Forever Tied.

7.

Because her alarm failed to go off, Rosie arrived late for work today. Rarely does this happen, but when it does, she doesn't take it lightly.

"I'm so sorry for being so late," Rosie told Elijah in his office. Elijah sat quietly while sighing. His face looked mesmerizing and unreal.

With a calm tone, Elijah replied, "It's okay, Rose.".

She's observed him for quite a while and shes never seen him lash out or yell at anyone before.

Rosie said, "Thank you, and here's your suit jacket thing," not knowing what a blazer was.

He looked up at her as the blazer landed on his chair. Rosie felt herself blushing unintentionally.

"Thank you"

Rosie sighed with relief when she heard the subtle replies. If he was angry, he would just stop her and kick her out of his office.

After that, Elijah did not say anything else, and she slowly walked to her desk, unable to hide her small smile.

When she reached the door, a knock came. An old friend, Vann Falco, was standing inside the door.

"Vann?" She asked, surprised at his sudden visit. He had never been to the company, much less Elijah's office.

Vann responded, "We were supposed to have lunch," and Rosie remembered that they made a lunch date.

"Oh, I completely forgot," she admitted, as a sound came from behind her.

He was rising from his chair. There was no expression on his face, and Rosie wondered if he ever felt anything at all.

"Vann," he said gently, grabbing Rosie by the arm and pushing her behind him. He didn't do it in a way that was possessive or so she thought.

Vann moved away, saying, "Elijah". Elijah motioned for Rosie to leave his office.

Vann and Rosie left for lunch, and Elijah went to a meeting telling Rosie that he didn't need her.

"It must be awkward working with him," Vann laughed. "Awkward" puzzled Rosie, and she began to question him.

Rosie replied, "Not really," which was true. Elijah wasn't as bad as she expected, in fact, he exceeded her expectations.

He doesn't hoover or tell her how much of a bad job she's doing and his patient.

"Seriously? I'd cry coming to work every day and seeing the face that broke my heart," Vann said, as Rosie snapped her head toward him. It wasn't clear what he meant.

"What do you mean by broke my heart?"

"It's Elijah Blackwell your first love. You know that" Vann replied, smiling happily as if he had said something worth hearing.

Rosie was in a state of shock.

Her body stopped working and she could almost feel her pulse stop. At one point, her heart stopped beating as well.

It was as if time stood still for every sound, every smell, and everyone had stopped. It left her feeling alone, betrayed, and confused.

Her fingers trembled as she held her coffee cup. The person she was working with hurt her, and she laughed and smiled like an idiot.

She hated him and hated herself even more because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop loving him.

She has half of her heart at the finish line, and the other half hasn't even begun the race.

"I need to go," Rosie said, getting up before Vann could ask why she had greeted him and left.

Although she didn't know what she would say to him, the words would come to her when she got there.

He has just finished his meeting and is in his office reviewing the company's agreements.

Immediately, Rosie stormed into Elijah's office without knocking. All her kindness left her at the door.

"Did you know?" Rosie asked calmly, knowing he knew who she was, after all. He continued to speak calmly to her.

"About what?"

"That I'm Rosie Devlin, you were my first love in high school" Rosie didn't realize how much she tried letting him go after he broke up with her.

"Yes"

A single word.

One word was all it took to break her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rosie pleaded sitting down. She rarely cried, but when she did, it was always because of him.

She hoped her tears would take pity on her and not fall.

"We've never had anything Rose, so why should you care?" He asked bluntly.

Even when he didn't mean to, he knew how to hurt her. We all have an Achilles heel, and he was hers. Her back was filled with thorns because of him.

Yes, he didn't love her, but she loved him because he did not know how to love himself, much less anyone else.

"Still cold as ever," Rosie said as she laid back, wondering what to do next.

Either she could pretend that she didn't know who he was or she could quit. Even when he pushed her away, he needed her.

There's a reason he turned down every assistant Rocco brought, except for her.

Rosie snapped out of her trance when Elijah asked, "Are we done here?"

As she stood up, she went up to Elijah, who was standing a few inches away, instead of walking away.

"We'll forget about everything in the past and just be the same as before," Rosie said, and Elijah nodded in agreement.

There was a chance for him to let go, and he didn't, so that means something.

As she left his office, Rosie continued her work as if he weren't a few feet away.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not get her mind off it. It became clear why Talia had been so possessive.

She should've known from that moment in time by the way Talia acted towards her. It was evident Talia didn't want Elijah to he revealed which she couldn't understand why.

Talia should've known Elijah doesn't like Rosie in that way so there was no competition.

She didn't know why Talia acted that way or why she would soon find, one way or another.