Thursday night, 11 pm. I sat in the car opposite her apartment block, the windows dark, not a hint of life. I had been here for three hours and nothing. As every minute passed by my rage grew uglier, slowly spreading to every part of me. My mind conjured up every possible place she could be staying and, of course, as the bitterness started eating away at me, I knew there would be nowhere else she would stay out this late on a Thursday night except for Julian’s.
The thought alone was like acid, burning my soul bit by bit. It wasn’t just her trust in question, it was mine as well. As long as he was living and breathing, she would run to him.
…
I waited outside her office building for a group to enter so I could sneak in. Nikki had warned me that security had been informed that I was not allowed to enter the premises, like that was going to stop me. As a group of men entered the revolving doors, I followed behind them hoping to get lost in the pool of navy suits. It worked, I thought when we reached the lifts. The doors opened as my name was being called. I ignored the sounds but unfortunately the door stayed open long enough for the two overweight security guards to enter.
“Mr. Edwards, you are not to enter these premises. Miss Mason was strict on her instructions,” the older one commanded.
The elevator crowd looked on, waiting for me to respond. I stood there watching the numbers on the screen light up. 5...9...11. Only two more floors.
“Mr. Edwards, we are asking you to leave before we call the police to escort you out,” the younger one now demanding I listen to his threat.
We arrived at level 13 and the doors opened. The security guards followed me with their empty threats. Seriously, these overweight chumps had no chance in hell of catching up with me. I entered her reception area to be greeted by an unfamiliar redhead at the front desk.
“May I help you?” she asked, confused by the security surrounding me.
“Mr. Edwards. Leave. Now.”
“I’m here to see Miss Mason.”
“Mr. Edwards, you are leaving us no choice.”
Emma walked into the lobby carrying a stack of papers to be greeted by the scene before her. “Lex?” she asked.
“Emma. I need to speak to Charlotte. Where is she?” I pleaded.
“I um…she is…um, not here.”
“BULLSHIT!” I yelled.
“Mr. Edwards, you were warned.”
Both security guards took my arms, pulling me out of the office. I threatened to sue the fuck out of them if they even thought they could continue to put their hands on me. The argument was broken up when Nikki walked outside demanding to know what was going on.
I begged her for information; she only had to take one look at me to see I was going crazy and she softened. The beast found her heart and asked me exactly what happened seven years ago.
I walked over to the window gazing at the city line. It was a memory that I had pushed away, made sure it was hidden in a spot that could no longer be found. The wound even seven years later was fresh and raw and I had never told this story to anyone, but if Charlotte wouldn’t listen to me then maybe her best friend would. Maybe she would understand that the night my life came crashing down was the same night it ended.
I stood there and told my story to her; it felt cathartic to finally get it off my chest. Every detail, every emotion, nothing left to spare; I was finally wrung out. She sat there watching me, watching my heart breaking. She watched as slowly I was no longer this rich thirty-year-old CEO but a vulnerable twenty-three-year-old guy who married his college girlfriend because it was easy and then fell in love with his sister’s best friend. She saw that this girl who had been in my life since I was fifteen was the only girl for me, the only one I wanted for the rest of my life.
When I left the building I wasn’t anywhere closer to where I wanted to be, in her arms holding her. I walked the streets lost, unable to gain any sort of direction with where I was going.
I had an important business meeting tomorrow night. Everything was ready to go and I was confident we could nail this. I looked over the contracts but noticed a section missing. Huh, that was odd, I was usually on top of this. I went over the paperwork again but still couldn’t locate it. Fuck! I didn’t like slipping up at work. I dialed Kate immediately even though it was after seven on a Friday night.
“Good Evening, sir.”
“Kate, where is the margin tables report for the Berkshire contracts?”
“It should be with your copy.”
“Well it isn’t, okay?”
“Then I have a copy with me. I can bring it tomorrow to the meeting.”
“No, I need it now. I’ll be at your suite in ten minutes.” I hung up my cell and grabbed my wallet, taking the next available cab.