the ceo - h.s. [au]

chapter 53

after crying until dawn, i fell asleep on the floor by my apartment door. i got woken up by knocks from the door. trying to open my heavy eyes, i sigh remembering last night, feeling like i want to cry again. the person by the door is still knocking, but i just lay still on the floor facing my apartment roof.

why am i still alive? i ask myself, cursing mentally.

"scarlette, are you okay?" i hear cole from outside. "please, open the door!" he sounds panic.

i inhale deeply before raising to a sitting position and look around my apartment; my things are still all over the floor and i see that kenzo has been sleeping on the floor right next to me. i smile to myself weakly knowing that there's at least one loyal thing with me. i get up from my spot and walk slowly to the refrigerator and grab a half empty bottle of gin from inside. drinking straight from the bottle, i walk to the door to let cole in who keeps banging on the door. the drink doesn't even burn my throat anymore, it feels relaxing and i feel like drinking it until i pass out or even slip into something more comfortable.

like a coma.

"scarlette, holy fuck!" cole almost shrieks as soon as he sees me, staring at me up and down.

"good morning, cole," i lazily answer before taking another sip from the bottle.

i turn around to change my clothes inside my bedroom and perhaps wash my face. cole closes the door behind slowly, still remaining silent. i check on the clock by my bedroom nightstand and see it shows 4.57pm on a sunday. after that, i change into my pyjamas, put down my bottle and go the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.

done cleaning myself, i grab the bottle of gin from my nightstand and make my way to the living room again where cole's been waiting for me. he just stares at me calmly, waiting for me to sit as i keep drinking from my bottle.

"who did you go home with?" he asks, seeming solicitous with kenzo on his lap.

something about kenzo makes my stomach churn suddenly.

oh, yeah, his father is a fucking dick.

i wipe my mouth, "alone. i took a walk. the weather was nice."

"how are you?" he asks. i feel like laughing, but i can't.

i devour another sip and decide to ask him back, "how is he?"

"we found him sitting against a wall of a coffee shop," cole answers truthfully.

i nod, "pretty bizarre, i must say." i answer before drinking again. "how was the party?"

"finished not long after the two of you left. his parents thought you two took a walk or drove around somewhere. gemma wouldn't stop saying sorry knowing the demage she's caused after you left and finding out his brother disoriented on the street," he explains.

"it wasn't her fault."

"it wasn't yours either." he suddenly says.

"it surely wasn't mine." i state in a cold tone.

"harry's fault?" cole asks. i scoff. "i'm sorry to brought it up. how are you?"

i shrug, "see it yourself," i offer, "other than that, i'm better now."

"are you really?" he asks again, making sure.

i just lean on the couch, taking another sip and thinking if i should buy another bottle all to myself. swallowing the liquor down my throat, my mind travels back to last night's incident.

"flabbergasted is not enough to explain how i felt when harry said he's gonna bring you here!" gemma says, laughing.

i look at her with wide smiles, "what did he say?"