"You're in love with her."
The familiar voice of Halle Mendez echoes through my ears as I look back at her.
I hadn't even noticed I was zoning out of our conversation; my focus had wandered off to Vanessa, as I watched her meeting with Becca from afar.
Halle searches my eyes, looking for a small clue that might solidify her assumption, but I don't want to let up that easy.
However, she's right and she knows it.
I exhale, slowly.
"It's true, isn't it?" Halle asks blatantly with a smile, her eyes wide as she awaits my response.
"What makes you so sure?" I query with a chuckle as we eat our meals in my office.
She brings her fork up to her mouth, and then slowly chews her food while she contemplates her reply.
"I see the way you look at her, and I also saw how you were with her yesterday," she begins with a full mouth, pointing her fork at me. "You're good for each other, but you need to tell her, because I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about you."
I look at her doubtfully.
"I love spending time with her, don't get me wrong, but I'm pretty sure that I'm just her rebound."
Halle glares at me as she takes a sip from her water flask.
"C'mon Chris. Think. Is Vanessa really the type of person you'd expect to have a rebound?" She quizzes, her mouth turning down into a frown.
I shake my head and smile, thinking back to the fun filled Saturday we shared together.
"No," I chuckle. "No, she's not."
***
It has to be perfect. I don't want to just randomly tell her that I love her; I need to have something planned. Maybe we could have dinner somewhere?
Somewhere nice, not a ski lodge bar like the first time.
We could go to the Sun Dial, and have dinner on the spinning platform with wine and chocolate covered strawberries, and anything else she'd like. Then, as the sun sets behind her, making her hair glow a rich amber color, I'll tell her.
I'll tell her that I love her.
But what if she doesn't love me back?
She just recently divorced, and I'm almost certain my feelings won't be reciprocated. Halle says they are, but what exactly does she know? Do girls really tell each other these things? I sure as hell don't tell Aaron this kind of shit.
Maybe I should wait until she says it to me first, that way I don't get myself into an undesirable position; like not being able to speak to her ever again.
Stop being such a pussy, my thoughts tell me.
It's mind blowing how three small words can change everything. Everything you thought was good, could easily turn into something amazing, or it could do a complete 180°, and turn into something painstakingly horrible.
I guess you never know until you do it.
I'll tell Vanessa that my feelings for her have evolved into something even I can't explain. This isn't like any other love I've experienced, this is true love; it's a cosmic shift in the universe that has brought our two paths to an intersection, and whether we decide to go down a new one together, or continue on our own separate ways is up to her. Because my feelings for Vanessa run deeper than anything I've ever felt before. I need her to be happy, and if that means she has to be with someone else, or even be on her own, I'll respect that.
Set her free, and if it's meant to be, she'll come back to you.
***
"I don't care if it was after you filed! You can't fuck your boss! Isn't that against company policy, anyway?"
A loud, angry voice echoes through the marble lobby, and I glance up from my paperwork.
That couldn't be about me, could it?
As I recognize the melodious voice that is Vanessa's pleading with the other, I come to the realization that it is about me.
Vanessa's ex, Jeremiah, stands before her. His tall frame towers over her short figure as he waves his arms back and forth between them, continuing to shout.
I arise from my office chair, and walk out into the lobby immediately. I want to make sure he doesn't do anything to actually hurt her.
"Jer, please. Just come into my office and we can speak about this in private," Vanessa says in a low tone.
She's embarrassed, as she should be, since Jeremiah insists on putting her private life on display in front of the entire office.
"V, I can call security. Jeremiah's testing my patience right now," Halle chirps from beside her.
Jeremiah glares at her, but it doesn't seem to phase Halle in the slightest. She gives him one last glare before strolling off to the front desk.
"So what, now you're embarrassed to be seen with me?" He addresses Vanessa again. "Maybe you should've told me that you fucked your boss!"
Low murmurs and whispers from the other employees in the office follow Jeremiah's insult.
I look around the lobby as I approach, the air tense with awkwardness. Hushed tones and head shakes accompany my presence as I enter the lobby, but none of it matters to me. The only thing I care about is Vanessa's safety, and Jeremiah doesn't seem to be too safety conscious at the moment.
"Why would you keep this a secret? Why not just tell me? Don't you think the father of your child should know these things?" Jeremiah is still speaking loudly, and this seems to make Vanessa even more upset.
Her eyebrows scrunch together, and she tightens her jaw.
"No, I don't," she begins truthfully. "You didn't communicate with me when you had an affair, and you still didn't even when I found out. By the way, the last time I checked, we are divorced! So none of this actually concerns you." Vanessa glances around the office at the onlookers, her cheeks turning a deep burgundy.
Jeremiah seems to be silenced by her response, but it doesn't calm him down in any way. He looks around the room, seeming to be searching for someone, before his eyes land on me. His nostrils flare as he notices my presence, and I can see the hatred he carries for me in his eyes like wildfire. He raises his arm, pointing a shaky finger in my direction, before he turns to look back at Vanessa.
"That's him, isn't it? Big shot CEO? Nice, Vanessa. Sleeping your way to the top, I see. Who else have you slept with in this office?" Jeremiah yells, looking around at everyone with his arms outstretched.
The line was crossed awhile ago, but this sends me over the edge. I take a couple of strides toward him, attempting to keep my composure.
"Alright, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. Security is on their way," I tell Jeremiah calmly, as I step in between him and Vanessa. I'm hoping he has the wits about him to do the right thing.
"I don't take orders from you," he sneers. He carries so much anger, it's a shock he hasn't lashed out yet.
"No! Jeremiah, don't!" Vanessa gasps from behind me.
My recent concerns are addressed shortly after, when Jeremiah reels his fist back and punches me right in the jaw.
—————————————————————
What did you think of this chapter? It was so sweet in the beginning, right? Lol I love crushing people's spirits 😈
Tell me your answers to these two questions in the comments:
1. Do you think Chris will finally confess his true feelings to Vanessa?
2. How do you think Jeremiah found out about Chris and Vanessa?
Don't forget to VOTE ⭐️
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For A Reason
ChickLit"I just thought..." I begin, flustered, not really sure where my words are headed. He shakes his head. "We can't," he states, removing my hand from his. "There are a million reasons why we can't." He runs a hand through his hair, seemingly frustrate...
