New Chapter

Mykayla

“Are you girls ready for this? This is a big move for the three of you. It is not like you three are moving across town. The three of you are moving 1500 miles to a completely different state.” Uncle Dimitrios asked.

“Yes, I know this, and I think this is going to be good for all of us. This is the fresh start we need. These last two years have been hell, and I think leaving here will be what we need to move on from the past. I will miss it here though the pack has been very good to us, but I think a change in scenery is what is needed, even if I do hate leaving this house. I feel like we are abandoning them and their memory if we leave.” I answer.

“You are not abandoning them or their memory. This is just a house. They are in your hearts which means they will be with you wherever you go. I am proud of you for making this decision and I know they would be proud of you as well.” Uncle Dimitrios told me.

“I also believe that being in a new school will be good for Braeynia and Danique. They have both had a bunch of issues with other kids bullying them. Between Danique’s father passing away, her mother vanishing and our parents dying the kids have been exceptionally vicious towards them. More so Danique than Braeynia, but this will be good for both of them. Meeting new kids will be good for them.” I added.

I knew he was right, but it still felt like we were abandoning them. I could also see the anger flare in Uncle Dimitrios’s eyes as I spoke to him about the shit the girls have gone through. I know the girls are excited about us moving to a new state and town. I know they were both excited to hear that there will be snow when winter hits. They have always wanted to see snow, but I am not sure how they will feel about is once the temperature drops and it is freezing fucking cold outside. I know that is going to be a shock to them. We have never lived anywhere where it got that cold. I am excited about this move as well. I have always felt as if I needed to be there it was as if something was pulling me to live there. I do not understand why I feel this way, but I do. Our lives had finally begun returning to normal or what a new normal for the three of us. These last two years have been a shit show not to mention roller coaster of emotions. With our parents dying in that house fire. Danique's father passed away due to cancer when she was eight and her mother up and disappeared six months later. We were not surprised when that happened. Honestly it was probably for the best. Now the three of us will be moving to Washington State to start a new chapter in our lives. Thank God for our grandmother and Uncle Dimitrios. They had been there when all that had happened. Grandmother had taken Danique in when her father had died and then she had taken us in when our parents had died, and Uncle Dimitrios had helped us any way he could. I am not sure we would have made it through that without them.

We have arrived! Thank God, this will be the last time I fucking move, especially 1500 or more. The last of the boxes are off the truck and sitting in our new three-bedroom apartment. I glance around the apartment. It is not that big, but it was one of the few available that I was able to pay month to month on. I did have to put some of our things into storage since we just don’t have the room for it here in this apartment. The area it was in had a lot to be desired but hopefully with the good inheritance my parents had set aside for us I would be able to find us a house in a couple of months. It also happens to be close to my new job, so the area was not that terrible. Which meant moving again but if it meant us having a nice house then it was worth it. I could hear Braeynia and Danique squealing as they were unpacking. They were thrilled that they each had their own room. They were sharing a room in our old place, well our grandmothers house.

We have been here for a week. I made sure we moved here before winter, so I picked August. I figured that gave us enough time to get settled before school started. While it was technically still summer you could tell it was beginning to cool down already or it could just be that it is cooler here than back in New Mexico. There was a very slight chill in the air, especially in the morning. The girls had another month before school began so we had decided to explore our new neighborhood and city. The three of us were walking around exploring our little area. This was our first time exploring around the apartment. We had been unpacking for the last week and beside me hitting the grocery store I had not ventured out. I pointed to a corner cafe guiding the girls towards it. I took a deep breath as we walked in, and the smell of coffee and fresh baked pastries assaulted my senses. We made it to the counter and ordered our coffee, well I ordered coffee while the girls ordered hot chocolate with their favorite flavors mixed in. They had not yet acquired a taste for coffee. They sat down but I watched them as they kept looking back inside from our table outside. I laughed at the two of them before pulling out my wallet and handing them some money. I knew what they wanted. Honestly, I wanted some of the fresh baked pastries as well.

“Here go grab us something sweet to eat with our drinks. You know what I like.” I told them.

“Thanks Mykayla.” Braeynia chirped.

I smiled as they practically ran back inside and that is when I felt as if I was being watched. I could feel the heavy weight of someone staring at me as if I was being studied. I took a casual glance around the area as if I was people watching and that is when I saw him. I sucked in a breath when I saw him standing on the corner diagonally from where I was sitting. My phone decided to ring out letting me know that I had a new notification. I had a new email from the HR department of SM Industries. I had obtained a job as the PA to the CEO of the company. I have no idea how I had gotten that position but I was grateful to whatever God had made that possible. The email was informing me that I would start tomorrow at eight. After reading the email I chanced a glance back up, but he was no longer there. I was instantly saddened by this. I have no idea why I would feel this way considering I do not even know him. His stunning eyes are what caught my attention. They were the most crystal ice-blue eyes I had ever seen. The rest of him was just as stunning, his shaggy dusty blond hair with a golden skin tone made his eyes pop even more. I was guessing he stood around 6’6” which again was glorious. I love tall men! From what I could tell he had the body that I loved on men as well. Nice broad shoulders that tapered down into a nice waist (that nice “v” shape). His dark green long-sleeved shirt was definitely stretched to its max over every muscle he had. I am positive that if he had flexed too much that he would tear the shirt. His jeans fit him perfectly. Lose enough to move but tight enough to show off his heavily muscled thighs. I am sure he had an ass that you could bounce a quarter off.

“Hey, Mykayla are you okay?” Braeynia asks.

I had not even noticed they had returned with our food. I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with me. I had been fantasizing over a complete stranger. Okay granted he was a drop-dead sexy as sin stranger but still a stranger that I will probably never see again. I am not sure why I felt such a strong pull towards him, but I had. I shook my head to clear all these thoughts.

“Yeah, Brea, I was just thinking about my new job. I got an email, and I will start tomorrow. Did you and Danique get everything you wanted from the bakery?” I asked.

“Yes, they have so much stuff it was hard to choose what to get. Could we come back and get a few things to take home to eat?” Danique asked.

“That sounds like a promising idea. Maybe next time. I am sorry I must start work so soon. I thought it would take them longer to get all my on boarding paperwork done. I know we wanted to do some more exploring before I started work and you two started school.” I told them.

“It’s fine. Halie will be coming over and we have more than enough to do as far as unpacking goes. We live here now so we can explore anytime we want.” Braeynia replied.

"Maybe Halie can take us out while you are at work one day. I am sure she would like to get out of the apartment just like we would." Danique pointed out.

"That is true. You two can ask her and see if she would like that." I replied.

We sat there for a little bit longer before heading back to our apartment. These two need to have a normal childhood considering everything we have been through. After finishing our breakfast, we continued exploring our new city. The three of us were dead on our feet as we walked into our apartment, but we had a lot of fun exploring. Dinner was quick and easy as we watched tv. I could feel Braeynia standing in the entrance of the kitchen as I cleaned up. I placed the sponge in the sink as I turned to face her. I leaned against the counter looking at her.

“Do you miss them?” Braeynia asks.

“Yes, every minute of every day.” I replied.

“Me too.” She adds.

Even though it has been two years since we lost our parents, I can tell that sometimes her brain is still trying to process the loss. Hell, my brain is still trying to process the loss. I still half expect them to come walking into this apartment asking why we are here. I have never told her that sometimes I can still feel them, especially dad. It is like he is not truly dead. Sometimes I feel his eyes watching me which is strange. I swear I caught the scent of his cologne once when I was walking into my grandmother's house. I turn around wrapping my arms around her. She is almost as tall as me and she is only 12. Danique outgrew me a couple of years ago and now she is three or four inches taller than me at 14. The three of us watched a movie as we relaxed after dinner.  I walked over to her pulling her into my arms.

Fucking alarm clock! I slammed my hand down onto the damn alarm as it screamed at me. I glance over at it letting out a growl as it is too early for it to be going off, but I force myself out of bed to start my morning routine. I stepped out of the shower and applied my favorite coconut body butter. I fished out a matching red lingerie set as I put on one of my new work suits. I look in the mirror to assess my appearance. Damn, I clean up nicely! I have a black pencil skirt that ends below my knees paired with a dark emerald, green camisole. I topped it off with the jacket that matched the skirt. I slipped into a pair of black strap wedges (I cannot walk in regular heels). I am positive that I would break my ankle or neck if I tried. My long pale caramel brown hair is partially up in a messy bun, showing off the natural pale red and bright white high and low light I have in it. I walk into the living room to find both girls sitting on the couch. They were eating breakfast, which consisted of pancakes. Danique had clearly cooked breakfast. She had always loved to cook and was damn good at it. I was walking to the door when someone knocked.

“Good morning, Mykayla!” Halie chirped.

“Morning Halie, the girls are watching tv.” I told her.

Halie was the first to welcome us when we moved in. She lives two buildings over. We became fast friends. The fact that she also got along with the girls was a plus. I knew they could take care of themselves and probably did not need someone here to watch them, but it made me feel better.

“I am leaving. Please behave for Halie and call me if you two need anything.” I told her.

“We will be fine. Have a good day at work.” Braeynia told me

I hugged both the girls before heading out. Another plus of finding this apartment was the 15-minute walk to work. I climbed into my car, but I knew as soon as I got more familiar with the area I would be walking. Well maybe come spring time. I arrived at SM Industries half an hour early. I picked up a small box that I had. I was met with someone from HR who showed me where to go and gave me a badge that would grant me access to all the areas I needed. She showed me to my new office and damn it is huge. One whole wall was glass. I had an amazing view. I had been alone in my office for a while when the speaker on my desk went off. I let out a small scream as I placed my hand over my heart.

“Ms. Cartwright please come to my office. I would like to formally meet my new PA.” The deep husky voice commanded.

“Okay sir, I will be right there.” I gasped.

I caught a whiff of my favorite cologne. I walked into his office and looked up. I came to a dead stop. There sitting in a chair behind a gorgeous desk was the same guy I saw standing across the street yesterday. Holy fuck, the guy I was fantasizing over was my new boss. The name plate on his desk read: Mr. Devon Erickston.

“Good morning, sir. It is a pleasure to meet you.” I chirped.

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I would prefer you to call me Devon. We have no need to be formal with each other while here in the office.” Devon told me.

“Then please call me Mykayla.” I replied.

He nodded at me with a smile on his face. This is going to be fucking torture to work with him, but I can do it. I need this job and right now nothing else matters. I sat across from him in one of the chairs.

“Could I please have your phone? I would like to link your calendar with mine to make scheduling easier for me. I will also need access to your computer.” I pointed out.

“I have no problem with that. I was also hoping for your help.” He replied.

He pushed his chair to the side letting a horrific sight come into view behind him. There were piles and piles of papers, ledgers and who the fuck knows what else strewn everywhere. I felt my fingers twitch as I looked at it. I will freely admit that I have OCD when it comes to organizing shit. Just looking at that pile of shit was giving me anxiety making my left eye twitch. I told him that I would have no problem helping him get this shit straightened out. I am sure most if needed to be scanned into the computer which would mean someone else would need to help us. I know how to use a computer and all, but I am sure as fuck no hacker or IT person. He handed me his phone after unlocking it. I linked our calendars which would also link with the calendar on my computer. I was surprised when the HR lady gave me a brand-new laptop. I smiled at him as I stood up. He was about to say something, but his phone rang at that time. I left him so he could finish his call as I returned to my office. I sat down in my chair, opening my computer. I hadn’t realized what time it was until someone knocked on my door making me jump in my chair.

“I am headed to a lunch meeting. I did not mean to scare you, but you seemed lost in your work, and I did not want you to go without eating.” Devon told me.

“Thank you. I did not realize it was lunch time.” I replied.

He smiled at me as he left. I let out a sigh. I am not sure how this is going to work. I knew there could never be anything between us, but it was hard when I was this fucking attracted to my new boss. I had packed my own lunch which I took out of the fridge in the corner of my office.

The second half of the day had gone faster than I had expected. Devon and I began to tackle the chaotic heap of shit behind his desk. We had made a decent headway when I had looked at the clock and noticed it was quarter to five.

“We should call it a day. It is almost time to go.” I pointed out.

“Yes, I agree. We can return to this tomorrow.” Devon sighed.

I hurried back to my office to clean things up and shut the computer down for the night. I grabbed my lunch bag and backpack. I was one of the few women that did not carry a handbag. I preferred a backpack. Devon and I took the elevator together which again tested my restraint. His cologne was making me weak in the knees. He walked me to my car which was only a few rows down from mine.

“See you tomorrow, Mykayla.” Devon drawled.

“Yes, see you tomorrow.” I told him.

He shut the door to my car before stepping back. He watched me until I turned out of the parking lot. I knew I was in so much trouble, but it is what it is. I locked my car as I turned towards the apartment complex. I could hear laughing as I stopped in front of the door. It made my heart happy to hear them laughing. I turned to look behind me, that weird feeling that someone was watching me again. There was no one there, which was normal. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Braeynia and Danique came running towards me. They were both asking me a hundred different questions at the same time. This was going to be a long night.