Last Night

Part 22

Author's Note: This chapter gets a little "intense" towards the end so feel free to skip over it if you'd prefer.

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By Tuesday, the rash on my hand had mostly disappeared and the flowers were starting to wither; but Ian still never showed up.

What had started off as concern for his safety transformed into fury at his irresponsible vanishing and my restless nights.

I'd kept waking at the slightest noise and it was turning me into a zombie at work. Snapping at Trish when she asked to borrow something was only the start. I did my best to keep to myself since I knew I was being irrational, but I failed more than I wanted to.

That wasn't the only issue I had either. There was this ghost of a breath at the back of my neck every day and I couldn't figure out why. When I found myself alone at several of those times, a chill struck so strong it shook me to my core. Glancing around never relieved it, but I felt compelled to search for something as the catalyst of this fear.

My hand slowly cupped my cheek, the mysteriously bruised one that had long since healed. I never did figure out what had caused that. After blinking a few times, my computer screen blurred before my eyes and I saw a coffee table with papers neatly displayed across it. Blotches of my old favorite color of blue smeared across my vision, wiping out everything else.

Something brushed my shoulder and I jumped, nearly ripping my wired mouse out of the computer and knocking loose my earphones.

"Shit, Nicole, chill out. It's just me." Janiel's hushed voice broke through my music. "Geez, what's with the creepy piano music?"

I pulled out the other earphone now and realized how loud the music was compared to the eerily quiet office.

"I don't know. It just came up in the queue and I was too focused to change it," I said, tapping the save button and then pausing the music. "Where is everybody?"

Her raised brow and slightly sassy frown made me glance back at my computer screen for the time. The numbers stared back at me, 5:52 PM.

"Oh, wow. I had no idea it was so late." I barely stopped myself from mindlessly scratching at my slightly irritated hand again. "What are you still doing here?"

"Same as you, I assume. Working. Shouldn't you be getting home to your boyfriend?"

I guess her snarkiness was deserved. I'd snapped at her too today over nothing and maybe yesterday. "How did you hear about that? Nevermind, it doesn't matter. He's not my boyfriend."

"Not anymore, it seems. I wouldn't want a bitchy girlfriend either." She leaned against the wall of my cubicle and watched me. She wasn't holding anything back today. Damn, I must've really pissed her off.

"No, what I mean is that we're not official or anything. I haven't seen him all week so we haven't been able to clarify anything."

"Well, maybe what you need is a nice, quiet night together with him to clear your mind. You know, I've heard that'll do wonders for moodiness."

"Yeah," I faltered, glancing up at her. Was she jealous or just sick of my behavior? "That'd be great if he ever showed up."

"Well, maybe he'll be back now. Staying at work all night isn't going to help you see him either." She stood up and walked back over to her space to grab her purse. "I'm leaving so I figured I ought to snap you out of your head. Go home, get laid, and come back in a better mood tomorrow."