THOSE EYES

CHAPTER 22 - Hug

I walked further and further into my apartment for what felt like an eternity. I was hesitant if I should turn around or keep walking. I don't want Tom to get out of my life, but at the same time, it's his decision to make and not mine. I stopped as I heard the door close from behind me.

My legs gave up as I heard that sound. Tears started travelling down my cheeks and scattering as they hit the wooden floor of my apartment. I crawled up into a ball as I heard tippy-toes approaching me. I looked at my two four-legged friends as they looked down at me. I patted them to let them know that I'm crying over something that deep down I knew would happen. But as always, I willingly sold myself a pretty impossible lie rather than facing the truth. I slowly stood up, wobbling into my bedroom. The carcass that I call my body felt on the bed as warm tears keep sliding down my cheeks.

Was I really expecting that he would tell me the truth?

Didn't life teach me that I shouldn't be this naive toward others?

Even if life taught me, I didn't want to listen to it. I freely sold myself a story that he would tell me the truth and that I would have accepted it without a second thought. After that, we would have lived together as we did and hopefully acknowledge some feelings that keep lingering in our minds. But that was all a pretty impossible lie that I successfully sold to myself, only to hurt myself more, to finish what I started when he marked me ...

✲

I woke up the next day from the sound of the alarm clock. As I rose, I saw Mr Cat snuggling into my leg and Lady running in her sleep. My eyes were stinging from how much I cried last night. After breathing some fresh morning air, I slowly got up and took a long hot shower. Then I got ready for work and waited for my four-legged friends to get up while playing around with the cup of the most dreadful instant coffee that I ever bought. After they woke up, I slowly stopped toward the building my department is in.

"Good morning, Ella. I see that something went wrong yesterday," Casper said while flashing me with his bright smile.

I took the files from his hand and lowered the sunglasses I had on. "Morning. Does this face show you that anything good happened to it?"

He nodded in disapproval before whispering into my ear: "I advise you to keep the shades on because your eyes have changed."

"You mean blue and red?" I asked while putting my sunglasses back on my nose.

Casper gave me two freshly made cups of coffee and a box of pastries. "The boss asked that you deliver this to him," he said while taking my bag and some files out of my hands.

"Isn't that Megan's job?" I asked while putting the cups and box down on his desk and taking my stuff back.

"Megan is ill, so the boss sent me to get him this, and he ordered me that I make sure that you personally deliver this to him and nobody else. Now get going before he comes down, and the whole department goes in panic mode."

"Fine," I said before leaving my things on his desk and taking the ticking bomb made of coffee and sweets. I got off the elevator on the top floor then, I walked past Megan's empty desk to the black wooden door that separated me from my boss. Even before I knocked, I heard a muffled voice speak from the other side of it: "Come in."

I carefully opened the door and walked inside. "Good morning," Peter said as I placed the box and cups on his wooden table.

"Morning, here is what you asked me to bring, Mr Salvatore. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to get back to work," I said while turning around. As I walked toward the door, he spoke: "Do you want to share this with me?"

I stopped at his words and turned around.

"If you don't want to share, you can still leave," he said as I looked at his smiling face.

I turned around and spoke: "Okay, let's do this."

Peter flashed me a bright smile while walking toward a door with the goods in his hands.

"Then come in," he said after opening the door. I walked inside the room and sat down on the chair near a small table. Peter sat down on the chair facing me and handed me a cup of coffee and a fork. I collected those things from his hand and waited for him to open the box to reveal a beautiful mini fruit tart and a piece of chocolate cake.

"Choose whichever you like," he said while pushing the box closer to me. I pressed the box closer to him and spoke: "I don't feel like eating."

I watched him as he split both pastries and pushed the box once again in front of me.

"Please, eat up, please," he said as he looked at me with his attempt at puppy dog eyes. He looked silly and somehow cute.

I let out a small laugh as he kept looking at me with his silly attempt.

"Finally, you smiled," he said before flashing me a wide smile.

I took the fork, stabbed the tastier looking half of the fruit tart and ate it.

"Oh, waw. This is good. I mean, it's delicious. Where did Casper buy this?" I said while I continued eating the rest of the tart.

He let out a small sweet laugh before he spoke: "I'm glad that you like it, there's coffee down the street. You can eat my half too."

"You mean Sweet life, that coffee down the street. How did Casper get these? I can't eat your half. You have to taste this magic of dessert." I said before pushing the box in front of him.

As he was enjoying his half of the tart, he spoke: "What happened?"

"What are you talking about?" I said while taking a sip of coffee.

He pushed the box in front of me as he spoke: "You look exhausted, and you smell sad and frustrated. To top it, you haven't taken off your sunglasses no matter how dark this room is."

I let out a sigh of annoyance and stabbed the chocolate cake.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm in no position to expect that you tell me anything," Peter said as he leaned back into his seat.

I put the fork down as I removed my sunglasses from the top of my nose. "As you can see, from my eyes, I have cried all night. The reason why I cried is that winged bastard called Tom." I said as I looked into his eyes.

The atmosphere in the room just changed as I said his name. He has got a killer glare that oozed hatred toward a man that is dear to me. As he clenched his hands together, I saw his knuckles turn white.

"Why do you hate him so much?" I said as if I got a sudden wish of death.

He cleared his throat while looking down at the half-empty cup of coffee. " I don't hate him. I despise him as a living being. But I would rather discuss your relationship with him over mine," he coldly said before taking a sip of coffee.

I gulped down a mouth full of courage and spoke: "Yesterday he finally found me in my apartment where you left me, and I talked with him. I gave him the liberty of choice. He had to choose between him telling me the truth that he keeps hiding or walking out of my life forever. As you may guess, he chose the second option. And I ..."

Peter stood there frozen in place, taking in what I just told him. Then he rose and walked in front of me.

"Come on, stand up," he said as he gestured to me to get up. And I did as he said. When I stood up, he pulled me into a friendly hug. At first, I just stood there, perplexed if I should hug him back or not.

"That guy is still a dick head no matter how many times has passed by. I will like to punch him in his face," he said as he hugged me tighter.

At that moment, I don't know if I hugged him back because of the lack of sleep or because of the mark or only because he showed me a hint of compassion that he hasn't shown me jet.

A tear slowly left my eye, travelling down my cheek and falling off my jaw into nothing.

"Don't cry," he said with a low voice.