Chapter 21| Healing Is A Slow Process

Chapter twenty-one: Healing is a slow process

O L I V I A

"Take a seat," Jessica ordered, sitting down in her chair. I obeyed, seating myself as I waited for her to speak. It had taken a lot of convincing to get her to let me have four days off. It had involved a lot of begging and pleases. This meeting would definitely be a jab at that.

"You were gone for a week," she started.

"Four days," I corrected automatically before I winced. She gave me a sharp look and I bit my lip in anxiety.

"How far along are you with your latest project?" She asked.

Shit. I forgot I was supposed to give my report today.

"Umm, we're making good progress." I fidgeted with my hands on my lap. She glared at me.

"I want a definite answer," she said cooly. "Preferably your report."

Holy hell. I definitely liked Mia better. She was much nicer.

"I will email it to you by the end of the day." I sighed. "I haven't completed it yet."

"You-" her voice went up an octave with her rage. I winced again while she closed her eyes and she paused to collect herself. She pinned me with her livid gaze. "Have you even started on that thing?!"

What the fuck did I do to deserve this?

"Umm, no," I told her. "I was on a leave."

"That leave ended last Friday," she said flatly.

I raised my eyebrows in temporary defiance. "Saturday and Sunday were company holidays."

"Don't act smart with me," she barked.

"I'm sorry." I cringed.

"I want them in my inbox by noon," she demanded. "You are free to go."

"Yes, ma'am." I stood up and scrambled out. From her cabin to mine, almost everyone who met my eye smiled at me sympathetically. I managed back a weak smile.

As soon as I entered our cabin, Brian and Jane looked up.

"So, you're alive," Brian deduced.

Jane examined me. "That bad?"

"Yes," I answered Brian sarcastically. He grinned in response. "And yes." I nodded at Jane, sitting down on my chair. "I forgot to make last week's progress report."

"Shit," Jane mumbled.

"Tell me about it." I got to work. "Can you guys please email me your work on the project? I need to hand it in by noon."

"On it," Brian replied.

"Sure thing," Jane agreed.

"I need a coffee," I muttered, looking at my screens and to-do post-its.

"Go now," Jane advised. "I just came back a while ago and the coffee machine was free."

"Yup." I did just that. It was still free, so the process was quick. I waddled back to the cubicle, grabbing an apple on the way. I already felt tired.

"Your phone was buzzing while you were gone," Jane told me as she caught my sight. I hummed at her tiredly.

Brian laughed. "Regretting that vacation yet?"

I thought about it as I glanced at my phone screen where there was a notification indicating Kai's missed call and text. I smiled as my mood lifted.

"Nope," I answered. "Not at all."

* * * * *

The clock struck six-thirty and I exhaled in relief. The workday was officially over.

"Yay!" Jane rejoiced, promptly saving and closing all her working documents. Brian and I followed suit.

"Time for the weekly team dinner," Brian said. I stiffened.

That's why.

"You idiot," I muttered under my breath. Jane's rejection made so much more sense now.

"Did you say something, hon?" Jane asked as she stood up.

"Nothing." I shot her a smile, turning back to pack my stuff up.

Oh, why are boys such idiots?

"Where do we go?" Brian mused.

"Tacos?" Jane suggested. "What say, Liv?"

"Oh, I am not going." I gave up trying to make my desk look presentable. I just shoved the things I spotted that I might need into my purse and heaved the bag onto my shoulder.

"What?" Jane raised an eyebrow. "Why? We've already rescheduled from Thursday."

I bit my lip nervously. "I have . . . a thing."

"What thing?" Brian asked suspiciously.

"Nothing important." I waved my hand dismissively.

"But important enough to skip our team dinner," he noted. "And that's part of your routine. You don't have a social life either. What's going on?"

"Something is fishy," Jane said as we walked towards the elevator. "And it ain't your lunch, Brian."

He rolled his eyes at the comment. I sighed, knowing I would probably have to relive their childish lunchtime drama.

"It was fish sticks and a salmon sandwich," he told her agitatedly. "I ate it. It was delicious. I'll pass it tomorrow. Get over it!"

Jane wrinkled her nose. "Who eats that? Poor fishes."

"You vegetarians are so annoying." He scowled.

"So are you ruthless meat-eaters," Jane shot back. "Don't you have a conscience?"

"No. No, we don't. What is it to you?" Brian cried.

"Urgh."

"Urgh." Brian started walking away when the elevator doors opened. "I'll catch you later, Liv."

"Bye." I waved lightly. When he was out of earshot, I turned to Jane, "You guys are such teenagers!"

"Last time I checked, I was twenty-six," Jane snapped, crabby from her fight with Brian.

"Last time I checked, you didn't act it," I retorted.

"Whatever," she grumbled. "He brings out the worst in me."

I bit a smile at that.

"I will be on my way," I stated as we stepped into the parking lot. "I'm running a tad late."

"Wait," she stopped me, "Where are you going?"

"I told you I have a thing," I said.

"And I remember Brian asking you what and you not replying."

"Jane."

"Olivia," she mimicked.

I sighed. "I have to go."

"Fine." She pouted. "Don't tell me."

"I'm sorry." I moaned. "I'll tell you, just not now."

She gave me a distasteful look and I looked at her pleadingly. She tutted in defeat.

"Alright," she agreed sulkily. "It better be good since you're building so much suspense."

I nodded, amused. "Trust me, it is."

Her eyes shined. "Really?"

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes!" She cheered. "Okay, you are now free to go."

"Thank you." I laughed, unlocking my car from a distance. "See ya!"

"Toodles!" She yelled, grinning over her shoulder while walking in the opposite direction.

Yup. She's a teenager.

* * * * *

"Where are you?" Kai asked as I picked up his call hands-free on the Bluetooth in my car.

"Almost there," I told him, stepping on the gas as the red light turned green. "I made a pitstop at the grocery store for my apartment."

"Ohh," he mused. "That explains why you aren't here yet."

"Yeah." I laughed. "You know, the strangest thing happened there."

"What?" He asked.

"I ran into my old boss, Mia," I told him.

"What's odd in that?"

"I haven't seen her in a while," I explained. "She's working for some MNC right now as a Manager of some branch and she offered me a job with better pay, fewer working hours, and a promotion."

"Tell me you said yes," he said. I loved how I could picture the expressions on his face effortlessly.

"Of course not." I chuckled. "I told her I'm happy at InfoTech. I started there not two years ago and I'm comfortable there. But she gave me her card and made me promise I would think about it."

"That's good," he said. "Make sure to think about it at least."

"Hmm, maybe." I shrugged at no one in particular. "But I don't want to step into a completely different world if I can help it."

A horn honked in caution before someone overtook me from my right. I rolled my eyes at the obnoxiousness.

"Ah, I forgot that you're driving," he muttered. "How far away are you?"

"A few blocks," I replied.

"I'm hanging up," he told me. "Call me when you're in the parking lot. I've given the security guard your car number so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Wait, Kai-"

"Nope," he cut me off. "Don't talk and drive or you'll crash. I'll see you in a bit."

Beep.

"Alright, that happened," I mumbled as my playlist resumed.

I changed lanes and turned right into his building's garage. Kai was right, the guard let me in without resistance. He didn't bother me for anything except an ID proof and made an entry of my arrival.

Surprisingly enough I didn't have to call Kai to tell him I was there. He was waiting for me there against the hood of his own car. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other. There was an empty space next to him so I parked there. When I stepped out, he embraced me. I noticed that I was closer to him than I was expecting and that both his arms are hugging me close. I pulled back with a reprimanding look.

"I know what you're going to say," Kai interrupted before I could utter anything, not quite letting me step away. "But Dr. Pearson gave me the green signal after a checkup this morning. I can use my arm without the sling."

"OMG, Kai, that's great news!" I gushed excitedly. "I'm so happy for you!" I threw my hands around his neck in another hug.

"Thanks." He chuckled. "Me too."

"We have to celebr-" He cut me off, placing his lips on mine.

Yup, a kiss works.

"You were saying?" He asked, keeping our foreheads together.

"Nothing," I breathed out, unconsciously biting my lip. He groaned, stealing another kiss.

"Let's head up." He closed his eyes. "You must be hungry. Food is ready."

"Okay." I grinned as his hand found mine, pulling me behind him.

"I made sandwiches," he said.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "You made them?"

He beamed. "Yup."

"You learned to cook!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"I did," he said smugly.

"Dude! When?"

"When I started living by myself a few years ago," he responded. "I didn't want to get a cook or a housekeeper."

"Impressive." I nodded. "I am too lazy so I would've probably gone for both if I could."

"I know." He laughed. I yawned involuntarily. He frowned when he caught it. "You should rest first."

"I'm good," I denied. "Just a little exhausted."

"Sure?" He looked skeptical as the elevator doors opened and we walked in. The doors closed with a beep.

"I am sure," I assured him over the soft elevator music. I tried to name the song but came up short. I shook myself internally, focusing. "What are we doing tonight?"

"Whatever you want." He shrugged. "We can watch movies, we can talk or we can go out for a walk."

"Let's stay home," I hurried to chastise. "Your arm is still not completely healed and I'm sure the media is ready to hound you. The Giants had another bad game yesterday."

His face darkened. "I know."

He sighed tiredly, running a hand down his face. At that very moment, the elevator doors dinged open. It opened into a small hallway which lead to only two doors, both facing each other. They were huge and ornate.

The stairs that led down had an iron gate blocking the way and the one that lead to the terrace seemed to have the same feature. For safety purposes, I assumed.

Kai walked out, going to the one on the right. He slipped his key in and unlocked it, pushing it open. He gestured at me to go in first, and hesitantly, I did.

Even at first sight, the place looked more homely than crazy over the top. It gave off cozy vibes. It looked nice, but not in a way that one would be afraid to touch anything. It was tactfully and beautifully furnished. It was full of little things that looked delicate and expensive but not in a way that made it look like a hotel room.

The real selling point of the whole thing, though, was the huge bookshelf that stood proud against the wall next to the full-length glass doors of the balcony leading out of the living room.

"You like it?" He asked.

I looked up at him and opened my mouth before closing it when no words came out. I must've looked like a fish. To his credit, he did not laugh. He did look amused, though. He had a knowing look in his eye. I soundlessly pointed at the bookshelf. He finally released a chuckle.

"I can't believe you did this," I managed to say when I found my tongue. I ditched my heels and trudged over to the bookshelf reverently. Memories flashed behind my eyelids and conversations grazed their whispers in my ears.

When we were in high school, Kai had this habit of reading. The guy was smart and had all the brains for academics, but he loved football to a fault. He spent so much time in that that he lost touch with his nerdy side.

By some miracle, however, he never lost his love for books. I had never enjoyed reading much, but in his company, I had begun to. His smiles and satisfaction after he would finish reading one would be irresistible, especially when we would read the same book together. It was like you could've handed him the world but he would still choose to sit with me between his legs, my back pressed to his chest while we sat against the headboard and read together. He could read faster than me, yet he was never impatient.

I remember the beginning of our senior year. We had been talking one day, and we had decided that we would move in together after college. And then we had promised that the first thing we would buy would be a bookshelf and lots of books.

It was our thing.

"Of course I did," he said, coming to stand behind me. His arm came around my shoulders as he pulled me to his chest so that my back melded into his front. "I remember too."

"Oh, Kai."

I curled my fingers around his triceps. My eyes burned a little with recollection. I used to yearn for him so much when it would rain and I had nothing else to keep me occupied. My mind would always go back to when we were teenagers and would not let the rain stop us from spending time together.

He kissed my temple gently. And when he spoke, his voice was hoarser. He spoke two syllables, but they filled my body with a myriad of emotions. Hope, frustration, love. Everything.

"I know," he said.

Gently, he turned me around to face him. He leaned down to kiss me tenderly. He didn't pull back for a long time and neither did I. Not even when we tasted the salty tears on our tongues. That, the way he held me and the way he looked at me when we finally came up for air soothed an ache that had wedged itself deep down in my soul.

Suddenly all those lonely nights were worth it. They had all led up to this and I knew I would do anything to have this. Endure any pain, any discomfort. Anything and everything was worth it if it meant I got to stand there in his apartment knowing that we wanted the same things and that we loved each other.

I cradled his face in my hands as his moist, liquid brown eyes bore into mine. They looked lost, tortured, and full of love all at once. I traced the wet path on his cheeks and over his stubble with my fingers, my heart bursting with affection.

He didn't hide from me. He didn't run.

"You know," I agreed in a whisper before pressing my lips to his again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N:-

How's it going? Love's in the air. Correction, love is the fucking air. Ahh, I live to write these moments ngl.

Tell me what you're thinking in the comments section! Vote if you like the chapter!

QOTD: What is your idea of a romantic date?

Take care and stay safe! New chap coming up in a few min ;)

All my love,

xoxo.