Page 248 of Now and Forever

Chapter 87

T

he idyllic time lasted merely a month before reality kicked me in the gut in the most fucked up fashion. I knew it was eventually going to happen, but I didn’t expect it to be this way.

It was when Ivy, his ex-fiancée, decided to seek me out when things began to really become strained. I was about to leave the house on my way to school when I received a text message from her, asking if I could meet up sometime around lunchtime to talk.

Shocked that she somehow had managed to acquire my phone number, I was frightened by the thought of what she meant by “talk.” Of course, it would have been rude of me to decline her offer. Besides, my curiosity got the better of me. There was no way I would avoid going.

For the rest of the morning, instead of listening to the lectures, I was playing out scenarios in my head. If Cruz had told her … Well, I was fucked either way. I could have easily asked him if he had, but I didn’t want to know if they were still in communication. Those evasive things didn’t need to be pried out of him. Besides, I didn’t want to tell him anything in case he hadn’t spoken to her. Maybe this was all just a twisted coincidence.

Once lunch hit, I had an hour to see her before my classes started again. I was grateful she chose a restaurant half a block away so it wouldn’t be any trouble for me to meet up with her.

When I got to the Italian restaurant, she was already there, waiting with an open bottle of white wine chilling in the bucket as she casually sipped from her glass.

Approaching her table, I made a strained smile as I took the seat opposing her. “Ivy, hello.”

“Thank you for meeting me.” She beamed at me, obviously grateful I had even agreed to meet up, even though we barely knew each other.

Before we could get down to a conversation, a waiter appeared to take our orders. Once he left, I prepared myself for whatever Ivy wanted to meet me about.

“So, you wanted to talk to me about what exactly?” I asked carefully.

“What else?” Her face immediately became sad. “I was hoping you could speak to him for me?”

What? No fucking way. I was beyond flabbergasted.

“Could you do that for me?” she pleaded. “It’s rather a lot to ask, but I’m left with no choice. He and I have broken up before, but it wasn’t like this. There’s some kind of finality this time. Though, I’m holding out hope he will find his way back.”

They had broken up before? How come no one had mentioned that? So what was Cruz doing with me? An itch that needed to be scratched before he dumped me to go back to Ivy? What the fuck?

“I don’t know if he’d even listen to me,” I said with obvious uncertainty. In fact, I was almost sure Cruz would not even tolerate me uttering her name and the word reconciliation in the same sentence.

“I’d appreciate it all the same either way.” She let out a melancholy sigh before taking another sip of wine. “I know our relationship isn’t all that romantic like some of my friends have, but we work—at least, our families believe so. I just hope he’ll come to his senses before it’s too late.”

If it weren’t romantic, then what other kind of relationship was there?

I sat there, confused as I tried to picture the cold side of Cruz, the one he didn’t shy away from showing me before he and I had finally given in to each other. How could she even imagine being married to someone cold, someone who would drive you up the walls because he wasn’t willing to discuss anything? I just couldn’t see it. If that was the kind of relationship they’d had, I couldn’t blame him for cutting himself loose. This was all my opinion, though. I had yet to hear what Cruz had to say about it, because I would definitely ask him when I saw him tonight.

Yes, he and I had arranged that I would be staying with him and that he would take me to school the next day. He was being protective, and I couldn’t just say no to him. After this lunch with Ivy, I wondered how things would play out tonight.

I didn’t make any promises about speaking to Cruz, though I reassured her that I would bring the subject up to him. What happened after—well, that was seriously up to him.

Going back to class was a waste of time since my stomach was all sorts of upset from worry. I had fears and knew the only way to soothe my mind was to speak to him.

When I got to the office, I was relieved he was in a meeting and wouldn’t be available until past five in the afternoon, which was close to clock-out time.

One of the main worries I had was how to broach the subject to begin with. After all, things were going so well, and I knew this would cause some ripples between us. Here’s to the hope we turn out fine, I thought with my fingers crossed.

“Feel like escorting each other to the lift?” Denise stopped by my desk with her purse and phone in hand, ready to sprint out of there.

I bit my lip before shaking my head. “I’m afraid I have something important to discuss with Mr. Elliot.”

Denise grinned at me before rolling her eyes. “I’m sure it’s quite important. There’s no need to fret, my dearest love. I like you better for him than that other twit. It warms me to see him blissful. This is the happiest he’s been for all I’ve known him since working here. He’s a good man with a huge heart. He may seem difficult at first, but trust me … He’s the kind who’s worth the wait.”

My jaw dropped to the floor. “How …?” My mouth still hung ajar, rendered speechless.

“I’m the boss’s eyes and ears around here. I know everything,” she said before winking at me then leaving for the afternoon.

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