When did this happen? When did my feelings spill beyond friendship this badly?I’ve seen him with other women …He’s always been this way, when did I start reacting like this? Breaking my heart over him being his Casanova self.“Tell the others, after I’m gone, I had to go away for a couple of days.” He’s picking up his suitcase, his body stiff with tension and the hatred oozing between us is unbearable.“What reason shall I give?” I sound alien. This fake politeness between us, thick in the stifling air. We’re both exceptionally good at cold and polite.“I don’t give a shit, Emma … The truth for all I care.” He flexes his eyebrows sardonically.That was a blow … it hurt; it knocked the wind out of my sails. I move back as he stalks out with suitcase in hand, he slides his shades on, despite it being duller in here and he doesn’t even look at me; he seems

He’s been gone more than two days, and I’ve tried his cell so many times. He’s monitoring his calls and I get voicemail almost immediately. I know he’s declining my number and it hurts more than I can bear. I don’t want to email or text, so I don’t, because my pride is bruised, and I won’t beg. I don’t know what to say, I only want to hear him and know he’s still there. I want to know what the hell is going on in that head of his, to know why he’s being this way, and what happens when we go back to work together.I’ve been swimming and reading to distract myself and eating with the others; I’m getting used to them and although Marissa and I give each other a wide berth, I’m starting to warm to the rest of them.Leila, as always, is a joy to be around, but I’m melancholy and would rather my own company. We went shopping on the mainland yesterday and I loved what having a girly friend felt li

The office is a welcome sight, my assistant, Rosalie, greets me warmly and compliments my hair, tan, and natural highlights. She gushes a little too much at how I look, and I’m forced to coolly look her down, to get her to return to a professional manner.The issues with the merger are nothing and could have been handled by anyone involved, there is no need for me to be here at all. The lawyers have handled mostly everything, and the minor details are rectified in half a morning. I walk through to Jake’s office and dump the files on his desk, I like that they scatter messily, and I don’t bother straightening them. I quell the urge to push over his desk tidy beside them.“Fix them yourself,” I mutter and toss his pen on top. It’s fair to say I’m still as pissed as ever and right now; the thought of resignation is swirling in my mind rather childishly.No, if I’m going to do that, I’d rather say it to his face. I wou

His eyes are huge, and he falls into the corner of the elevator with the sheer force of my smack. I’ve never actually lashed out and hit anyone just like that, with unprovoked violence. I can’t talk. I’m in as much shock as he is at what I just did. I just shake my head, words catching in my throat as I stifle a sob and run for an escape. The doors are still open, and I blindly move with speed, immersed in a surge of hysteria.I head for the stairs, kicking off my shoes erratically and hurtle past a couple of shocked suited women, in passing. I hit the stairwell in its gloomy darkness, tumble clumsily down a few steps, hurting my ankle and sink down onto the cold metal to let loose. My chest caving in, and I’m struggling for breath. My head is a jumbled mess of confusion, adrenaline coursing through me savagely and I wail with pain as the tears begin to cascade.I clutch at my head yanking my hair as though to calm the chaos.I just assaulted a

It’s amazing what the human heart can endure when you have a will like mine. It’s amazing how you can bounce back, like you were, no matter what life throws at you. It’s amazing how many masks I must keep in my back pocket for when one gets smashed into a thousand pieces so I can slide a new one on.We’re on a plane already, and I’m cool and controlled and acting like yesterday never happened. Red head is gone, thank god, and Jake seems like the normal good old Jake from before our vacation. The past week or so erased from memory. Just like that!All is almost right with the world if I can just ignore all of that. Forget all the tears, and ignore the crazy way he makes me feel, that I can no longer honestly say is platonic. He’s on his cell, despite me glaring at him about using it on the plane.“Yes, that’s right.” He waves his hand at my expression, dismissing me as I picture us crashing into the ocean. “No