Page 93 of When The Night Falls

‘Hi, Ellie.’ I stood up and approached. ‘I’m all right, thanks. How are you?’

‘Excited to start your first day?’

‘I am.’ But also scared.

‘Good. Will usually arrives at eight, so we’ll have some time to get you settled before then.’

My heart raced at the thought of reuniting with William. How would he treat me now? Was he still upset with me or had he moved on?

‘Great,’ I said and took a steadying breath.

§ § §

Ellie had left my side for a minute while I was setting up the MacBook I would be using for work. Of course, that was when I saw him out of the corner of my eye.

I stopped breathing. My heart went berserk. It lashed out against my rib cage, beating so aggressively that I could feel my pulse thumping in my throat.

Inwardly I begged him not to notice me, as I could have used a few seconds to regain my composure, but judging from the direction of his travel, he already had. I turned my head to regard him properly, and I nearly sobbed at the view. My memory did him no justice at all. He was far more beautiful than I remembered.

For a moment, all I did was admire his elegance. Dressed in a beige suit, he carried himself so confidently, so gracefully, as if nothing could shake him.

He halted in front of my desk, his hypnotic blue eyes riveting me to the spot. I sat completely still, overcome with emotion. It was so strange to see him again.

‘Good morning,’ he greeted and gave a vague smile. I just barely managed not to shudder at the sound of his voice. I had almost forgotten how seductive it was.

I gulped, unsure if I could trust my vocal cords. ‘Good morning.’

He glanced over my desk, setting me free from his paralysing spell. ‘You’re here early.’

I forced a smile. ‘Ellie thought you might appreciate the efficiency, so she asked me to arrive at half seven.’

He nodded, his gaze elusive. ‘She knows me well.’

As I lowered my stare from his handsome face, I noticed he was carrying two cups of Starbucks coffee.

‘This one’s for you,’ he said and put the smallest on my desk.

I studied it, perplexed. He had bought me a coffee on his way to work? He had thought of me this morning? How often did I cross his mind? Part of me hoped it was often. Since he persisted in plaguing my mind, I wanted it to at least be mutual.

‘That was kind.’ I looked at him, uncertain. Had he bought me this to signify that he wanted to reconcile? Bury the hatchet and move on?

He shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘Flat white is your favourite, right?’

Surprised he remembered, I stared at him for some time, gathering myself. ‘It is, yes.’

He looked away, his lips twitching as if he was suppressing a smile. ‘Makes sense. It’s smooth, but powerful, just like you.’

My eyes widened while heat crept into my cheeks and crawled across my scalp.

Was he flirting? Or was he only trying to be nice?

He raised his coffee to his mouth and took a sip, still avoiding my eyes. ‘I suppose regular black suits me similarly – conservative and bitter.’

My heart missed a beat. The man was communicating in codes, and I struggled to decipher them.

‘A-about that,’ I stuttered. ‘I...Once again, I’m sorry about—’ I stopped short when he met my eyes.

‘It was just a joke –a bad one. Forget I said anything. It came out wrong.’

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