Chapter 21 I WON'T GIVE UP
Lunch was awkward. Dashiell tagged along with us despite my warning not to do so, and that made Astrid so clumsy that she ended up throwing everything to the floor.
"I'm sorry," she apologized for the twentieth time since we arrived. Her gaze kept on the turned-over plate on the floor as the waiter on standby rushed over to our table to clean it up.
"It's okay. I will pay for the damages," Dashiell said, dropping a wad of cash on the table as he got up. "Let's change to the other table. It's vacant and -"
"I'm no longer hungry." I rose from the chair and turned to Astrid, who was trying not to make herself as small as she could. "Let's go."
"But you haven't had anything yet," Dashiell protested, reaching out to hold my arm, only to drop his hands to the side when I shot a dark glare at him. "Can't you at least have something before you go?"
"With you here, I doubt I will have the appetite to eat." I tugged Astrid up from the chair and led the scared woman out of the restaurant and towards the office. Dashiell didn't go after us like I guessed he would, something I was grateful for. The last thing I wanted was for him to run after us like an annoying housefly.
"Are you okay?" I asked Astrid the moment we arrived at the company. I didn't walk in, knowing she needed to calm her nerves, which were all over the place.
"I thought I would die in there," she confided, looking at me with eyes still fearful. It made me wonder what Dashiell must have done to ignite such fears in the eyes of his employees.
This was something I never did. Back in the States, I made certain my relationship was my workers was okay. We weren't that close, but I never gave them any reason to fear me. I gave a listening ear to them when necessary. But Dashiell was the opposite of that.
"I'm sorry," Astrid apologized, dragging my thoughts back to her. "I must have embarrassed you in there." She looked up, her eyes fearfully as she added, "I didn't mean to. I was just -"
"It's okay." I placed my right hand on her left shoulder, smiling down at her. Astrid reminded me of who I was 5 years ago, timid, scared of my husband, and always out to please, apologizing even when I did nothing wrong. I guess that was why we kicked it off after our first meeting.
"You are not angry?"
"Of course not."
She exhaled at my response. "Thank you very much, Miss Nova."
"My pleasure. Now, let's go for lunch at the office cafeteria." "That will be wonderful."
Dashiell didn't let out after that incident. He only gave me a day's grace before he resumed from where he stopped.
It got to the point where I pretended he was invincible most times, like when he ran after me after work. I ignored him and got into my car, driving off before he could stop me.
When I told Brion about it, he only asked me to ignore him. Yeah, he wasn't any help to me, despite being the reason I was back in Paris. He was busy with the projects he abandoned so he could take me back to Paris, and we hardly saw each other because he always arrived home late and left early before I could see him.
Though he made breakfast most of the time and set out my babies' school clothes before leaving, I couldn't help but miss him. Brion had been a constant in my life for the past five years, and I felt his absence more, even though we shared the same roof.
"Hello?"
Startled, I almost threw my desktop to the floor at the intrusion. Blinking, I looked up, into the smirking face of none other but Dashiell.
"Did I startle you?" He asked, plopping down on the chair opposite mine without lingering for me to invite him to do so, not that I would have done that.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded, trying not to look at his new haircut. I bet he was waiting for me to ask why he changed his haircut, and if it suited him. It did suit him. The pompadour fade haircut brought out the shine of his eyes, but you would never hear those words leave my lips.
Instead of focusing on him, I returned my gaze to my desktop at the recent design I had been working on for days. I felt there was more I could add to it. It felt like I needed to work more on it, something I was trying to grasp.
"Have you had lunch?"
"Not interested."
"Should I get coffee for you?"
"No."
"What about snacks?" He persisted, too stubborn to know I didn't wish to see him.
Sighing, I dropped the iPad on my desk and focused on him. "What do you want?"
"You." His reply was instantaneous. He didn't need to think about it, to rake his mind off any response before giving one. "I want you, Nova."
"What do you take me for, Dashiell? A whore like you unceremoniously called me?"
He winced at my words. "I didn't mean to call you that, Nova. I was just pissed at you, and -"
"That didn't give you any reason to degrade me!"
"I'm sorry." He lowered his head. "What do you want me to do? I will do anything if it means you get to forgive me."
"Get lost."
"Aside from that?"
"Go fuck yourself and leave me the damned alone!" I was getting fed up with the daily harassment and was just one step from obtaining a restraining order.
"Nova -"
"Get out of my office."
And he did so. I watched with a stunned expression on my face as he got up from the chair and walked towards the door without saying a word. However, before he stepped out, he turned to whisper,
his tone convinced as he uttered the words, "The more you try to chase me, the more eager I will be to claim you back, Nova. You are mine."
God.
What the hell has Brion gotten me into???