4. Calls And Messages

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The persistent vibrating of her phone woke Willow up from her restless sleep. She cracked her neck as she sat up straight, the uncomfortable position reflecting on her back.

She looked at the peaceful, sleeping frail form of her mother, Bethany Mason, and sighed.

She wasn't sleeping. She had to remind herself. She was in a coma. For the past seven years.

Willow looked at the bright screen of her phone.

Knox Wright

The name had changed, and so had their relationship. Again, it was not like they had a real relationship to begin with.

She looked at the time as his name disappeared, and a notification of the missed call popped up.

2:07 am

Why was he calling now?

Maybe he had time now after spending all night with his woman.

Willow caught herself. She did not have the right to feel jealous or heartbroken. She told herself.

She was about to turn off the screen when his face lit up on the screen again.

She sighed, knowing very well that Knox was as stubborn as an ox - she snickered at how the words rhymed. So she just gave in and picked up the call.

"Hel-"

"Where are you?" His voice was frantic. "Why aren't you opening your door?"

"I am at the facility." She said, whispering as if her mother would actually be disturbed if she spoke too loud. "I was missing Mom."

"Why didn't you tell me before you went there?" He asked.

Willow rolled her eyes. She had to stop herself from telling him that he did not own her and that she was allowed to go anywhere she wanted and with anyone she wanted.

But it was two in the morning and she was sleepy. And she was exhausted after exhausting all her tears. So she just wanted to end this conversation as fast as she could and go back to sleep.

"I forgot."

"You forgot?" She could almost imagine the seething face of Knox on the other side of the phone. But what was he getting so worked up about?

"Listen, Knox, I am beat. I can barely keep my eyes open." Not necessarily a lie. "Can we take this up tomorrow when I am fully awake?"

"Oh, we will have a conversation about this for sure!"

Willow rolled her eyes and without saying goodbye, hung up on him.

Knox stared at the phone dumbly as it beeped to signal the end of the call.

"Is she mad at me?" He thought out loud.

His phone pinged.

He quickly checked to see if Willow had texted to say that the call had ended by mistake.

But no, it was a message from Mia.

Mia: Thank you so much for making the night so special for me. You are everything I have ever hoped for.

Knox stared at the screen for two whole minutes.

He would join the earth and the sky to be able to receive such a text from Willow. But they were in this awkward situation where he could not even dream of that.

So he swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and typed back a saccharine-coated response.

Knox: I would do anything for you. You complete me.

He gagged and felt his fingers tremble with anger as he hit send.

He looked up at Willow's apartment door. Tonight, he would have to sleep in his apartment, without her around and he did not like the thought one bit. He hadn't done that in three years.

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"You look like a zombie," Trisha commented as she took her place.

"Fuck off, woman!" Susan appeared to Willow's rescue as always.

"How are you feeling today?" She asked her work bestie tentatively.

"Horrible," Willow confessed. Maybe sleeping in such an uncomfortable position after crying a river might not have been the smartest idea.

But she was sad. And sad she was also an idiot.

Susans shook her head. "Sweetheart, fake it till you make it. Your feelings were real so you are in pain but realize that he never felt anything like that. He went chasing another skirt. He is not worth feeling horrible over."

Willow wanted to break down again and tell Susan everything but she knew that was an infraction of the non-disclosure clause of the contract and she could not do that. She had seen how cruel Knox could be last Saturday and she did not want to test him. 

"I am so tired." She rubbed her face with her hands. She had no make up on today because she was such a mess and couldn't bring herself to even get ready properly. 

Susan squeezed her shoulder and went back to her seat. 

Willow's phone buzzed. She unlocked her phone to check. 

Knox: Did you come home today?

Willow sighed. Why did he care and why did he want to know? 

A stray tear escaped her eyes as she picked up the phone to reply. 

Knox: I am in the basement. Come over. 

Willow pursed her lips, suppressing her urge to scream at the phone. 

Why was he here? 

Why was he making things difficult?

She decided that she was not going to go. She had had enough. 

Willow: I don't own this company, Knox. I can't just up and leave as I please. 

The reply came in an instant. 

Knox: You came last time. 

Willow: I had my lunch break then. Bye. 

Her phone buzzed a few more times but she just ignored it. 

Willow let out a defeated sigh when the phone started to vibrate. 

Knox Wright 

"What do you want from me?" She whisper-yelled into the phone out of frustration. 

"You know what." His voice was clipped. 

She shook her head even if he could not see her. "No, I don't." 

"Quit your job," Knox said as if it was the most normal thing to ask of her. 

"Excuse me?" 

"I will buy you a company."

Willow barely stopped herself from swearing out loud as she hung up the phone in rage. What in the world was wrong with him? 

She tossed the phone aside and pressed her wrists to her eyes. No wonder people thought she was a gold digger.

Knox was ridiculous with the amount of money he spent on her. 

He was crazy. 

For her. But she didn't know that. 

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