The next day I pitched my ideas to Lorne, but I wasn't fully satisfied with the result. I got a coffee from the bar downstairs, I continued reading a book and soon I received a text message from Mike.
Almost outside your office.
I got ready mentally. There was no turning back to when I was too tired to cry and too sad to sleep. It had to be a firm no, whatever he wanted to say to me.
«Hi, can I come in?» he asked, suddenly opening the door.
«Uh, yes, hi, take a seat.»
Before closing the door, I put up a sign that said "do not enter" for Aidy, and then turned to him.
«What can I do for you?»
«I just needed to talk, actually. I, uh...» he muttered, avoiding eye contact. «I have been thinking about you a lot lately.»
«Mike, it's been almost five years. Don't you think we should be both over it by now?»
«I thought I was, really, but maybe not completely.»
At this point, he was really staring at me. I felt like he could look inside of me, which made me both uncomfortable and kind of sad.
«Get to the point, please, because I really need to get to work.»
«What you and I had was really beautiful, something that not everyone has. All I wish for is to relive those moments with you, Cec.»
I was speechless by that statement. I just stood there for a moment, in complete disbelief, and then started shaking my head left and right.
«I'm so sorry, Mike, but when we split up we both knew it was for the best. Thing weren't working out and we knew things would have just gone downhill from there.»
«It's been five years; shouldn't we give it another try?»
«We broke up because we both didn't see a future. I wanted to get married, to have kids, you didn't and that's fine. But I cannot have that argument again, because I spent many, many, nights crying after you and I'm not willing to do it again.»
My eyes were watering, but I was firm and standing by my decision.
«Listen to me» I said, taking his hands in mine as Kate had done the day before. «You are gonna meet a girl much better than me, and you two are gonna be so much happier than you and me ever were because you'll want the same things. What we lived was beautiful, but it wasn't meant to last, because neither of us would have ever changed their mind. I'm sorry.»
I gave him a kiss on the head and stood up again.
«I should go.»
«Yeah. Really though, I am gonna remember those moments.»
«Me too.»
We hugged and I opened the door for him. Outside there was Aidy, with her fist in the air ready to knock on the door.
«Are you okay?»
She saw Mike and waved at him, letting him pass.
«Bye» he smiled at me, finally.
«Bye.»
Aidy stood there and looked at me with an extremely confused face.
«Have you been crying?»
I then realized that some tears were falling down my cheek, but they were tears of relief, since finally I was able to close that wonderful and painful chapter of my life.
«Yes and no. I'm fine, though» I weakly smiled, wiping the tears off my face.
«Okay... If you need anything just holler» she said, getting behind her desk.
We both got to work and nobody spoke for almost two hours, until Heidi and Kate came through the door and ruined the perfect silence in the room.
«I saw a guy going out this hallway two hours ago» Heidi exclaimed.
«So, tonight we are going out» Kate affirmed, almost immediately after, having recognized my ex-boyfriend. «Get your heels ladies, cause tonight we're gonna move this party to the streets of New York!»
Aidy was quickly on board, but I didn't know if that was such a good idea.
«Guys, it's Tuesday, we have the table reads tomorrow, maybe we could wait for the weekend, or perhaps next Monday?»
«Nope, cause I do not want to see you go through all that crap again because of one guy. So go get your things and I'll see you tonight right after work cause I'm reserving a table at Pebble's.»
And just like that, they were gone, shutting the door behind them, laughing about something I couldn't comprehend.
Both me and Aidy had some dresses in our office, just in case we had to go to a work dinner without notice, or simply didn't have the time to go home, so that day we didn't even stop at our houses to grab something and went straight to the bar.
«What do you think of this dress?» she asked, lifting a blue one.
«It's beautiful.»
I didn't have a lot of clothes, so I really had to dive deep in my almost-closet – which normal people would call a chair – to find something.
At last, I finally found a red and black gingham shirt and a black skirt, so I made myself like that outfit because I was too tired to find something else.
We both got dressed, we put on a little bit of make-up, and by the time we were done it was time to leave the office.
«Hey guys, where are you going?» Kenan asked, before paying us way too many compliments, since I still had swollen red eyes and I hadn't shaved my legs in ages.
«Out with the other girls. See you tomorrow, say hi to the kids» I answered, while being dragged away by Kate.
Maybe I didn't want to accept it, but a night out with my girls might had been just what I needed, the right combination of craziness, fun and alcohol to forget about everything and move on.
YOU ARE READING
UNBROKEN || Cecily Strong
Fanfiction«So... how is he?» Owen asked me, when we got a moment alone and away from all the chaos. «He's so sweet. I think I'm falling in love with him, honestly» I answered, smiling, with a cup of tea in my hand. «Good for you! Now, promise me that if I'm...
