A Broken Forever(20)

       
         
       
        

I gulped, trying to regain some control. "How did you find me?"

"Right before I was pulled back into the car, someone said 'call an ambulance' and I knew they'd bring you to the closest one. Then I called repeatedly, waiting for information on if you were okay after you fell. I even pretended to be your brother, and then once I found out what was wrong I called the billing department and told them I would pay it all."

"But why would you do that?"

He smiled and looked towards his feet. "Because I knew you'd come here and yell at me. I had to see you again."

"Oh," I muttered out. I was hardly able to form a complete thought, while in the back of my mind I knew I needed to wake up and get away.

"And now, here you are." We looked into each other's eyes and any warning faded away. I was undoubtedly being pulled into something I never before dreamed would come around again. The tenderness, warmth and the life we shared; I had shoved all of this to the dark depths of my heart, and all were beginning to emerge and in the process was tearing a gash right through my wall, protecting me from falling once again.

A knock on the office door echoed through the silence in the room. The door cracked open a bit as the red-headed receptionist poked her head in.

"Um … Mr. Harrison? I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time for your lunch meeting." The woman's timid voice filled the room, while Stefan's eyes glared holes right through her. This interruption was just what I needed to remind myself of the reason why I was here. It also made me hate everything about the past two minutes.

What the hell was I thinking?

"I'll be there in a minute." His voice commanded, firmly ending anything else this woman may have wanted to add.

"I need to go." I said, the venom slowly slipped into my tone as I was no longer amused by any of this.

I quickly turned to head toward the still open door, but Stefan's fingers locked tight around my upper arm. I knew I wasn't going anywhere, but I felt my rage returning. I wanted to depart before I made an even bigger fool of myself.

"Hold on, Grey." Stefan said, before returning his attention to the woman standing at the door. The way her eyes were fixated on the hold he had on my arm. The way her cheeks reddened and lips pursed made me suddenly feel as if I was the third wheel in this room-not her.

They had been together before and it was written all over her jealous face.

"You can leave now, Amanda," Stefan demanded. Amanda turned on her heel and slammed the door shut behind her. The instant we were alone again I yanked my arm free and spun around to stare into Stefan's face once again. 

"I mean it Stefan-stay out of my life. I don't need your help or your charity. So just leave me alone-go back to pretending I don't exist."

He held his hands up and took a cautious step towards me as I backed away for a chance to clear my mind.

"I could never pretend you didn't exist, Greyson Rose."

"Well try. I'm happy, Stef. I have a great job, friends, family and a fiancé who loves me and whom I love dearly." As if on cue he glanced towards the ring on my finger.

For just a moment there was a flash of something before his cool, unfazed façade was put into place. It was only an instant, but I swore he was jealous. "Congratulations, now I need to get going to a lunch meeting before I lose yet another account because I'm distracted by you."

My jaw dropped, no way, he was not blaming me for that! "That was not my fault, Stefan! This is exactly why we need to not have anything to do with each other. Thank you for paying the medical bills, but you will be receiving a check to pay you for the costs."

Stefan grabbed something behind his desk and shoved it into a briefcase and came back my way. "Let's go."

His hand fanned out at the small of my back, leading us toward the elevator, past a glaring Amanda. "Have a cab waiting for Ms. Desmond once we get downstairs," he called back over his shoulder as the elevator doors closed.

"How did you know I needed a cab?" Stefan's lips pulled up a little at the corner; a great deal of amusement was gone from his face.

"I run a security business, Greyson Rose. It's my job to know who is walking into my building and their mode of transportation."

"Oh, well, I suppose." The air between us grew tense. Nothing about this was normal, and in the same few minutes I felt awkward, embarrassed and incredibly down. Basically-I was a wreck.

We stood in silence, the elevator doors slid open and once again Stefan's hand was at the small of my back. A doorman that I hadn't noticed earlier smiled at the two of us.