𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 || Cillian Murphy ¹

nineteen (edited)

"How was your weekend?" Brigid asked, handing Auden a coffee as she strolled into the office.

Auden leaned against Brigid's desk, warmth curling through her as flashes of the weekend with Cillian played in her mind — his touch, his teasing, the way he'd looked at her like she was something worth ruining for.

"Wonderful," she smiled, "How was yours?"

"Probably not half as exciting as yours." Brigid waggled her brows before taking a sip from her cup. "I stayed in and tried to find a sugar daddy on the endless stream of dating apps. How did you do it?"

"Brigid," Auden rolled her eyes, throwing a quick glance around the office for prying ears. "You know it's not like that."

Brigid just laughed, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. "I'm teasing, babe. Though I am hopping back on the dating scene. Does Cillian know any eligible bachelors?"

Auden opened her mouth to fire back a retort, but a voice behind her cut her off.

"Good morning, ladies," Charles exhaled dramatically, striding into the room. He barely paused before turning his attention to Auden. "I just came by to let you know we're meeting with Patrick Haynes this afternoon."

Auden went rigid. A slow, simmering irritation flared in her chest. "We're meeting him?"

Charles raised a bushy eyebrow. "Yes, Auden. We are meeting him. You are the head curator, correct?"

Her mouth opened, then shut, frustration tightening her throat. Charles was still growing on the idea of Auden and Cillian, and his treatment towards her was still tense. She understood it. Auden's name was plastered everywhere it seemed.

But the idea of being professional with Patrick, in any setting, made her stomach curl. She hadn't spoken to Patrick in a month. Hadn't seen him, hadn't wanted to. The last thing she needed was him showing up here unannounced, blindsiding her.

"Lovely," Charles continued when she did not answer, clearly unaffected by the turmoil now spiraling inside her. "I'll see you in my office around two." He turned to leave but hesitated, fixing her with a look that made her stomach twist. "And, Auden – please try to keep the peace when we meet him."

Heat surged up her neck. Was that jab really necessary?

Next to her, Brigid let out a low whistle the moment Charles disappeared down the hall. "Well, good luck with that."
Auden shot her a glare before storming off to her office, slamming the door shut behind her. The weekend high she'd been riding — the lightness, the warmth of being wrapped up in Cillian — had been completely shattered in less than a minute.

She knew Patrick. Knew how he operated. He wouldn't just leave it at the meeting. He'd try to talk to her afterward, try to smooth things over, as if she hadn't spent weeks seething over the fact that he'd lied to her. Auden could already feel the anger bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. She needed to get ahead of this.