An Understanding

Micah

A while later, my stomach rumbled hungrily, alerting me to how much time had passed since I’d last eaten, and I stole a glance at the ancient clock my dad had left hanging on the wall above the doorway.

I was mad all over again at the woman who’d invaded my mind, and I knew deep down the only reason I’d stayed so late putting together my new office space was because I was hoping to catch a glimpse of her, as stupid as that sounded.

Shutting down my computer, I gathered my belongings, slinging my suit jacket over my arm as I closed and locked the door behind me. What's more, it was the same one Rune had worn briefly Friday night.

It was after six by this point, and there wasn’t a soul present as I strode through the entirety of the fifth floor before reaching the double glass doors at the entrance.

I’d debated stopping in to check out Rune’s workspace, having learned which desk was hers when my father had given me a thorough tour, but I knew that would be overstepping my boundaries, so I forced myself to keep walking by.

My dad’s behavior was suspicious to say the least, and I hadn’t missed how eager he’d been to share about Rune and how fantastic she was. I got the sense that he was fairly close with her, and from what I’d been able to uncover thus far, she was excellent at her job.

There was still a lot for me to learn about her, but I couldn’t get over the fact that she’d run out the morning after.

I’d never had a woman sneak out of my bed before. It had always been the other way around, and I couldn’t prevent my insecurities from rearing up as I was left in the dark about her reasoning for doing so, even if I was guilty of doing the same thing previously.

She was clearly a complex woman, and I was determined to uncover her secrets, something about her just speaking to me on a level that I’d never experienced before.

The drive home seemed to fly by with my mind reeling the whole way, reliving the high of this weekend, and I knew I was in trouble. I hadn’t been this obsessed with a woman since Lila, and that hadn’t turned out well for me.

I redirected my mind to the coming board meeting as I rode the elevator up to the top of my building, not wanting to dwell on the mistakes of my past, and I damn near groaned aloud as I smelled the delectable aroma of the roast that Shane had started this morning before we’d parted ways for the day.

Living with my best friend had its perks, namely that he could cook ten times better than me on my best day. I mean damn, I was confident that I could find a way to burn water with my lack of abilities in this area.

Dropping my belongings on the entryway table, I followed my nose into the top-of-the-line kitchen our penthouse had come equipped with, and I greeted my friend as he was putting the final touches on dinner, still feeling lingering twinges of disappointment that refused to be shoved aside.

“Have I mentioned how incredible you are?” I said lightheartedly as I washed my hands and grabbed some plates from the cabinet, determined to remain positive.

“Maybe a time or two. How did things go at the office today?” He responded, eyeing me with a measured glance.

His reaction told me that my dad had already contacted him, and I figured it would be best to get everything out in the open, well aware he knew my expressions like the back of his hand.

I sighed heavily, stalling as I tried to figure out how to tell him about who I’d seen today, but I had a feeling my dad had already beat me to the punch anyway.

He was getting up there in years, but I knew from experience that my dad had a keen eye and was able to see through all the bullshit with relative ease.

“Rune was there. She’s an editor, but I didn’t get the opportunity to speak with her. It would appear she’s buckling down on avoiding us.”

“Yeah, Samuel called.” He confirmed, studying my agitated state before he went on, “Are you sure she isn’t just dodging you? Or maybe she was busy?”

Shane had always taken everything less seriously than me, which was shocking considering all the trauma he’d endured before my parents had taken him in, but this was one of those times where I didn’t appreciate his sense of humor.

My emotions were in knots when I thought about Rune, her down to earth personality and stunning physique was exactly what I was looking for in a partner, but I couldn’t shake the niggling doubts in my mind.

She’d almost left with Shane to begin with, and I couldn’t help feeling like I was second best, notwithstanding the extraordinary night we’d shared together.

Opting to sidestep the sensations coursing through me, at least for the time being, I answered noncommittally, redirecting before he could latch onto the subject, “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, but did you get everything squared away with your family today?”

I knew his baby sister had called Friday night, that being the sole reason he’d torn himself away from Rune’s intoxicating curves and mesmerizing disposition, and I was concerned about the shit his father was trying to pull.

His dad had been an abusive asshole when Shane was little, and his aggressive tendencies had spilled over to his daughter and wife years after my friend had escaped the hellhole he’d been forced to endure growing up until my parents had taken him in.

The bastard had recently been released from prison, and Shane was the one left dealing with the consequences now when his old man had had too much to drink, his mother, Jayla, too strung out on pills most days to do anything about his behavior.

Jerome hadn’t been stupid enough to return to where Jasmine and Jayla lived after he’d been released until this past weekend, but Jasmine had thankfully been smart enough to call her brother for help when the bastard had shown up sloshed out of his mind.

I knew how much it killed Shane to leave his sister behind each time when either one of us was capable of protecting her from the neglect and abuse she was faced with on a regular basis.

In any case, she was sixteen and old enough to make her own choices, and she refused to leave her mother against everyone’s advice.

Jayla was too far gone in my opinion to ever change, but I would be the first to admit that I couldn’t understand even an inkling of what was going on in Shane’s or Jasmine’s brain, never having experienced anything like the trauma they’d gone through.

Shane’s expression shuttered, and I felt bad for bringing up a sore topic. Although, he was well aware that I was just as invested in protecting his baby sister, and I was itching to ensure that Jerome couldn’t return to harm her later on.

We were sitting at the huge, mahogany dining table now, and I waited patiently as he took a bite to gather his thoughts before he began, “I was able to get the restraining order pushed through, but that doesn’t mean Jerome won’t be dumb enough to show up again. Jasmine knows to contact me in the event that he does, but there isn’t much I can do outside of that until she’s willing to take me up on my offer to get her out of that situation altogether.”

My heart went out to him, and I wished it would be as simple as following the proper protocol to make sure his family remained safe, but I was well aware the justice system wasn’t always fair.

Shane and I conversed about Griffin Publishing for a while after, and the discussion naturally circled back to Rune to my dismay.

“What’s your plan exactly with Rune, anyhow Micah? It’s plain that you’re into her, even if she hasn’t returned any of our calls, but I’m not backing down either.”

His confession was precisely what I’d been expecting, but I didn’t have a suitable answer for him, so I said, “I’m not certain, but the first step is to talk with her, to figure out why she’s being so secretive. I have a feeling there’s more than initially meets the eye with her.”

“That seems to be the case with most women, but I guess we’ll get our chance tomorrow. It may be that she’s not interested in pursuing anything with either one of us.”

I didn’t care for his avowal, my clenched fists clueing him in to my mood, and he persisted in the hush that followed, saying, “Hey, that may not be the case, but I think we should let Rune decide who, if anyone, she wants to go out with. You’re going to have to get over her slight from last weekend though. It’s not going to win you any favors with her.”

While I didn’t respond to his statement outwardly, I knew he was right. It wouldn’t be the first time my abrasive behavior had run a female off, but my frustration with the woman only mounted as the next day passed without me laying eyes on her at all.