Chapter 15 Gossips at the Site
I pulled back quickly, my heart beating fast.
“This is where the mistake is,” I said too quickly, pointing at a blank space on the drawing.
He smirked.
“That’s a blank space,” he said.
“Oh,” I said, my voice barely audible.
“I’m trying so hard not to cross a line, you know?” he murmured.
“So am I,” I admitted before I could stop myself.
I quickly turned away and fixed my gaze on the drawing.
We moved closer as the work continued, leaning over the same table.
Our shoulders brushed accidentally countless times, and every time our hands touched, I felt something within me… more like a crazy spark.
“Focus, Joan,” I murmured under my breath.
At one point, I reached across the table to grab a sheet. Alex reached for the same thing at the same time and our fingers tangled up.
“Sorry,” I said as I removed my hand.
“Don’t be,” he replied with a wink.
I scoffed and fixed my gaze on the drawing again.
Soon afterward, we finished the correction and packed up our things.
“Thanks so much for today,” I said sincerely.
“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, smiling.
We locked up the site and walked towards our different cars.
By the time I got home, I was already exhausted.
Thankfully, my brother had cooked for me. So I just ate, took a cold soothing bath, and slept.
The next morning, I woke up to Alex’s message which he had sent the night before.
“I hope you aren’t too stressed. Don’t forget to take a cold bath. I remember that you like taking a cold bath after a long stressful day.”
“He sure remembers,” I said with a smile and got out of bed.
I took my bath and set out for work as usual.
“Just before I forget, I saw your ex’s mother at the airport the day I arrived,” Theo said as he escorted me to the car.
“Mrs. Hart?” I asked for confirmation.
“Yes… If I had seen her with her son… I would have landed one or two blows on his cheek,” he said, almost too serious.
“You can’t do that,” I said firmly.
“Why would you get physical with someone way older than you?”
“He deserves it, sis,” he said, his brows furrowed.
“With blows? From you?” I smirked.
“Don’t delay me with Alex’s matter this early morning,” I added, starting the car and zooming off.
I checked my rear mirror and he stood there, looking at my car until it was out of sight.
When I got to the site, the energy felt off.
I felt it.
And I noticed the moment I stepped onto the site.
All eyes were on me as I stepped out of my car. They were all in groups, murmuring and giving me those judgmental stares.
They didn’t stop talking when I approached them, they just lowered their voices.
Some took their eyes off me quickly when I looked in their direction.
I adjusted my helmet and walked forward like I hadn’t noticed, but the stares followed.
“What’s going on?” I muttered under my breath.
I stopped near the drafting table and placed my bag down slowly.
“Good morning,” I said to a group of workers near me.
“Good morning,” one of them replied, a little too quickly.
Another one just nodded.
No one looked at me.
I pulled out my clipboard, trying to focus, but their gazes made me feel so uncomfortable.
Their murmurs were clearer now.
“… obvious, if you ask me.”
“… that’s why he defended her like that.”
“… I saw her going home in his car the other day.”
“I knew it.”
They didn’t care if I was listening now or not.
Just then, someone brushed past me, and the clipboard I was holding fell down.
“Oh… sorry,” the girl said, not sounding sorry.
“Mrs. Hart, I guess,” she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.
“What?” I said as I stared at her.
“Why do you look shocked?” she asked, her brows lifted slightly.
“I don’t understand,” I replied.
“Well…” she hesitated, then shrugged like it wasn’t her problem.
“There’s news going around that you and Alex are together.”
“Together? How?” I asked, just to make her explain.
“Dating. Apparently,” she replied.
“That’s ridiculous,” I scoffed.
“That’s not true.”
She gave me a look that said sure and walked away.
“So this is what all this is about? Dating?” I looked around and returned my gaze to my clipboard.
After a moment, I looked up and saw Alex walking toward the site.
Their gazes followed him too, but his eyes found mine immediately. He looked at me as if he were sorry.
“Glad he noticed,” I scoffed and looked away.
I straightened my shoulder, picked up my clipboard, and walked away before he could reach me.
If the rumor was going to spread, I wouldn’t be the one feeding it.
Throughout the day, he kept wanting to talk to me but I kept pulling away.
Meanwhile, the workers didn’t stop talking about me, and their gaze kept following me everywhere I went.
By the time work ended, I just wanted to go home and breathe.
I didn’t know yet that the worst part of my day was still waiting for me outside the site.
I stepped into my car and drove off onto the streets.
I was almost at the pedestrian crossing when I heard a sudden screech.
Behold, a car had hit me at my side. It bumped into my side, hard enough to make me lose balance. I stumbled back, my heart thumping as if it was ready to explode.
“Hey!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as I carefully parked my car.
The car zoomed past me and stopped right in front of mine.
I opened the car door and stepped out, ready to yell again.
Then the man stepped out.
Every word I had prepared to say vanished immediately.
For a moment, I couldn’t even blink.
He straightened slowly, and as if time itself had slowed down just to mock me, our eyes met.
“What in the world…”