Unprofessional (Under editing)

Chapter 33: Back To Work

Finally back at work, sitting at my desk, the weight of the past few days still heavy on my shoulders. I taped my pen on my desk while on the phone with a client.

"Yes, absolutely. I'll send you the details by the end of the day. We can meet tomorrow at 11. I'll confirm the time and location. Thank you for your patience. Talk soon."

It feels good, almost normal, to be back in the swing of things. For the first time in 2 weeks, I feel like I'm not drowning—like I'm standing on solid ground.

I let out a slow breath, the stress of the call already slipping away. My fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment before I pull up a tab. A two-bedroom apartment in my budget. I scroll through the listing, staring at the pictures of a place I could see myself and Lovey in.

The past few days have been... strange. I'm still processing everything that's happened. I found out that Benji's reason for being at Isaac's house in the first place was nothing more than him wanting to annoy Isaac—like he always does. Typical Benji. But I'm lucky he came by that day, because God only knows what could have happened if he hadn't. I shudder just thinking about it.

Miles is under house arrest now, but that doesn't make me feel any safer. It's just a reminder of how much I still have to keep running from. And how much I want to leave Isaac's house. Every time I even think about telling him I'm leaving, I freeze.

I care about Isaac. I never expected to say that, but I do. I've seen his sensitive side, the part of him that wants to take care of me and Lovey. He's been so good to us, especially after what went down with Miles. He's offered comfort when I thought I wouldn't find any.

I want to leave—there's a part of me that feels like I have to. But every time I get close to saying the words, to telling him I need to go, I stop. Because the idea of leaving him... it's harder than I thought it would be.

The sound of the door opening pulls me back to reality. I quickly click out of the tab, my heart skipping a beat as I furrow my brow, trying to keep my face neutral.

One of my colleagues steps inside, smiling at me. "Hey, Rowan! It's really good to see you back. We've missed you around here."

I smile, but it feels stiff, like I'm trying to convince myself more than her. "Thanks, it feels good to be back."

I glance back at the screen, the image of that apartment still lingering in my mind.

___

I move through the meeting room, gathering the scattered papers that were passed around during Isaac's first meeting of the day. Pie charts, analytics, and notes are spread across the table. The room is empty now, the last client having just left. As I pick up the last few sheets, my phone buzzes in my skirt pocket. I pull it out, the screen lighting up with a message from Isaac.

I glance up, at the glass-walled meeting rooms agenset from this one, Isaac is sitting with one ankle resting on his knee, looks up at me through his lashes, a soft but knowing expression on his face. The clients are speaking freely in the room with him, but their voices are muffled. I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips.

I open the message, and it's simple—just a few words that somehow mean everything.

Pineapples: Take a break.

I feel a warmth spread through my chest at the thought of him looking out for me. My fingers hover over the keyboard, and I quickly type back.

Me: I will. Jennette asked me if it would be ok to go to a cafe for lunch.

I hit send, then look back up at Isaac. He's Looking down at his phone typing with a bit of a furrow in his brow. A few seconds later, his reply pops up.