All That She Needs

Part 17 : Asha

I came back to the office feeling anxious and jittery, my nerves on edge. Walking through the lobby and into the elevator, I couldn't help but worry that I might bump into Liam. Luckily, I didn't. He hadn't called or texted me during the two days I'd been absent, even though Dennis had mentioned that Liam kept showing up, looking for me, until Dennis finally had to threaten to call security for unauthorized entry.

The last time I was with Liam, things hadn't ended well. I was mad, and he knew it. The anger still simmered beneath the surface, and with everything else going on in my life, I wondered why I even had room in my head to think about it. I kept thinking what I would do if I saw him again. I was too tired to keep mad at him, too exhausted to skirt around the subject and pretend I wasn't mad, but still too disappointed to let it go.

Even though I had only been absent for two days, my inbox had exploded with over a hundred emails, and the stack of reports waiting for my review was overwhelming—far too many to tackle in a single day. It felt almost inhuman to expect anyone to get through it all, but I gladly welcomed it. I needed the distractions. I needed it so that I wouldn't be thinking about my lying, cheating husband and my disappointing new friend.

Dennis had been a godsend. He re-arranged my calendar so that I wouldn't have any meetings today. Which was almost impossible to do. I didn't know he managed it, but he did it. My calendar for today was unbelievably clear, something that I never saw probably in the last ten years.

Other than delivering my coffee and a bar of the Artisan macadamia chocolate he knew I loved so much, Dennis didn't bother me at all. His silence was so unusual that I almost missed his constant yapping over nothing and his persistent reminders about my next meeting and what I needed to prepare. The thought of him ever leaving crossed my mind, and honestly, I didn't know what I would do if Dennis decided to work for another company. I would pity anyone who had to step into his shoes—the bar Dennis had set was almost impossible to reach.

Unfortunately, the peace only lasted until about five p.m., when Dennis buzzed me and frantically shouted through the speaker, "Alert, alert, fucking alert! Two scariest angelic looking dudes are on their way up. I wanted to stop them, I really did, but I won't. You know how they scared the shit out of me. Tell me quickly if you want to hide and I will sprint downstairs and lock myself in one of the janitor's closets. I'm not going to face them alone. Asha? Asha, you there?"

Oh, shit. I knew who they were.

Before I could even think or react, I heard their muffled voices outside my office. Five seconds later, both my brothers walked in, with backpacks on their shoulders telling me that they went here straight from the airport.

I quickly scanned their faces—pale and green-eyed like mine—searching for any sign of distress. It didn't take long to find it; the tension was palpable in their eyes, even though they moved with an unsettling calm. I could sense the storm brewing inside their heads, just waiting to explode.

"Who told you?" I sighed.

"Kayden," Mason answered, his tone sharp. Max, the quieter one, simply looked at me with his usual impassive expression. But I knew him well enough to see the mix of emotions swirling inside him. My instinct came from that strong triplet bond that we shared. Max was worried. "He called me this morning, asking us to come over. He said you need us."

"Are you okay?" Max asked quietly, his voice softer than usual.

"I'm fine," I groaned, the word almost losing its meaning from how much I hated it. "Let's sit over there and talk." I rose from my seat and gestured toward the seating area on my right, where a couple of sofas and a coffee table offered a more comfortable setting. My brothers followed me, placing their backpacks on the floor next to the sofa as they settled in right across from me.