Predator 156

Three weeks since everything went to hell, and I could barely remember how I’d made it through them. Work has swallowed me whole, meetings, reports, numbers, faces that I didn’t care to remember. All of that just blurred into one huge stretch of nothingness.

I hadn’t thought of him much. Or at least that’s what I try to tell myself.

But there would be silence between tasks, those rare moments where I could take a break, and my thoughts would wander and stray. I would find myself glancing at the clock, wondering what he was doing, if he had eaten, if he was getting enough sleep, if he still hated me, if the wounds I had inflicted on him were still fresh, if he regretted showing me that look of hurt that day.

And every time I thought of him, the gap in my chest would widen and I would grow more hollow.

I have lost him, and I have also lost Gianna. Just when I had her as my friend, I lost her. She took what happened that day personally, and it made me wonder, “Has she gone through something like that?”

But I couldn’t bring myself to ask her when she wouldn’t even look at me.

Lucia said keeping busy would help. Maybe she was right. I was still standing, wasn’t I? I was still breathing, still showing up. Even though… even though lately, doing those felt like a chore.

I thought I had hit rock bottom before; I thought I froze mid–step, my heel hovering over the marble floor as her words sank in.

Voucher S

I could feel my pulse hammering under my skin. We were just talking about him a minute ago, so what was

this reaction?

“You’re shaking,” Gianna noted, her tone careful. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ find⁂novel.net

I was. I was really shaking. Why? What the fuck was happening?

a little lighter.

“You’re not ready to face him,” Gianna answered the unspoken question and my head got a

I turned to her slowly. “You think?”

She nodded. “With the way he left earlier, it’s only normal that you’re feeling this way. That means you feel something towards him.”

“Of course I do,” I said, my voice rising, and Gianna looked… pleased.

“Good. You don’t have to talk to him. In fact, I’ll advise you not to talk to him today.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Who knows what might come out of your mouth? You might hurt him again.”

That kinda hurts but when she puts it like that, there was nothing I could say.

“So just play it cool today,” Gianna advised and I nodded. “Playing it cool is playing it safe.”

I nodded again, turning and walking into the room, praying that Kade wouldn’t be inside yet.

My prayer was answered for once. When I entered, there weren’t any good–looking wall of ice with an intimidating gaze. The few people there stood up when I got in and we exchanged greetings, my smile painted, my lips saying nice words even though I wasn’t even hearing myself.

I walked to the head of the table, trying not to appear too tense.

Play it cool, she’d said. Play it safe.

could do that. I’d been doing that my entire life, so why then does it suddenly feel impossible?

The door opened and my head snapped up, but then I cursed myself for not being able to maintain my cool.

My heart almost dropped when Kade walked in.

His head was down, his eyes fixed on the paper in his hand, his eyebrows furrowed. He was without his jacket, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing those powerful, tanned arms. His tie was also loosened.

He didn’t look like the man who always made sure his tie was right, nor does he look composed. Instead, he