The Internship

Chapter 16 - elevators are for what?

It had been four days since Alex stopped talking to me. As much as his planned sounded like it would work, the talk in the office had basically doubled.

I groaned and woke up to Marks phone going off.
"Mark." I mumbled still half asleep. He ignored me, as he laid facing away from me still sleeping.
"Mark!" I shouted, my hand pushed his shoulder and he flipped over, grabbing my neck and pushing me to the mattress, his hand tightening on my neck making me cry out I couldn't breathe anymore, he was choking me. He suddenly realized what he was doing and let go. He picked up his phone and walked out of the room. I sucked in a deep breath as tears streamed down my face.
He came back into the room and put his finger to his mouth, reminding me that we still had company.
"You just choked me!" I screamed feeling the impact of my yelling when his fist punched me right across the face. I crumpled onto the ground feeling a sob come up.
"How could you?" I mumbled staring up at him with watery eyes. He glanced away and left the room.
I want to leave so bad, run away, never come back- but he'll find me and he'd do so much worse to me.
I cried and lifted my delicate fingers to my cheek, it was so tender.
"I'm not covering it up." I called out hoping he heard. He did. Mark came strolling back into the room, his fake smile fading to a glare.
"You know both your friends are awake down there." He said angrily.
"I'm. Not. Covering. This. Up." I said sternly as I stared at him.
"Yes you are." He grabbed my arm and yanked me into the bathroom where my makeup is situated.
"Makeup, now."
"No."
He slapped me across the face making me cry out.
"Makeup!" He shouted.
"Okay." I mumbled staring down at my concealers and foundations.
I rubbed it over the forming bruise marks on my neck. It was eerie how clear it was. Just from those bruises you could make out a hand.
I grimaced and covered them up the best I could.
.
"Now when I said there was talk befo, there's a whole tonna talk now." Foster said as we walked into the elevator.
"I know." I mumbled.
"Why you seem so sad? Is it a bad thing?" He asked, I glanced over at him.
"Isn't it?"
"I wouldn't say so." He shrugged.
"But I'm sure it is."
"Why? Don't ya like Mr. Harrison?" He smirked as we rode up the elevator. My cheeks reddened and I gasped,
"No!"
"Yes ya do!"
"No I don't." I mumbled. The elevator made a loud noise causing us both to jump.
"Well whateva, you can make up all the excuses y'all want."
I rolled my eyes and the elevator stopped and Foster got out. Alex was waiting on the other side but once he saw me, he pressed the elevator button again, hoping for the next one to come up. I grimaced at him, noting the stares from the people around the office.
"Would you just get in already?" I rolled my eyes. He copied me and walked in. I scratched the itch on my neck.
"I'm going up, what number?" I glanced at him. He ignored me and pressed the number himself.
"Really? Your ignoring me? That's pretty mature." I said sarcastically. He leaned against the wall, situating himself as far away from me in this tiny confined space as possible.
As the elevator rode up slowly it came to a jolting halt. Loud screeching noises came from the metal above and the lights turned off. After half a second or two the emergency lights flickered on giving the room a red tint.
I blinked feeling the nausea leave once I knew we weren't falling to the ground but Alex on the other hand was, well the opposite.
Colour drained from his face as he stared at me in disbelief.
"Wait What?" He frowned, disoriented.
"Alex, we're fine. Elevator just broke down."
He raked his hands through his hair and banged on the elevator door.
"Help!" He yelled. I rolled my eyes,
"They won't be able to hear you."
"W-why?" He stuttered clutching at his chest.
"Because we're past the main three cubicle levels, there's like 95% of the people in this building below us.
He nodded as he paced around the elevator his breathing started to pick up. I noticed now that he was well past worried.
"Hey, we're fine." I said to Alex but he ignored me.
"M-my chest- my heart? S-something does-doesn't feel right," he winced while pulling at his shit.
"I-I think-k I'm having a h-heart at-attack." He gasped for air. His back was against the elevator doors as he sat down.
"Are you sure?" I frowned still opposite areas of the elevator from him.
"I'm s-s-s-" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Suffocating. Th-the air it isn't w-working." He said quietly.
"I'm dy-dying. Theres some-something wrong w-with me!" He stared up at me his eyes desperate.
"Your not." I told him as I sat down beside him.
"I-i-I am." Alex wiped his eyes and looked away so I couldn't see him. He stood up and walked over to the other corner and sat down.
His eyes and cheeks were red, his hair fell in front of his face.
He gasped for air, his face wincing.
"It's not-t working." He cried out while standing up again. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
He walked over to me and pulled me up. He held me tightly, his face buried in the crook of my neck.
His body shook and he hugged me tighter.
I was stunned. The man he portrayed, and the man he was were so different. Yet I liked them both. He acted stone cold and mad, yet this six foot and something heck of an insanely gorgeous man was falling into my arms, weak and crying. Anxiety? Maybe was obviously tormenting him. He loosened his hold on me. As his breaths became nicer he became awkward and rigid. He pulled away, his eyes adverted.
"Are you o-"
"I'm fine." He mumbled. His cheeks were a deep red.
"Alex."
But something else had stunned him now. He stared at me, his lips parted and his eyes widened. His hand lifted up to his neck and I instantly felt nauseous.
"What?" I asked quickly.
He gulped and walked closer to me, I took a step back. He took a step forward, and kept pressing on me till my back hit the wall.
"What.." his voice trailed off as his fingers touched my neck.
"Happened?" He asked.
"Nothing." I said defensively.
"Is it noticeable?" I asked, he shrugged.
"No, not overly. I just was close up."
He brought his hands up to his mouth obviously in shock of what he had seen. I wished he hadn't seen it. I wished.
"Who?" He asked still not making a lot of sense since the elevator stopped.
I stared at him silently.
"Who? Please tell me! who did this?" He pleaded desperately. I let out a sob.
"I'll kill him. I'll kill him with my bare hands." Alex said, angry.
"Alex." I hushed as tears now streamed down my cheeks. He grabbed me again and pulled me into his embrace. He smelled so good. Like a nostalgia almost smell. I adored his warm and comfort.
I felt so safe in his arms, like mark wouldn't be there to hurt me.
"What happened to you just now?" I asked nervously cutting the silence. He took a deep breath.
"It's not important." He sighed.
"Okay." I mumbled. He pulled away.
"Are you serious?" He asked his green eyes staring into mine.
"Yeah. I mean it's your thing not mine. I'm here for you though." I said trying to hint that I didn't want him to ask about the bruise on my neck again.
He stared at me in disbelief.
And then pressed him lips against mine.
I melted to the touch. He smiled into the kiss making me laugh but not break it. He pushed me up against the door of the elevator, his lips pushing against mine passionately. Desperately it felt like we were making up for lost time. His hips dug into mine, his hands cupping my smiling face. And suddenly the doors opened. I fell onto the ground and Alex on top of me.
My eyes met his panicked ones as he looked up at the large crowd of employees.
He coughed awkwardly as he stood up. His hand reached out to mine pulling me up.
The crowd looked just as stun. Alex blushed and pulled his hand through his hair.
"Sorry we were stuck in the elevator, but it's not a spectacle- get back to work." He said instantly switching his boss voice on.
His lips matched my berry lipstick and I could only imagine what mine looked like.
He chuckled and cracked a small smile.
But I knew once the word of the elevator incident got out he wouldn't be smiling and I'd be long gone.