders.
“You need to make time for yourself, to find balance,” I said. “You can’t work all the time – you’ll burn out otherwise.”
She nodded in agreement, her gaze finally lifting from the floor. I smiled and reached for her hand again, intertwining our fingers in a gesture of reassurance.
“I’m here for you,” I promised, my voice gentle yet firm. “Whatever happens, I’ll always be by your side.”
Tears filled Vanessa’s eyes as her gaze took on a faraway look. “When my father died… I was beside myself. Friends and family suggested therapy, vacations, a career change. I didn’t think any of those things would honor my father and carry on his legacy.”
She paused, as a tear trickled down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away. I cupped her cheek in my hand and directed her gaze to me.
“Go on,” I said softly, sensing that she needed to get this off her chest.
“I did the only thing I thought would make him proud. I threw myself into my work. Case after case, client after client. I was unstoppable. A machine. After a while, it became almost automatic, I didn’t even think about the crazy hours that I was putting in. There was literally nothing else going on in my life, so I didn’t feel like I was missing much.”
Her gaze softened as she stared into my eyes. “Until you. Until that first night we spent together. It was the first time I ever thought about any other life. That I was tempted by any other life. It terrified me.”
“Honoring your parents is important,” I conceded. “But is this how your father would have you live? Eating these strange noodles with too much sodium every night? Sleeping in between meetings?”
“How did you–”
My hands cupped her heart-shaped face. “I feel you, every night. How exhausted you are. It’s killing me, Vanessa. It’s killing me even more to know that you want to live this way.”
She melted into my arms. “Zorak, I –”
At that moment, Vanessa’s holophone signaled her. Upon picking up the signal, we heard Lyle’s voice barking orders from the first moment.
“Vanessa, it’s Lyle. I need your help tomorrow, and I know it’s your day off, but we really need your expertise. Please make it a priority, and be here by 9:00 a.m. sharp.”
He cut off the transmission, leaving Vanessa tense once more, her face a mask of confusion.
Every muscle in my body tensed with disdain. “I hope you’re not going to honor that request,” I said softly, my words tinged with disappointment.
“I have to. This is my chance to prove that I go above and beyond to make things work around there.”
I sighed, and stood up to pace around the living room, agitated by the very thought of that man getting time with Vanessa the next day.
“I’ll go with you then, for a couple of reasons. We’ll make sure Lyle doesn’t try anything funny with you, and I intend to make sure your comfort needs are met while you are busy working.”
“Zorak,” Vanessa began in protest.
“It’s settled, there’s nothing to discuss,” I said curtly, already making plans for tomorrow’s lavish set of gifts to be delivered to Vanessa’s office. “I’ll be here tomorrow morning to walk you to work, if that’s okay.”
“I’d like that,” Vanessa said softly. I leaned in for one tender, yearning kiss before turning on my heel and forcing myself to walk away, which was the last thing I wanted to do.
The morning sun shone down on us as we walked, hands almost touching, to the law office. I could tell Vanessa was a bit worried about how things were going to go with Lyle and me in the same space, but I promised that I was going to keep things civil and not go too overboard with the comfort needs assessment.
We entered the office, and Vanessa immediately went to work on the project that Lyle had assigned her. I quietly made my way around the office, assessing what I could do to make things more comfortable for Vanessa. I filled the water cooler with fresh ice and cold water, organized her desk in a way that was conducive for working, and brought in snacks for her to enjoy during breaks throughout the day. Lunch was ordered the minute we got there, a combination of delicious soup and sandwich options from her favorite coffee shop down around the corner.
True to form, Lyle poked his nosy head in the door at 9:05, ready to assess his number one candidate and give her a heavy workload for the day.
His eyebrows rose when he saw me. “Oh, you’re here too? What business could you possibly have here in the office?”
The look on his face told me everything I needed to know about his personal and professional intentions with Vanessa, and I didn’t like either one. I squared off, facing him and preparing a statement that could not be refuted, despite his attempts at rebuttal.
