Somehow, Annie convinced Hazel to let he spend the night. Hazel must have agreed because she thought we could take care of this little situation in the morning. Well, not anymore. At around 1am, the girl escapes. I decide to let her know. She should know. She wouldn't want the girl to leave on her own even though she's an adult. Plus, she shouldn't live with the memories of what happened yesterday. We can't trust her. I knock on her bedroom door and hear her stir under the sheets. I enter before she tells me to and she switches on her bedside lamp, squinting through the dark room."What time is it?" She groans."I'm sorry to bother you but I thought you should know. The girl is gone.""Annie?" She scrambles out of the sheets, careful not to tamper with her writst. "What do you mean gone?""She sneaked out about five minutes ago.""And you just let her leave?" She scolds. Of course I did. To prove that the girl is stubborn and deserving of what's about to come her way. I couldn't ha
He said my name.He called me Hazel. For the first time since I signed the contract. Not calling me by my name was his way of keeping the distance between us. We weren't anything more than business partners. Not even friends.He didn't think about it when he said my name. The way he stood between me and a bullet was also instinctive. Like a natural inclination. Like he couldn't help himself. Even when my orders stated otherwise."Stay down. Don't move. And whatever you do, do not look up."With my head bowed, ears covered, and my eyes screwed shut, I wait.I know he's immortal, but I'm so devastated that he's already been shot that I can't think straight. I'm sobbing, my throat is dry, and I can barely breathe.I need this to be over. When I remove my palms, I know it's not completely silent around me.But the ringing sound in my ears is so loud that I can't hear what he says to me after he removes his jacket from the top of my head and helps me up.In fact, I'm completely out of
White roses. He always loved the colour white.I take in a deep breath, allowing myself to dwell on the dark clouds as they gather, mirroring the shadow of despair that surges through my mind, threatening to spill at any second. "Please, Miss. You have to stop crying."Right. I’ve used Linda's words to keep myself from bawling my heart out at my father's grave. She had to remind me that showing up in public with puffy, red eyes would be bad for my image as the new CEO, even if this is a funeral. But how does anyone expect me to shake the heavy feeling in my chest. My eyes sting again. Dammit! There are hundreds of people around me. I can't lose myself in front of all these people. I can't show any signs of weakness. I can't let them see how helpless I am. I exhale through the black, netty accessory that Linda picked out for today."It goes well with the dress. And it'll cover your face in case you start to get all teary again," she said, to which I smiled. Edwin's hand tightens so
I remember the first time I met her. Everything about her seemed so robotic. I wondered how my father didn't see it. But whatever mid-life crisis he was having that caused him to marry this barbie doll didn't stop me from supporting him. I didn't have any siblings. It had always been the three of us. And only after my mother died did I realize how lonely it got to live in a big, empty house. So, I focused on business school. I buried myself in all the schoolwork until I knew everything that the family business required. It was my only distraction. A coping mechanism for all the pain. And when I met Edwin, I thought I would never feel lonely again.Well, I still do. He's everything I ever hoped for when I could no longer distract myself from the emptiness burning an insatiable hole in my chest. And when I found him, he made me feel like a new person. One that wasn't weak or clueless, but strong enough to chase after my dreams. Strong enough to carry on the legacy.And Shannon, well, s
Dammit why won't he pick up!?I tap my foot impatiently in the lift as I give Edwin one last call. He's never ignored my calls for so long. And now I'm worried sick.I storm into the house. It's so dark and empty even though it's only 10 o'clock in the morning. Somehow, that only enhances the sick feeling in my stomach. I flick on the lights and draw back the curtains, wondering why Linda hasn't done this. Where is she anyways? Perhaps she’s asleep"Linda?"In a few minutes, she comes rushing into the living room."Miss Ambrose," she gasps. "I didn't know you'd be back this early. Is there anything you need?" I stare blankly at her for a few seconds. There’s nothing she can do to help. Even I can’t help myself right now. She stares back eagerly. I sigh. "Where's Edwin?""He left an hour after you did. Didn't say where he was going,” she replies. I curse under my breath."Is there a problem, Miss?" she asks. She sounds so concerned that I must reassure her, not wanting to transfer an
Edwin had encouraged me to drink more and go to sleep, so I did just that. He didn’t come to bed with me though if I remember correctly.I roll around in the sheets, filling the empty spot next to me, until I manage to peel my eyelids open. I groan as the headache sets in, placing my palm on my forehead. And for some reason, I’m all sweaty.I sit up carefully, glancing around the room. It’s unusual for Edwin to get up before me. So, why isn’t he here?I shake my head and crawl out of bed, staggering into the bathroom to get ready. But after I step out of the shower, it occurs to me that there’s nothing to get ready for. I don’t have a job, and I don’t have a plan or direction either.My body compels me to do what I’ve been wired to, so I moisturize and brush my hair and put on my Saturday casual.I head downstairs, still wondering if Edwin left home this morning without a word.I walk into the kitchen where Linda is already preparing breakfast. “Morning, Linda,” I say sitting on one
I frown. What kind of business is this? Are they maybe posing as a doctor? A psychic? I scoff, grabbing my phone and dialing the number. Is this something I would normally do? No. I’m not bloody stupid. But I have nothing to lose except the terrible life which I now live, and I am risking it to satisfy my curiosity because I’m drunk by 12 o’clock in the afternoon. It rings twice, then it seems like the person on the other side of the line hangs up. Then there’s a text almost immediately from the same number. Unknown — Give me a time and a location if you’d like to discuss things further. Hazel — Who are you? And what kind of business is this? I press send and stare at the screen, hoping for an answer. They didn’t pick up before, so I don’t think they’ll answer any of my questions. But whoever left this behind must’ve somehow been into it. Unknown — You’re not Norman. My heart is racing now. However, I have enough courage in my drunken state to go on. Hazel — No. Norman left yo
“You’re not about to jump, are you?”My head snaps backwards as I turn around to search for the source of the voice. My heart leaps into my throat when I realize I hadn’t imagined it. There’s a man behind me. And althouh I can’t see his face clearly, I can make out outlines of his short hair and his well defined jawline. “What does it matter? You don’t know me,” I reply. I feel weak from all the running and crying."I see you've sobered up." "Excuse me?""Humans are truly pathetic creatures. They would do anything to escape pain, even though they couldn't live without it.""I don't know who you are, but I should probably let you know that referring to other people as humans makes you sound like a sociopath," I state."Sociopath? That’s a bit harsh, Miss Ambrose,” he replies. Something about him makes me want to flee as fast as I possibly can. But I don’t. “What do you want? Are you a stalker?” I ask. I’m still shaking, but this time it’s from fear. It’s crazy how well I can hear the sm