Familiar ghost

I lay there. Breathing hard. My body ached for him. I was so close. So close. But he left me hanging.

"Alex?" I said. My voice was small. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said. His voice was flat. Far away.

I sat up. I looked at him. He was staring at the wall. His eyes were empty. Lost in thought, did I do something wrong

"What happened?"

"I said I'm fine," he said. But he did not look at me.

***********

The next morning, I woke up to a room flooded with pale, thin sunlight. Inside the covers, the bed was still warm, but an inexplicable chill hung in the air.

Turning over, I found Alex already awake. He was lying flat on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling with empty, hollow eyes. The deep exhaustion etched into his face told me everything; he hadn't slept a single wink.

"Alex?" I murmured softly.

"Good morning baby," he replied. His voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion, as if his mind were miles away.

"What's wrong? You look so sad."

"It's nothing," he muttered.

I reached out and rested my palm against his chest. He flinched slightly, shifting his weight away, the subtle rejection stung it was as if my touch actively bothered him.

"Alex, please," I pleaded, sitting up slightly. "I know something is wrong. You were gone for a whole month. Then last night, we were making love, and you just suddenly... stopped. You froze."

He closed his eyes tight, a pained expression crossing his features.

"Actually, I'll tell you later. It’s not about you, baby. You’re so sweet, and I love you... but I’m just scared," he whispered.

"Scared of what?" I asked, my heart sinking.

"I never want to hurt you," he confessed, his voice cracking. "Right now, I feel like I can't even take care of you."

"Oh, Alex, no." Relief washed over me, and I leaned down to brush a gentle kiss against his lips. "It’s just your work stressing you out. It's not your fault."

Hoping to break the heavy tension, I sat up fully and changed the subject. "I have some news, too. Yesterday, I went to that big job interview" Alex blinked, his attention finally snapping back to me.

"Wow. Did you get it?"

"Not yet," I admitted.

"The CEO was acting incredibly weird. I don't know what his deal was, but I have to go back there this morning."

A faint, teasing smile tugged at Alex's lips.

"Well, then you better get your ass moving and go prepare for it, baby."

Grinning, I threw him a playful wink over my shoulder.

"When I get back, we are definitely finishing what we started last night."

His eyes widened slightly. "Are you serious?"

"I'm just kidding!" I laughed, slipping out from under the sheets.

I walked into the bathroom, but my laughter died the moment I looked in the mirror.

Pressing a hand to my collarbone, I stared at a dark, flush-red hickey stark against my skin a lingering mark from Alex’s lips last night. Am I seriously supposed to just walk into a professional interview with this on my neck? I panicked internally, immediately brainstorming ways to cover it up.

Despite the morning chaos, I managed to rush through breakfast and ensure I crossed the threshold of the corporate headquarters well before

Unfortunately, my punctuality meant nothing to the company. The receptionist told me to wait, and so I did for what felt like agonizing hours. Finally, a woman from the back offices walked into the lounge, looking apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, but the CEO cannot see you right now," she announced smoothly. "He isn't feeling well."

Disappointment hit me like a physical blow. I had sat in that uncomfortable chair for hours, anxious and hopeful, only to be turned away with a vague excuse. Stomping off in frustration, I dug aggressively through my purse, trying to blindly unearth my phone so I could call Alex and vent about being let down yet again.

Because my eyes were glued to my bag, I didn't see the man rounding the corner near the reception desk.Smack.I collided directly into his chest.

The impact sent the smartphone he was holding flying from his grip, clattering loudly onto the polished marble floor.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" I gasped, instantly dropping to my knees to retrieve it.As I handed it back and looked up, the breath caught in my throat. He was wearing a sharp, charcoal gray suit paired with a plaid tie and a white pocket square. His black hair was styled in a clean, sharp side-part, and a luxury watch gleamed from his wrist. He looked like the definition of corporate power.

"I'm so sorry sir," I stammered.

He hissed under his breath, glaring down at me.

"Are you blind?" he said and left me angrily.

Still flustered, I began walking slowly toward the exit, making my steps slow so I could hear everything. He had to ask around the reception desk to know what I wanted. The lady that sent me away told him I came for an interview, and he asked them why I was leaving.

They told him the CEO didn't want to see me. Why did the CEO not want to see me? I was lost in thought when the lady suddenly hurried back over to me. She told me that the Director needed to talk to me. Who was the director? I wondered. Turning around, I realized it was the exact same guy I had just bumped into. I walked back over to him. He didn't waste time and asked me if I knew the CEO.

"No," I said honestly. He asked me my name."I'm Charlotte Vance," I said, offering the surname I had taken from Alex's family when we married.

Vance was originally my father-in-law's name. Director Harrison went completely rigid, looking utterly shocked to hear the name Vance. He stared at me for a beat.

"Are you Taylor Vance's daughter?"

"No, I'm his daughter-in-law," I corrected.A sudden, knowing smile spread across Harrison's face. The harsh anger evaporated completely.

"Calm down," he told me, his tone turning entirely reassuring. He told me to wait a little longer and promised that I would get a job here.

"But the CEO doesn't want to see me?" I asked, still confused.

"Calm down," he repeated smoothly. He left me waiting there like a stupid woman while he disappeared down the hall.

To my absolute shock, only a few minutes passed before I was ordered to come into the CEO's office. I did so happily, wondering what on earth the Director guy had said to him to change his mind so fast. Pushing open the heavy doors, I stepped inside.

"Good morning, sir."

"Mrs. Vance..." the CEO said. The moment he read my name on the file, he went entirely rigid. Just like Director Harrison, the CEO was visibly shocked to see a Vance standing inside his company.

He stared at me, completely lost in his own thoughts for a long, heavy moment, before he finally forced himself to snap out of it.

"Sir?"He cleared his throat nervously and began asking a few questions about me and why I wanted to work in his company, and I told him why.

But even though he had decided to interview me, his behavior remained incredibly weird. As I was saying things about myself, he seemed desperate to find out more deeply intimate details.

"Okay, that's nice..." the CEO murmured, his eyes scanning my face with a strange intensity.

"Which high school did you go to? I mean... when is your birthday?"

Why is he asking for this? It was way too personal.

"I'm sorry sir, but..."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Vance," he interrupted abruptly, rubbing his face. "I'm asking for too many details. Well, you are hired.

"My jaw dropped. He clarified the position right after he wanted me to be his personal assistant. But despite hiring me, he continued acting completely weird.

He suddenly looked physically sick, desperately hiding his face from me. His face was bright red and he looked like he wanted to cry. I don't know why he was so uncomfortable around me.

"Thanks so much, sir," I said, trying to push past the awkwardness. "You won't regret this.."

"Just leave!!!" he shouted suddenly, his voice exploding with harsh, volatile anger.

I gasped. He was so incredibly harsh. Terrified of my new boss, I had to leave immediately.

I met the director, Harrison, right after the interview because he had told me to meet him when I got the job.

"The CEO was so rude and harsh," I breathed, trying to calm down.

"Is he?" Harrison asked.

"Yes, Director Harrison!"

"You will get used to it," he said with a faint smirk. He spent the next few minutes telling me everything I needed to know about my new job guidelines and responsibilities.

I finally headed home and eagerly told Alex about getting the job. But the moment the story left my mouth, he wasn't happy at all.

"Wow, congratulation baby"