“You could volunteer as a punching bag and help out your loyal friend.”
“No thanks, my face is scarred enough,” he jokes.
I laugh and then my ribs make me regret it. “You did that on purpose, you sadistic fucker,” I groan as I ease myself into my recliner, staring out into the grey.
“Have you heard from her?”
“Who?”
My friend’s eyes roll far back into his head. “Now who’s being passive-aggressive?”
“I have no choice, doctors said if I was aggressive aggressive I could tear my stitches.”
“So all I had to do to get you to listen to me was get a medical degree?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you get on that? See you in seven years.”
“Eh, I’ll just buy one.” He shrugs.
I can’t help but laugh again, and then wince as something pulls tight and throbs inside my torso. Gotta stop doing that.
“So, what are you going to do with your time off?” Kaine asks, pouring himself a drink.
“What time off? I’m not taking any time off! I’ll be in the office tomorrow.” I reach out my hand for a glass and he ignores me as he sips on his drink, the ice clinking against the sides.
“Yeah, no thanks. I don’t want you scaring the other employees.”
“You just don’t want me usurping your role.”
“Exactly, can’t have their fear shared between the two of us.”
“Pfft. Whatever. I’ll work from home.” I shift in my seat trying to get comfortable. In vain.
“You’ll rest from home.”
“I’m not taking time off, Kaine. We have too much work.”
“Last I looked it was Ash on the side of the building, not Kent.”
“This is horse shit, man!”
He grins and for a moment I’m glad to see him smile. I haven’t given him much reason to recently. “Horse shit might actually be good for you. Go sit on a farm somewhere and breathe in the fresh air.”
“If I go down and sniff the manure mounds from the horse carriages down at the park, will you let me get back to work?”
“Sure. But only if you take a selfie.”
“Kaine.”
“Shut up, you idiot. Your head’s not in the right space. I don’t want you fucking up any of our projects while you’re like this. So get yourself sorted out. Take the car, take the plane, take whatever you need. But sort yourself out. The work will be there when you get back. I don’t intend on going belly up any time soon.”
“You might if I’m not there.”
“Too bad they didn’t inflate your ego instead of your spleen.”
“You’re a real asshole, you know?”
“I have you to remind me every day, Xave. Stay alive for that if nothing else.”
“Fuck off.”
“I’m serious. Try to stay alive. You still owe me $20 from last week’s card game.”
“It was Go Fish, and I was half-conscious.”
“Not my fault you didn’t check the fine print. Jade will be by later to fuss over you.”
“I’ll make sure I need a sponge bath then!” I yell at his back as he chuckles on his way to the elevator.
I wait until I hear the door close behind him before I let out my breath, groaning at the pain in my chest.
That has nothing to do with my injuries.
Her
“Who are these from?” I ask, as Cameron carries a large bouquet of flowers into my office. I try to bite back the hope that the card will be signed with an X.
“From me,” he replies, with a smile, setting the vase on my desk.
I hope he doesn’t see the disappointment on my face.
“Oh, they’re beautiful, Cam. What’s the occasion?” I pull a rose from the bunch and bring it to my nose. Not much of a fragrance, which is why I like flowers in the first place, but still beautiful.
“Do I need an occasion? How about, just a reminder of how much I appreciate you being my partner, and that I’m excited about our future.”
“This is very sweet, Cameron. But you didn’t have to do that. You’ve done so much for me these last few weeks.”
“It will never be enough, Isabella.” He winks and walks out the door, whistling down the hallway as he goes to his own office.
Something about the way he says my name causes a scrunching inside my chest. It’s been three weeks since anyone has called me anything but Isabella, but day by day, I’m feeling more distanced from the adopted name.
There’s nothing wrong with Isabella. But I miss Malynda. And the life she was supposed to have lived. I shake my head and focus back on the designs in front of me. The youth shelter has almost finished its renovations and hopefully, in a few days, I can start moving things in. I only have about ten days to get everything ready for the grand opening. I scan my list of furniture that still needs to be ordered and try to estimate how much labor will be needed for the painting and fixtures installations.
I don’t realize how long I’ve been working on it until I look up and the sky outside the window is a soft pink, sinking into night.
The office is almost empty and my neck cracks as I stretch it to the side.
For the first time in weeks, I feel so tired I might actually be able to get some sleep.
I shove my laptop into my bag and flick the light off. I can see Cameron on the phone in his office and I give him a wave as I make my way out.
The building’s foyer is empty except for the security guard and I smile at the doorman as he wishes me goodnight. I step out into the cooling air and stop dead in my tracks.
It’s him.
Here.
Damien.
I freeze, my entire body cold and hot all at once.
And then I turn to run.