Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 43 - Secrets and surprises

May 15, 2024

Wednesday

Dear diary,

Let me tell you about my day.

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[1/2]

It's been three days since I last saw Luca, and I've come to two conclusions about him. One, he is a very dry texter, if he even texts at all; and two, he is a very busy man who always seems to be working. His text messages arrive at the most random times, from three in the morning to two hours later, with replies often unpredictable and brief.

Despite his erratic texting habits, Luca makes it a point to call whenever he has a chance, always ensuring he's alone. The moment someone enters his space, he abruptly disconnects the call. This peculiar behavior makes me suspect he leads two distinct lives—one when he's with me and another when he's not. It feels like there's a hidden side to him, a dark aspect I know nothing about. I've had chances to ask him about it, but I always chicken out at the last moment.

Luckily, Emily is coming home this evening, so I won't be alone anymore. I hate sleeping alone or even being alone in our apartment. Not that I have a reason to be scared, but I just don't do well on my own. My therapist attributes this to trauma.

Taj is back from his weekend getaway and has been pestering me for the past three days. I've been subtly suggesting faraway retreats to him, hoping he'd take the hint and go away again, but he saw through my ploy. He joked that dealing with Taj was now my problem because she needed a break from him. Apparently, his pre-paternal panic has kicked in, making him obsessively watch over Grace, driving her crazy.

"So, what time are you going to be there for Grace's baby shower?" Taj asks, pulling my attention away from my work. He's sitting across the office behind his desk, his face a mix of concern and expectation.

Grace's baby shower—fun. No, actually, I sound like a sour bitch, but I find baby showers a bit extra. The child isn't even here yet, so why the celebration? But I've been invited by Grace's friends, and Taj will kill me if I don't attend. He wants me to keep an eye on the situation because he doesn't particularly like Grace's friends. With me there, he thinks he'll have some influence, although I'm not sure how.

"It's Friday at noon, right?" I ask, even though I already know the answer. Grace's friends created a WhatsApp group, sending a daily countdown clock to the event, which has made me cringe more than anything else in life. But I can't say that out loud without sounding like a bitch.

"Yes, Maddie," Taj growls, as if I didn't already know.

"Well, then I'll be there Friday at noon," I say, turning my focus back to my work. The day is almost over, and I'm counting down the minutes until I can log off. This job makes time fly by like no other.

"What did you buy?" he asks bluntly.

I gasp loudly. "Taj Phillips, where are your manners?" I scold him, making him roll his eyes.

"You know how particular she is about everything regarding the baby. It has to be perfect."

"Yeah, I know," I reply, rolling my eyes in turn. "You act like I don't know Grace. If you must know, I received the list of items she wants and chose one present, Taj." If he keeps up this hysterical behavior, I might actually smack him, boss or not.

He nods in satisfaction. "Good. She'll be happy."

"You're acting like a crazy person," I say, eyeing him carefully. I thought only women got extra hormonal during pregnancy, but men seem to go through something similar.