I frowned. I’d probably misheard them. I pushed the door open and I went in. “Here it is.” I tried to look at them as I opened my system for use. Judy scowled at me while Ryan seemed to not have any expression on his face. I turned my focus to finding the email I’d sent. I’d definitely misheard them. Coffee with a muddled up brain was not the best combination, surely. Surprisingly enough, the email had remained unsent in my draft. Had I been so distracted last night that I assumed I sent what I didn’t? “Oh… I’m sorry sir. I had no idea it wasn’t sent.” I massaged the bridge of my nose, feeling slightly sorry. “Are you okay?” He looked at me with concern and I gave him a tight smile. ”Yes sir.” I didn’t need a pity party. He looked at me for the longest time before finally looking away and taking a look at the file before him. After a couple minutes, he nodded his head in approval. “This is good.” He smiled at me but I didn’t need his compliments. My lips remained flat and itc
The incessant ringing of my phone pulled me out of my sleep. I groaned as I picked it up. Without looking at the caller ID, I answered. “Hello?” “Where the hell have you been?” I opened one eye and saw that everywhere was still dark. I checked the time on my phone and scowled. “It’s 3am for crying out loud.” “Forgive me for worrying about you. I’ve been calling for a long time and you didn’t come home. I had every right to think something had happened.” I groaned again and sat up. I’d forgotten I’d hurt my shoulders earlier and tried to rest on the arm. “Fuck!” I cursed when the pain travelled straight up my brain. “What is it?” Aly asked, concern lacing her tone. “Nothing.” I gritted my teeth. “Is that why you called? I’m fine Aly.” “You don’t sound fine to me. Where the hell are you?” “How do you know I didn’t come home?” My face scrunched up in confusion and I could hear her exasperated sigh. “I came looking for you. When I didn’t find you at home, I waited. I waited a l
I yawned as I opened my laptop. I had barely slept and I had a deadline to meet.Ryan had decided to hand over another 'job' to me and told me to run some financial analysis on a certain company. I'd never heard of the company before and I couldn't find anything when I looked it up online. I found it weird but the data given to me showed that the company has stopped functioning a few years ago.I had more than enough time to run through the data but these past couple of days, I'd been looking for a distraction. Something to get my mind off things. My phone rang and I felt reluctant to answer, even though the screen was face down and I didn't know who was calling.I groaned and picked it up. Becka?"Hey..." She said."Hey..." "It's been a minute." My brows scrunched up in confusion. We hadn't seen each other since the dinner party after my graduation and we'd only spoken once after that too.I was always asking about her from Jack.Jack. I couldn't believe I also fucked that one up
It was the weekend and I knew the bars would be filled to the brim. I had no idea how I'd get in but I hoped the bouncers would be more 'receptive' to women. Finding a spot to park was the hardest. I couldn't find a single parking space and had to do that 2 blocks down and away from the bar. I literally ran all the way there and stopped when a crowd seemed to block the entrance. "Dude's got a fucking hook." One dude said to the other and my heart raced against my chest. I was hoping Jack was seated in the corner watching people fight and playing the role of a commentator. I had to push a few people to get to the front line and when I got there, my jaw fell open. "Jack?" He was on top of someone, trying to pull someone off another who was being pummeled to a pulp. Calling his name momentarily distracted him and the person he'd been trying to hold off, threw his elbow against the side of his face and he stumbled backwards. "Jack!" I screamed. I had no idea what I was thinking as I t
My shoulders shook as I sobbed into his chest. He rubbed my back and sighed.“Sure I was mad at you but I could never hate you, even though you were so mean to me.” I pulled back from him and sniffled.“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you. I hated myself after that and was too ashamed to call you and apologise.”“And now?” He held me at arm’s length so he could see my face.“Still hate myself but I no longer want to be a coward.” Jack’s lips titled up at the side and a small smile formed.“I’m just glad you’re safe. I missed you too you know. So much as happened at work it’s eating me up inside to not be able to tell anybody.”“Well, I’m here now, if you’ll have me.” He pulled me into a hug and I squeezed the life out of him. I had my best friend back and I’d do whatever it took to make up for it, even it took the rest of my life.“Of course. I need a target now. Just started shooting practice at a range.” I gasped and smacked his arm.“What?” He whined, holdin
“There’s not a lot of info on this company but here’s what I was able to work with.” I handed a file to my boss.“That’s fine. You may leave.” My brows furrowed in confusion. That was it? Ryan looked up at me and arched a brow.“Is there anything else, miss Leah?” I shook my head no and then left. I’d expected him to explain the purpose of auditing several company accounts.Ryan had me checking into companies that had no information asides the one he handed me and I wondered if Marque and Co. was interested in buying them.The company itself was doing well but I hadn’t been able to lay my hands on those details.You’d think the financial details of a bank would be public information, at least to the finance team but it wasn’t. Maybe the others had seen it and I hadn’t yet.I asked David and he’d told me it was not yet my business.I was packing up for the day, thinking of how I should get in touch with Jack, possibly he could also help me out with Jared when I was called up to Ryan’s o
Ryan didn’t act as though he was prying into my life and continued speaking.“With all due respect sir, I do not feel comfortable with this conversation.” He gazed at me for what seemed like an hour when it was merely seconds.“What part?” I was dumbfounded. This man was certainly off his rockers“Excuse me?”“What part makes you comfortable?” I frowned at him.“Everything sir.” He bristled at my tone and opened up his system again.“You may leave.”I left his office feeling more confused than I’d ever been in my life and quite insulted.***I grabbed a shot glass and downed its content in seconds.“Woah. Slow down.” I gave Jack a death glare. I was still fuming from my encounter with Ryan at the office.“You seem to be in a good mood.” Jack had been smiling all night and it was starting to piss me off. Not the fact that he was happy but the fact that I couldn’t see past his pearly white teeth.“Becka and I made up.” His grin that I didn’t could grow wider than what it was, grew again
I woke up, a little disoriented and with a splitting headache. I groaned and rubbed my forehead. The bed beneath me felt too comfortable to be mine and my eyes snapped open.The bright light from outside hit me square in the face and I was almost blinded by it.I knew this place, it was very familiar, way too familiar. Jared’s place. I was in Jared’s place. How was I in Jared’s place?I jumped out of bed and ran out, hoping to catch him, even though I was completely confused as to how I was there in the first place or what had happened the night before.“J…” I couldn’t even call his name and it turned out, there was no point. No one was in anyway. I walked back into the guest room. I’d only been in there, once, when he’d been sick and I made soup for him.My phone rang with the name of the person I wanted to talk to, the only person that could explain what the hell had happened.“Hello?”“How the hell am I at his house?” I seethed into my phone.“No ‘I’m sorry for slapping you’, ‘than
Jared and Leah did become friends again but their interests lay somewhere else. They realised they were made for bigger things and they would do that outside the cave they once existed as lovers and even if something were to happen between them, it would take more time than expected for it to happen. Aly, Aarav, Jared, Jack and Leah remained friends but things would change over time. Work, family, life and ambition would force that circle to expand to others too. You may imagine that Leah and Jared ended up together or not. You are the author of that story, a work of fiction is a work of fiction. Author’s Note (I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive): I’ve seen some comments about therapy seeming like a bad thing. Therapy is not weakness, it is an admittance that you need help you may not be able to provide yourself. Mental health issues are not a joke and deserve audience. Some of us have been through traumatic experiences, loss of loved ones, accidents, bullying, harassmen
THIRD PERSON'S POVLeah looked different. There was something about her, like a light that surrounded her and her eyes looked burdenless. Maybe it was the Norway air, but she seemed ... better. Both she and Jared did."Mr Deric?" The secretary had her head cocked to the side, wondering why her guest was awe-struck, standing in the doorway."Sorry." Jared shook his head and walked in. Leah had a smile on her face as she watched him walk in. She recognised that air of confidence that usually surrounded him and couldn't stop watching him.Her attention was called by the men that surrounded her, as she spoke, she seemed to put everyone in a trance. Jared didn't hear a word she said, only observing how comfortable and right at home she felt."I have called this meeting here today because of a different kind of alliance about to be brokered between Norway and the US. Miss Leah Thomas has come as a financial representative of the BridgeStone Foundation, a company spearheaded by the governmen
Jared’s POVLetting Leah go was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do but I did it for her and myself. I was wrong to assume she’d come running back to my arms because I saved her. I smiled wryly to myself.I hadn’t seen her in quite a long while and our paths never crossed again. Aly was beyond pissed that she tried to leave without telling her but she quickly forgave her when she saw her condition. They talked all the time too and that was why I knew what she was up to most of the time.“Do you regret it?” I looked at the lady before me, she was seated behind her desk, peering down at me with curiosity. “What?” I’d zoned out for a minute and didn’t hear her.“Do you regret it? Letting her go.” I inhaled sharply. I’d been coming here for months. When Aarav asked me why I thought I needed a therapist, my reply was ‘who doesn’t?’“Not really. It was her decision but I got to understand much later. It would have been selfish of me to ask her to stay when she needed to go.” I f
I waited for him to clear his bed and offer me a seat before I sat. I shook my head internally. How did it get to this? I asked myself.‘You did it.’ I exhaled loudly and watched him perch himself on his work chair. He turned to me and rose his brows as if to say ‘what did you want to talk about?’ I cleared my throat and rubbed my clammy hands against my gown. I’d resorted to wearing gowns due to the fact that it was less constricting than most and easier to pull off, I just had to undo the zip and let the dress fall to my legs.“Yeah… uhm…” He continued looking at me and I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I found interest in the bedsheet. It was a fine looking colour, regal and plush looking. It felt so soft to touch, almost like you’d sink into it and be enveloped in a word of threads and fabrics.“Leah?” I hitched a breath when I heard his voice. No matter how many years I’d known him, no matter how many times he called me, I’d always feel the fluttering in my stomach whenever my name l
“I injured my spleen, not my legs. I can walk for myself.” I smacked Jack’s hands away from me. “It’s so you don’t try to run away again.” I rolled my eyes at him even though I felt a stabbing pain in my chest.“Pretty sure I can’t move past this house without falling over.” I’d been recuperating for the past week and Jack was coming over once in a while to check on me. Let’s just say he is more overbearing than most, and I thought Jared was worse.Speaking of Jared, he’d been avoiding me. The only reason I was sure he was even around the house was the fact that food and my pills were always made available. The pills I took made me drowsy for most of the day, so I spent most of it sleeping.“Have you seen Jared today?” I asked Jack as I swallowed my pills and washed them down with water.“Nope.” Jack said and turned the T.V on. If I was being honest, I feared speaking to him. No doubt, my accident had changed the dynamics of our relationship and I wasn’t sure if it had become worse o
Most of the time, situations arise, things happen and we are inclined to judge of the situation. It is easier that way because, sometimes, it makes us feel better about ourselves.When the tides turn and we become recipients of judgment, we understand the situation better. It takes a human to realise his mistake, but it takes a humble human to admit it. How many times have we judged a situation wrongly and admitted our error?We’re all guilty of hurting someone, friend, foe, lover… not intentionally but we seek forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t just feeling sorry, it’s also a way of cleansing our souls, freeing ourselves from the guilt.Jared never told Leah that he forgave her and she couldn’t forgive herself, she couldn't free herself from the guilt.***JARED’S POV “What’s going on?” I asked the doctor who’d just come out of the operating room Leah had been moved to. 14 hours was the longest time I’d had to wait for a report from a doctor and the expression on his face wasn’t looking
I ran my fingers through my hair, walking to and fro like a sojourner who had lost his compass, I’d probably lost mine. The ambulance had arrived shortly after but the Leah was already… I shook my head. ‘No, she can’t be.’ I couldn’t focus on any other thing than the fact that there were many doctors running with Leah’s gurney, one was on top of her, doing chest compressions. The sweat beaded on the doctor’s face told me they’d been doing it since she was in the ambulance.I was slowly losing my mind and Aarav wasn’t here. He was busy trying to sort everything out while I went with Leah. I didn’t want to leave her side, if only I could have followed her into the OR.“She has lost too much blood, especially with the damage to her spleen and hypothermia already seeped in…” I didn’t want to know all the negatives, I didn’t want to know what was wrong.“Can someone tell me, is she going to be okay?” I yelled at the people who had brought Leah in, who seemed to be conversing with a doctor
JARED’S POV“What are you going to do?” I flipped the documents that Leah had sent. I hadn’t had the chance to look at it because I didn’t want to, not initially. Anything involving her work place kind of pissed me off but when I finally did, I could stop the fear that ran through my bones that Leah could be in danger because of it and I needed to act fast.I looked up at Aarav whose facial expression mirrored mine. He too was very conflicted and while he trusted Leah, it would be a big move to change banks, disastrous if it was the wrong move. We had been using Marque and Co. for so long and the previous leadership had proved capable of handling our assets.This new guy, this Ryan Fisher, from the moment I first saw him, I knew something wasn’t right with him. What Leah had sent hadn’t pointed to him as the culprit but with just enough evidence to let us know that something shady was going on and we needed to act fast or we’d lose more than just money.“We should involve the cops.” I
I felt a kick to my head and I groaned, my head feeling like it was split open. I blinked my eyes to get accustomed to the light before trying to sit up, something I found difficult and almost impossible to do.I tried to move my body and realised I was bound hand and feet. This slowly entered my consciousness and my drug-induced haze cleared up, I was face to face with a horrid looking mask and I scrambled backwards, bumping into something that felt horribly cold to my skin, metal.The person in front of me moved back, giving me room to at least breathe.“What the hell is going on?” I looked around to see not one, like I had imagined, but four people, armed with guns. My heart started to beat faster than normal at gauging my situation and my throat felt dry. It was dark outside and I realised I must’ve been asleep for hours.I was going to miss my flight, if I even made it out alive in the first place. No one replied me and I couldn’t even make out anything with the ridiculous outfit