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•42• Priscilla
I'm listening to Bru speak on the phone, but it's hard to actually believe what's coming out of her mouth. Gerrard? In my apartment?
Why?
...How?
"...come as soon as you can, Priscilla," she sighs at the end. "We miss you."
My heart melts. "I miss you, too... I'll try and come as soon as possible, Bru. I'll call you when I get there."
She pretty much squeals on the other end.
"You have no idea how eagerly we're waiting to see you again! See you soon!"
It's hard not to hear the smile in her voice.
"See you soon, Bru," I grin, before hanging up.
So Gerrard's been-
"-Your boyfriend's been camping at your house?"
The sudden voice by the door to my room startles me, to the point where I almost fall from the edge of the bed where I'm sitting. Whipping towards the source of the sound, I see Victoria looking at me all innocently from the little gap between the door and the wall.
"The fuck, Vira?" I scowl, pl
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When Love Strikes Hard •Epilogue•
Keith and Bru chose a barn marriage, far from the cold of their home country.Priscilla and Gerrard helped prepare most of everything, and were currently receiving guests at the entrance. Gerrardand Keith's mother didn't show up, not even after being informed of the life-changing decision her eldest son had made.The sons had been expecting this, but Bru and Priscilla hadn't.They still felt let down by Ms. Southerford.Bru's parents, on the other hand, were all about the place, her father taking care that all guests hada drink in their hands, while her mother wasprobably helping her deal with wedding day jitters. What could be said? The girl had already ordered two boxes of pizza in the last two hours alone."I'm worried about Keith," Gerrard muttered from beside Priscilla, shaking an old man's hand before gesturing towards the other guests.Priscilla gave him a look, observing him growing more fidgety
When Love Strikes Hard •1• Priscilla
I'm nervous. It's my first job interview since I finally became a certified advocate, and I feel like sitting here, in the waiting lounge of Southerford Inc., I'm this close to spilling the contents of my stomach all over the place. This close. I'm practicing breathing in through the nose, breathing out through the mouth, closing my eyes to concentrate, basically doing anything to calm my frizzling nerves, but the saying 'it's easier said than done' never felt truer to me than at this moment. One at a time, people are being called in through the door right in front of my eyes, some going in as if getting this job means everything to them, others looking like they'd rather be pooping in a forest and wiping their butts clean with poison ivy than be here. I blow a loud breath through my mouth. "Come on...-" "-Gard, Priscilla?" I feel my pumping organ jerk at the woman officer in charge of us i
When Love Strikes Hard •2• Gerrard
When I walk out of my 8:39 a.m. meeting with my team of financial advisors, I’m reminded by my PA, Bru Sifen that the interviewfor a new lawconsultant isunderway.“The interviews are going as planned, Gerrard, right on schedule,” she says, reading from her tablet as we weave through the main office building to the Interview Lounge. “The last two candidates are remaining to be met.”I pass by employee after employee as I go, Bru’s words registering in my head. This last lawconsultant’s position is important. My team of legalexperts just needs one more person to complete the unit. And it’s got to be the best person out there, because I have big plans, and I need a good team to keep all legal fixes out of the picture.Get me through the loopholes, so I can focus on my business and not on fucking lawsI got to adhere toor the defaultsI’ve made
When Love Strikes Hard •3• Priscilla
I can’t believe I actually got the job. Southerford Inc. is notoriously difficult to get into, even for experienced professionals, and I got the job?If this isn’t a pinch-me moment, I don’t know what is.I’m being led to the third floor of the main building through the atrium by one Mr. Smith. He tells me he’s one of the first members on the team of legalexperts, and it takes no genius to guess he’s one of the senior members on the team-- work-wise as well as age-wise.“Now, Ms. Gard, I’d like you to not feel overwhelmed by work on your first day,” Mr. Smith says with a smile, but there’s just something so cunning about the air around him that I restrict myself to formal yet cordial smiles with him. “I’d suggest getting familiar with your surroundings and colleagues today, and then we can slowly get you used to your work targets.”The lift dings open
When Love Strikes Hard •4• Gerrard
I know I shouldn’t be feeling this way, but the mood in my office changes so drastically and so desperately and so... weirdly whenever my big brother comes over that I just can’t handle it.It’s so annoying that at this point, I’ve stopped trying to even spur on any kind of conversation. Because whenever I do, it fizzles out like a poor-quality firecracker.Even now, Keith just sits there, right in front of me as we hang out at the conference table in one of my offices, tapping his fingers on the table. He’s looking around the office as if he hasn’t already been here a thousand times, ignoring the elephant in the room as if that’s ever helped.I sigh. “Keith, I’ve told you. I can’t be there for dinner next week. We have a party here at the office then.”Keith shrugs. “You’re going to have to tell that to mum yourself, Gerr. I’m not going to be your messenger al
When Love Strikes Hard •5• Priscilla
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When Love Strikes Hard •6• Gerrard
It's been twenty minutes by the clock, and Bru still isn't back. It's making me wonder if all's well with her and Keith; he's a tough nut, I know that best.Sighing, I decide to make my way to the kitchen.If what I'm guessing is right, and they both are having an argument or something, then she's really going to need the coffee I'm going to brew just now. I make my way out of my conference room and to the kitchen, but I see something in one of the rooms down the corridor which makes me stop dead in my tracks.That rascal.Ruben's just entered one of my offices, and guess who he's brought in tow with him?The novice.My jaw ticks.As I watch them without their knowledge, I see Ruben's lips moving. My eyes shift to Gard, and I notice she looks uncomfortable. Ruben laughs suddenly, and I wonder what it was that he laughed at, because the next thing I know is that Gard takes a step back. I wish I could see her face and not
When Love Strikes Hard •7• Priscilla
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