The Love We Deny ✔️ [COMPLETED]

Chapter 27 - Revelations

Today had been a long day, Sandra had back-to-back meetings and each time she'd invited me to sit in with her. She would ask me for my opinion before starting her own. The meetings were tiresome, but that wasn't the issue. The constant pressure of answering the right thing was draining my energy like a hole in a bathtub.

"Well, aren't you peachy," Freddy teased as I placed my food tray beside his in the cafeteria.

"You have no idea, Sandra is putting me on the spot twice an hour, I feel like at any time I'm going to mess up and she's just going to lock me away and never speak to me again," I shared.

"Now aren't you a tad bit dramatic," he chuckled.

"No," I deadpanned, before chuckling myself.

Freddy had this goofy aura around him that always made me want to smile and laugh. He'd cheered me up more times than I can count since I started here. Since Kyle mostly worked remotely, Freddy and I had become quite the pair. We'd sit together during lunch or breaks and talk about our lives and the gossip we'd heard in the office. Freddy always came up with the most absurd things, which somehow always turned up to be true.

"Fuck," I hissed bending my head down so that he wouldn't see me. Peter had just gotten his food and was now looking around for a place to sit. He normally ate much later so I hadn't expected to bump into him.

We hadn't crossed paths since that night in front of my apartment building. I'd avoided him at all costs in the office. I mean I didn't need a repeat to stay clear of this guy. Plenty of other fishes in the sea.

"What's wrong," Freddy asked after noticing my sudden change of attitude.

"Kat, how have you been?" Crap. I didn't have time to answer Freddy before the devil himself was standing right in front of me. I was glad the table between us was creating some space. My stomach twisted with unease as I looked up to face him.

"I've been good, you?" I asked feigning politeness while all this was awkward at best.

"Good, do you mind if I sit here?" he asked. His request seemed courteous and typical, but it had the blood in my veins run cold. NO! I wanted to scream, but I didn't want to make a scene.

"We're actually waiting on a few people, sorry," Freddy intervened. "But I'm sure you're team would love to sit with you, they have a spot at their table," he added pointing to a table further back.

"I see." Peter's jaw was tense like he was about to lash out at us. I prayed internally that he wouldn't lash out and attract attention because I really didn't need that today... or ever.

As he walked away, my body slowly started to relax. I hadn't even realized how anxious I had become.

"Now missy you've got some explaining to do," he said placing his hands on his hip. I rolled my eyes at his antics, before telling him what happened. He didn't even try to hide his surprise.

I hesitated for a long time to tell Freddy. Like I said earlier, he was a queen of gossip and I didn't want this to be the talk of the office. My name had stayed out of it so far and I wanted to keep it this way, but seeing as he'd helped me out today, it was only fair he knew why.

Later that evening, I was in the kitchen preparing some snacks with Marketa. She'd shown up in the afternoon. I didn't ask, I knew she was here because of the whole Alisson situation.

"Have you heard from him since your date?" Marketa said, wiggling her eyebrows at me suggestively.

"It wasn't a date," I answered automatically. "I mean I don't know about you, but I doubt going out with Sam's family counts as a date. I mean you do you but..." I trailed off teasingly.