The Intern (BWWM)

Chapter 34

Leilani was getting tired of playing cat and mouse with Carter. He still hadn't given her a chance to explain.

Then, all of a sudden there's no more direct communication to be had between them. All of her assignments were given to her through Glenda.

Leilani hadn't seen or spoken to Carter in almost three days now.

What was he waiting for?

Why was he so hesitant to speak to her?

While Carter neglected Leilani, she still kept a watchful on him whenever she saw him working his way around the office.

She frowned a little when his voice was around but never directed towards her. Leilani's eyes teared at the sound of his voice saying her name but wanting no affiliation to it.

This wasn't the Carter she knew.

Leilani wasn't at all shocked when she saw Rachel sashay back into the office.

The lack of communication between the two of them was intensely weird. Now there was tension. Leilani was starting to feel the lack of love from him.

Zach was doing an amazing job helping her out with her workload, even though Carter had significantly lightened it from the past few days.

Leilani was also learning more about online writing platforms from Zach. She had even let him read samples of her work. Leilani wandered if Carter had taken any time to read the manuscript he practically begged her to give him.

Sally was also back at work. Leilani had no interest in forgiving her. She stepped out of place forcing something between her and Zach, knowing that she had something good going with Carter. And Leilani now felt that Sally had ruined it.

Leilani watched pretended not to watch Rachel and Sally interact. She felt that their snickers were indirectly directed towards her but she kept her face straight.

Once Leilani had made it to lunch, she grabbed her purse and started her walk to the deli two blocks down away from the company. At least there was a park across the street where she could eat in peace and quiet.

She ordered a veggie sub and alkaline water.

The park was refreshing. She found a seat on a stone bench beneath a tree. The shade was relieving. Leilani appreciated the fresh air and this specific moment in time to think outside of the office.

Leilani finally started rethinking Noelle's offer. She had initially went with no, then maybe, however now she was moving closer to yes! Clearly, Carter had stopped caring about her; he refused to even think to look in her direction.

At first it bothered her yet now she was realizing that the spark was gone. It had been almost a week and the only thing she had heard from Carter was his snickering with Rachel.

This made her think.

Had Carter even told Leilani the truth about their situation?

Is Carter the father of Rachel's child?

What really happened between Carter and Rachel before Rachel's sudden fully paid-leave?

Leilani's time was up. But it was now time for her to get to the bottom of everything. And she was going to start by questioning her new work bestie: Zach.

Back at the office, as Zach dropped off the rest of Leilani's work for the day she immediately figured that now was the time to corner him for the deets.

Leilani scribbled quickly onto a pink sticky note, folding it and shoving it inside Zach's packet, hoping no one had seen her. The note read: ink room in 20 minutes.

Zach laughed and quickly went back to his side of the office; an area which felt like a mile away. This was a huge building. So when Zach left, he really did disappear.

Leilani gave Glenda the completed work, hoping Carter noticed how quickly she had been able to get things done. Leilani was over trying to talk him herself. No more calls, texts, or emails. She quickly realized that desperation did not look good on her.

The ink room was a room that no one except the office technician visited. Normally, you wouldn't see them until the end of the day when they took inventory and replenished the printing area of the office.

Zach had gotten there two minutes earlier than he was instructed to. This guy.

"Hey, everything okay?" Zach spoke first.

"Everything is fine." Leilani smiled, sweetly. "Just wanted to chitchat."

Zach scrunched his face up. "Oh, you wanted to gossip?" He joked.

Well, there goes that. There was no fooling Zach.

"I was wondering..." Leilani trailed off.

"You know who definitely has any and all info you could possibly be inquiring about?" Zach began suggesting.

"Who? And don't say who I think you're about to say." Leilani folded her arms against her chest and rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"I mean, she's back at the office. I think you two should be fine now. I mean, you and I are good..." Zach becoming somewhat of a close work-friend was the worst thing that could have happened.

"Not when she's prancing around laughing at me with Rachel." She huffed.

"They haven't mentioned you." Zach stated, simply.

Leilani gasped. "You talk to them?" She inquired.

Zach nodded. "Why wouldn't I? I know things were shaky in the past but that was genuinely miscommunication and Sally just wanting the best for you. She has a thing for trying to help the younger generation." Zach laughed a little.

"Give them a chance." And with that last statement, Zach left.

THEM?

Leilani waited a few moments, gathering her thoughts before exiting. She thought she had swiftly pushed the ink rooms door open but was quite wrong.

Turns out she was stronger than she assumed and nearly knocked the person on the other side of the door to the ground.

The person, however, might have actually deserved it. Turns out, it was Carter.

"Jesus," Carter muttered angrily, rubbing his forehead before finding his current abusers eyes.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to..." Leilani started to say but he stopped her.

"My office. 8am, promptly." Carter stated, leaving in a hurry.

Leilani looked behind her, her other arm still kept the door halfway opened.

He didn't even go inside the ink room...