“Okay, I will stay.” He nods slowly. “Is there anything that you need me to do while I’m here? I don’t really like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing while you’re working your ass off…”
“Oh, well if you want to clean my place top to bottom, feel free.” I smirk playfully. “If not, just chill. Make yourself at home. Eat what you want, use the TV, shower, whatever. I don’t mind. Whatever you need…”
Once upon a time that would have gone without saying, but I guess we are in a slightly different place now. The last six years have changed things. It isn’t possible to go back to what we once were. But we can move forwards, I hope.
“Right, I will see you later.” I smile and move backwards, about to start the walk to work. I can walk it most of the time, or take the bus when I’m running late. It’s only when Ted was injured that I forked out for a cab because walking wasn’t possible and public transport would have been a nightmare. But today, I’m walking. I need the space. I’m hoping that the walk will clear my head because I am bound to face a million questions from my coworkers today about the tall dark handsome stranger I brought in the other night.
Not to mention, not just dropping him off, but sitting with Ted all night long in the place that I work is bound to cause gossip. Particularly from my best friend, Alex, she has no filter when it comes to anything.
I hope that the police weren’t looking for Ted, because then I might find myself in a really sticky situation. If that’s the case, Alex will tell me and then I will deal with it. My boss might even make me speak to the cops even though I have nothing to say. I won’t even be able to say anything, I literally know nothing, but it’ll leave me feeling guilty as all hell. I mean, I do know about his family business, I do know that there is something illegal, but I don’t know details.
I’m supposed to be walking my anxiety off, but I seem to be making myself a hundred times worse. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I such a mess? Thank God I’m getting close so I can find out if anything is going on.
“Alex!” I catch my best friend in the parking lot stepping out of her car. Thank God. “Alex, look up.”
She waves at me and smiles, which isn’t the look she has when she has gossip swirling through her heart. She was at work yesterday so if there was anything to be heard, she would know it, wouldn’t she?
I pick up the pace, and I grab her in for a hug. I nearly knock her backwards. She takes a minute to hug me back. “What is going on?” she gasps.
“I don’t know.” I pull back and let out an awkward laugh. “Sorry, I’m weird.”
“It’s because of the guy, isn’t it?” She nods knowingly. “The one who crashed his bike or something. I heard about that. I also heard that he might be someone you already know.”
Wow, word gets around fast. At least right now she doesn’t know that he is staying in my house. I would rather be the one to deliver that news myself. That way I can make sure that it doesn’t get blown out of proportion.
“Er yeah, something like that. Shall we go and get some coffee before we talk?”
I can practically feel Alex’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my head.
Alex and I make our way to the break room and we grab some of the crappy coffee. We make sure that we’re in the corner of the room where no one can overhear us before I start explaining everything. Honestly, as nerve wracking as it is to get all of this out in the open, it’s also a relief. I need advice and fast.
“Okay, so the guy in the accident used to live next door to me. He was my best friend and obviously as we grew up, I fell head over heels in love.” I laugh to try and diffuse the tension. “But just as we were about to get together, he left to work in the family business.”
“Was forced, or chose to?” She cocks a knowing eyebrow at me. Her words sting but this is why I always trust Alex’s advice, she doesn’t let me get away with anything. She is honest and demands the truth.
“Chose to, I guess, although I do think he felt like he had no choice. I’m not sure.” I shrug helplessly. “I don’t know what sort of business it is exactly, but I was always given the impression that it wasn’t exactly legal…”