The Journey To Paradise.

Chapter 25

"You?!" Chris sputtered angrily, glaring at Reggie with widely opened eyes. "What are you doing here?! Are you stalking me?!" He asked incredulously becoming more agitated when Reggie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, get off your high horse!" She scolded rudely, folding her arms in a confrontational stance. "I should be the one asking you what you're doing here, you're the one who appeared in front of William's door after all."

Chris turned to William angrily. "Do you know her?" He watched as William looked on in confusion, muttering a soft "Yeah."

William cleared his throat and tried to be more focused. "Chris, this is Reggie, the wifey... or at least she used to be... and Reggie this is Chris Ayettey, my partner and very good friend."

"Oh fuck." The two simultaneously whispered to William's increasing bafflement. "What's going on guys?" He looked from one to the other. "Do you know each other?"

Reggie pulled her gaze away from the sexy stranger she had now come to learn was her ex fiance's friend. She cleared her throat absentmindedly. "Well... uh it's a long story, and I promise I'll tell you later... but for now I've got to go, I'm running late."

"But what's the rush? You didn't say you had to be anywhere this quickly." William stated much to Reggie's irritation. "Are you escorting me downstairs or not? Because I know my way out after all." She snapped, striding towards the elevator without so much as a glance at Chris, William closely on her heels. He turned to his friend and mouthed, "Wait for me in my office, I'll be right back."

Chris settled heavily in the chair facing William's desk. He couldn't really describe how he was feeling,

all he knew was that, he hadn't been the same after the incident two weeks ago.

He felt so bad, and that feeling was causing him to be distant with Louisa and everyone else. She had called in the first week to check up on him, but after his dull, seemingly angry tone and one worded answers, she had stopped. Chris guessed it was to give him space and that made him feel much worse.

He knew he hadn't technically done anything wrong but the feeling still gnawed at his bones... and now he had gone after William's ex...

True, he didn't know who she was, but he had been super close to breaking the bro code.

William closed the door softly behind him and strode to his desk. "What's up with you, man?" He asked when he was seated.

Chris sighed. There was no way he was going to tell his friend about what had happened... it was definitely going to ruin his chances with Louisa, plus he didn't know how the man was going to take the news. Chris found it very funny how he always ended up with someone William had been with but oh well, at least it hadn't been a voluntary action on his part.

"It's honestly just some work shit man, nothing to worry about really." He lied.

William raised an eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat. He could tell his friend wasn't being completely honest but he thankfully didn't press on. Instead he told his friend about how Louisa had finally agreed for him to meet his daughter and how he was going to attend her musical the following day.

Chris took in the happiness that radiated off his friend in torrents...

And that's when it hit him.

He was trying to get in between  a family with his love for Louisa.

He could tell the woman had feelings for his friend...

that she had feelings for him as well too, and he realised then that his presence in their life wasn't going to make her decision making process easy.