Sweet Rush

Twenty Three

"Nah Malia, I'll be fine. I've been doing this way longer than when you were around to walk me home." Blair chuckles when I break the news to her about the change in my schedule. I had worked all day just so I could tell Blair that I wouldn't be able to go home with her anymore. Even though I'm exhausted I think it's worth it.

"Well I'm glad someone's okay with it." I say while squeezing my palms into the soft puff of my coat pockets. The cold is brutal tonight and it's barely even December yet. New York has taught me to dress for the weather no matter what. If it looked as warm as a Caribbean dream outside and there's a call for snow, you better be boots deep into your finest snow attire. "There's one other thing." I add quietly.

"What? Did you forget to tell me something from your Thanksgiving trip with Mr. dark, rich and handsome?" she playfully nudges my shoulder causing me to smile.

"I told you everything but today his grandpa caught us making out in the office. I could've sacrificed myself right then and there just to disappear." The words didn't even fully escape my lips before a loud gasp is released from her. Blair is a natural drama queen but I think she's grasped the severity of the situation because employer- employee relations are highly ridiculed in the workplace. I'm uncertain of what's going to come of this but the shouting in the office has me expecting something grave.

"And here I thought I was the unruly one." she laughs nudging me even harder than she did the last time.

"Please, you are. I just don't know what happened and he was the one encouraging it. How could we know that his grandad was going to come in?" The question is posed more to myself than Blair.

"You couldn't." she empathizes with me.

Our bus pulls up just in time. The ride to my house is quite swift as the driver failed to get any lights and dashed through the city like Santa Claus on Christmas night. I say my farewells to Blair before getting off.

I make my way upstairs and to my apartment. There's chattering coming from inside and I recognize it's Avana's voice. Being that it's almost five in the morning, it's a weird time to be up and even weirder to have a friend over. I know she's not in danger because she sounds friendly and not scared.

I push open the door after unlocking only to find Jane and Avana sitting on our coal grey Tuxedo styled couch.

"What a surprise? You're an intruder now?" I say annoyed that he's here. I'm already embarrassed from what happened earlier and he decides that it's a good idea to visit after my shift. I don't know why my first emotion is annoyance, I just guess I'm subconsciously blaming him for encouraging the kiss in the office.

"I just wanna talk to you Malia."

"Well you have my number." I add, waving my phone in the air remembering the text that I sent him forever ago.

"Okay, I wanted to talk to you in person." I release a heavy sigh, silently obliging.

"Hi Malia, bye Malia." Avana interjects when a moment of silence is spread between us. She gets up from the couch and makes a beeline to her room.

Just great. Now I'm stuck alone.

"Well talk." I order him, anxious to hear what happened.

" So I talked to my grandad and I'm going back to Los Angeles to run things there after what happened today." his nature is stoic and his stare is soul-stirring. Defeat settles in my chest as I hear his words. I came back to New York for him and now he has to leave.

"Is that what you want?" my voice shakes and the guard of my feelings were slowly ebbing away awaiting his answer.

"If I did I wouldn't be here." He sounds disappointed as he speaks.