Unfinished Business

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I lie on my back, my gaze settled on my office ceiling. I wasn't emotionally stable enough to drive all the way back home, so I lied to Trent telling him that I was busy in the office and got a hotel. After leaving Dereck's place, I came straight to my office, not wanting to face anyone at the moment.

I couldn't fall asleep. I paced around my office, gazed out the large window that overlooked the Sound, then finally ended up on the couch. Dereck's words kept hitting me hard.

"Do you love him?!.... You do know your feelings..."

Yes, I do know. But I can't hurt him like that. It's not fair to Dereck, but it also isn't fair to Aiden or myself. My stupid feelings are causing hurt to everyone I care about. This is what I was afraid of. If I choose one, I will lose the other. It's not right to love both. I need to let one of them go, but which one? As of now, I know I need to distance myself from both men and evaluate everything.

I've seen the sun set, the night fall, and now dawn approach. Light slowly fills the office, signaling the start of a new day. As time goes by, I slowly start to hear commotion outside my office door, everyone in the office coming in, getting started on a new day of work. I think soon, my PA will come in. I inhale deeply, shutting my eyes, hoping to relax a bit before I start on some work.

I don't know how long I doze for, but I'm awaken from a gasp at my door.

"Kat! Oh my gosh, I didn't know you were already in," Jenny stands surprised at the door, then hurries in and closes it.

I slowly sit up, rubbing my eyes and stretching my legs. I see her walk over to my desk, a bunch of folders in her arms, and arrange them for me to look over. She then turns to me, a confused look on her face.

"Aren't those the clothes you wore yesterday? Are you alright Kat? You look... uh... not yourself." She points out.

I look down at my attire, and I guess I need to change into something new. I don't want to worry Jenny with my personal problems. I look up at her, putting a convincing smile on my face.

"I'm alright Jenny. I actually came back last night, had to do finish some important paperwork to send to my parents. I guess I just crashed here," I lied.

She looks skeptical at the moment, but I see in her expression that she accepts my reasoning. "Okay. I'll just run out and get you some clothes for the day, and some breakfast too. Want to run through your schedule when I get back?"

"That sounds perfect," I smile up at her. She returns it and heads out of my office.

I walk over to my desk where I left my cell phone and check for any messages. Nothing from Dereck, but there were messages from Trent and Aiden. Trent told me that he was going to stay after school today to work on a project and also reminded me to not overwork myself. My lips tug up into a small smile. Aiden said that we needed to talk, and it was sent earlier this morning. My smile falls.

I can't really talk to anyone right now, not in my state. I drop my phone back on the desk and sit on my office chair. I get lost in my thoughts once more as I look out the window, watching Seattle come to life.

About half an hour later, Jenny comes in with a garment bag, two coffees, and a large paper bag that probably held food. I thanked her and headed to my bathroom to shower and change for the day. She got me a fitted black dress with a square neckline and had a bright red belt. Too lazy to properly fix my hair and do my makeup, I just pulled it up into a ponytail and settled for liner and mascara. It's not like I'm trying to impress anybody, I plan to stay holed up in my office.

When I come back out, Jenny is already seated on one of the chairs opposite of my desk and has already set out the food. I go and take my seat, turning on my computer and force myself to eat what she bought. I had to seem like I was okay in front of her even if I'm not really hungry.