As I stepped into my apartment, the messy state of my bedroom made me groan.
Clothes were scattered across the bed, remnants of the morning’s frantic preparations for work.
Too exhausted to deal with the chaos, I trudged to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, my mind still spinning from the events of the day.
In the bathroom, as I splashed water on my face, my reflection in the mirror caught my attention. The stress of the past few days had taken its toll, and the fatigue showed on my face.
As I looked closer, packing my hair into a bun, my gaze lingered on the scar on my forehead, the remnant of the accident that had changed my life.
My hand drifted to the mark, tracing its contours as my thoughts drifted to that day, the pain and heartbreak still fresh in my mind.
My hand slid down to my stomach, a reflexive gesture of the maternal instincts I once harbored, now only a distant memory.
“I’m sorry my baby,” I whispered, the words a ghostly echo in the silence of the bathroom. “Mummy couldn’t protect you.”
Tears stung the corners of my eyes as I stared into the mirror, grappling with memories that seemed to drown out everything else.
But there was no time for tears, I had to get myself together.
Quickly, I gathered my hair into a bun, tucking it securely out of my face.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I assessed my new room.. a beautiful space filled with the luxuries and comforts,had everything I needed.
The bed was soft and comfy with pink and blue sheets, the blue dressing table and wardrobe were also equally beautiful, the paintings, curtains, it was literally amazing!
The company had been generous, almost too generous.
As I was about to begin the task of tidying up, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
The sound made me jump, my mind flashing back to Tyler’s call earlier that evening.
My heart raced, but when I pulled out my phone, I saw Annie’s name on the screen, and my shoulders sagged in relief.
Swiping to answer, I brought the phone to my ear.
“Annie?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Sam! Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you all day!” Annie’s voice, as usual, was loud enough to burst an eardrum. “Are you okay? What’s going on? Why haven’t you been answering?”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see it.
“I’m fine, Annie,” I reassured her. “I’ve just had a busy day.”
“Busy, huh?” She asked, “Well,” Annie continued. “You better be ready to spill all the details. I want to know everything! Especially about the hot new boss you told me about.”
Hot new boss?? My brows furrowed in confusion at first then it dawned on me.
“Oh, right,” I said, mentally cursing myself for sending that text to Annie earlier.
I texted her that afternoon, telling about my new boss offering to take me out on my first day?! What was I thinking to have added the fact that he was hot.. urgggggh
I could practically hear Annie’s eyes light up with excitement, even through the phone.
“Sam, you sneaky little thing! You’ve got the CEO all hot and bothered on your first day? You know you have to tell me everything!”
I rolled my eyes, heat rising to my cheeks. “It wasn’t like that, Annie!” I protested. “He was just being nice, showing me around.”
“Oh, come on!” Annie wheedled. “You can’t expect me to believe that! Give me the juicy details!”
I could feel my face heat up even more, and I tried to distract myself by flopping onto my bed.
“I’m not telling you anything!” I insisted, burying my face in a pillow to hide my blushing cheeks.
“That’s it, I’m coming over!” Annie announced.
I laughed out louder than I intended. “You're coming over to London??”
Annie let out a laugh too. “Don’t be so dramatic, Sam! I was joking. You know how hard it is for me to even get time off work!”
I let out a breath of relief, but Annie wasn’t letting me off the hook just yet.
“So, tell me.” She insisted, her voice suddenly serious. “Is he just being nice, or is there something more to it?”
My lips twitched in a small, unwilling smile. Leave it to Annie to poke you till you talk.
“There’s not much to tell,” I said, my voice slightly muffled as I started folding my clothes into the wardrobe. “He’s my boss, that’s it.”
Annie made a sound somewhere between a hum and a skeptical grunt. “Hmm, sure. But at least it gives you something to distract yourself from all the Tyler drama, right?”
The mention of his name made my heart skip a beat.
I paused mid-fold, trying not to let it show. “Yeah,” I replied softly, more to myself than to her. “It’s a good distraction.”
I was about to let my friend in on the unexpected call from Tyler when her voice came on first.
“Speaking of Tyler,” Annie continued, her tone suddenly more cautious, “he came over to my store today.”
I froze. “He what?” My voice came out sharp, panic slicing through the casual vibe we’d had seconds ago.
Annie hesitated for a moment. “Yeah… He came by. Said he wanted to talk.”
“He came over to your store??” I repeated, my mind racing.
Wait, he's even stalking me now??