Page 1 of Unforeseen Love

ChapterOne

Sienna

There’s a reason I work with dead people. They don’t talk back. Also, I’m no stranger to death or grief. But what I do know is my day has barely begun, and it’s already ruined. Standing in the kitchen doorway, with an arrogant smile and his annoying as hell sunny disposition, is no other than Theodore fucking Wainwright.

My worst nightmare and arch-nemesis.

It’s been a few years since I saw him last, but the disdain I feel towards him is still as fresh as a spring day in March. He hasn’t changed much, with all his lean, six-foot-two glory, and those honey brown, take me to bed eyes. His hair is a bit darker now and worn longer in a perfectly imperfect style instead of the short all over look as before. He was always freshly shaven, but now his chiselled jaw highlights a fresh light dusting of facial hair, which no doubt makes the women fall all over themselves for his attention––the poor loves.

“Damn, if it isn’t Morticia Addams,” he says, his eyes flickering to mine with something akin to surprise but quickly being replaced with amusement.

“What the fuck?” I say under my breath. Is he really going straight in with the nickname he gave me at Uni? What a delinquent.

He enters the room like he owns the place, closely followed by my boss, Ewan––or should I say soon to be ex-boss.

“Sienna, good you’re here. This is my nephew, Teddy. But he’s more like a son.”

I hold back a snort.Teddy?

Theo groans, causing Ewan to roll his eyes and shake his head. “Sorry, old habits. This is Theodore, or Theo. He’ll be taking over for me. This is Sienna, our embalmer.”

I choke down my coffee and splutter as I try to catch my breath. The harder I try to control it, the harder it is to breathe. Shit, death by caffeine and the arrogant smirk of Theodore Wainwright, who springs forward and starts patting my back. I try to shrug off his touch, but it’s no use.

“Shit, I know it’s been a while, but damn, Morticia,” he says, not even hiding his amusement.

Like, what the actual fuck? Does he have no filter? People have been known to choke to death. What is wrong with this imbecile?

“Theodore,” reprimands Ewan as he hands me a glass of water once I’m able to catch my breath again. I take it from him gratefully, my hand shaking, and then I sip it slowly. My throat feels raw from the coughing.

I’m still trying to process the past couple of minutes. This would not have been on my radar of all the things that could have happened today. The same guy who made a point of making my life hell at any given opportunity is now my new boss. I find myself grinding my back teeth, a bad habit of mine when I’m anxious. Why does it have to be him? Because this man might as well be Lucifer himself.

I’ve barely been in his presence for a few minutes, and I already want to wring his neck.

“This is your nephew?” I finally manage to squeak out, grabbing some paper towels to wipe my tear-stricken face, hoping my mascara hasn’t left track marks over my cheeks.

“Indeed,” says Ewan.

I find myself frowning as the cogs start turning. “But you don’t have the same surname.”

Theo puts his hands in his pockets, and even his demeanour is relaxed, like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“My aunt married Uncle Ewan,” Theo replies.

My cheeks heat as he holds my gaze with his chestnut orbs. “Oh.”

I have to force myself to look away, trying not to fidget under his scrutiny.

“You two know each other?” Ewan asks, pointing between us.

I nod and clear my throat. “We were at the same university.” But what I don’t say is how ‘Teddy’ was an absolute knob head. How any chance he and his friends had to wind me up, they did. How he always manages to make me feel inferior to him. Everything was a joke, even back then, and the worst part was everything always seemed to come so easily to him. He excelled in our classes, whereas I had to work twice as hard to keep from drowning.

“Well, you make sure you look after our Sienna here,” Ewan says, as he begins making himself a cup of tea. “She’s pretty much part of the family now.” His words flood me with warmth. Because ever since I started working here, that’s exactly how I have felt.

“Well, you do love strays.” Theo’s smirk is devilish and one I want to wipe off his rugged face.Arsehole.

How he always manages to make me feel like shit is beyond me, but my new boss or not, I don’t have to sit here and take it, least of all when I’m not even officially on the clock yet.

“Theodore,” Ewan says, unimpressed with his analogy.

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