Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 29 - Beyond imagination

May 9, 2024

Thursday

Dear diary,

Let me tell you about my day.

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The sound of my typing on the laptop echoes through the otherwise silent office. It's the only source of noise apart from the distant buzz coming from the open window. It's a quite warm day today in London. After months of rain and storms, the sun is finally shining, casting a golden glow over the city and awakening its streets.

Because of the nice weather, Taj decided to take a few days off. He's taking Grace up into the countryside to spend some time relaxing before the baby arrives. I am so excited to see their little girl.

Even though I'm happy that he's finally taking some time off, it's kind of boring here alone, hidden away in the office. To make matters worse, Emily told me this morning that Vinny invited her to join him back in Sicily for the weekend. He wants her to be his plus-one to a party on Saturday. She was over the moon when she told me, and I am so happy for her. She seems to be totally into him, which she deserves. So, when she asked me if I was okay with her leaving, I told her to go for it. What else was I supposed to say? I don't want my best friend to miss out on anything in life just because I hate being alone.

A soft knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. "Yeah?" I call out to whoever is behind the door. The door opens, and Em's face pops around. "Hi," she says with a faint smile.

"Hi, Em," I smile back. "What are you doing here?" I glance at the clock on the wall.

She nods her head and enters the office. "I came to say bye to you before I leave. Vinny will pick me up in an hour," she explains.

"Is your suitcase at home?" I ask, noticing the lack of luggage she's carrying.

"Yeah, everything's packed. I just wanted to make sure you're okay before I go," she says, her eyes scanning the room as if she's worried about leaving me alone.

"I'll be fine," I assure her, even though I'm not entirely sure myself. "You deserve to have fun. Don't worry about me."

She walks over and gives me a tight hug. "Thanks. I'll miss you, though."

"I'll miss you too. Send me pictures, okay?"

"Of course," she promises, pulling away with a smile. "And call me if you need anything."

As she leaves, I return to my desk and the stillness of the office. I try to refocus on my work, but my thoughts drift to Luca. I haven't heard anything from him since our date yesterday. Maybe he didn't like it or found me boring. After all, he only kissed my head instead of giving me a proper kiss like he did before. Maybe he changed his mind and just sees me as a friend now.

After a while, I decide to take a break and walk over to the window. The office windows look out on the backside of Huntsman. The city below is bustling with life, people enjoying the rare sunny day. Maybe I should take the rest of the day off. I have a lot of compensation hours left, and I don't have that much work left, but then again, what am I going to do?

I walk back to my desk and grab my phone.

To: Bri Bri
Time: 11:52 am
Hi babe, what are you doing today? I am bored in the office. Do you want to head out for some lunch?

I send the text and lay my phone back down, focusing on my work. After a few minutes, my phone buzzes.

From: Bri Bri
Time: 11:55 am
Sorry babe, I am flying out this afternoon. I am invited to a party this Saturday in honor of Sophia's wedding. Wish I could tho... x