Luckily, it's still there from when we came down from the roof.
"Em, what's wrong? Baby, tell me. What did I do?"
"If you don't know that, Alexander, then I can't help you." The doors open to the elevator, and I hold my hand up to stop himgetting in with me. "No. I need to go. Don't make this more complicated than it already is. I'll send the painting to you when it's finished. You don't need to see me again."
"Em, what are you talking about? I thought I told you that you're it for me. I don't want anyone else."
"Listen, Alexander..."
"Stop calling me that, it's Alex."
"Not right now it's not. I am a good person, Alexander."
I hear him growl as the elevator door closes, and I lean against the back wall after pressing the ground floor button. I can't believe I thought he was someone who I could trust with my heart. I wanted everything he said to me, but he was clearly just saying those things as a way for me to fuck him. I’ve been so fucking gullible, and I hate myself for it. I’m not a prostitute. I don’t have sex for money, but that's just what I did tonight. When I get off the elevator, I rush out the front door and I puke on the sidewalk. I need to get home and re-evaluate my life.
As I walk down the street, I know what I need to do. I turn on my phone, I see the missed calls and text messages from Alexander, but I ignore them. Pressing number one on my phone to speed dial my mom, I wait as the cell rings twice before she answers it.
"Hey, Emily, are you okay?" She's worried because I don't call often enough.
"I'm good, it went well last night, but I need to do some painting and just lose myself for a while. Do you mind if I hop on a train and come visit. I don't feel like going back to my apartment."
"Of course. Just call me and I'll collect you from the station."
"No, it will be the middle of the night, I'll grab a cab and I have my key to let myself in. I'll see you in the morning. Love you, mom.
"Love you too, Emily."
I turn and walk towards the train station - I need to get out of the city and as far away from Alexander as I can for a while.
CHAPTER 7
Alexander
I have been going mad.It's been five days since Emily walked out of here after what I thought was an amazing night. But she had tears in her eyes, and I don't know what I said wrong. I don't think I said anything to upset her. I know I can be an alpha male most of the time, but she seemed to like it.
I've used all my resources to try to find her. She's not at her apartment. She's not at work. She's nowhere at all. It's like she vanished off the surface of the earth, and I can't cope with that. I need her. I need to know if she's okay. I need to know what I did to upset her so that I can fix it. Quickly. Being apart from her after what we did the other night doesn't sit well with me. I meant what I said when I told her that once I'd been inside her she was mine and no one else's. What made her run like that? Was it the age difference? I saw her eyes widen when I said about grandkids. I’ve never wanted kids, but if she wants them then I want them with her."
The phone buzzes, and I lift it. "Mr. Hartfield, I have your mother here. I told her you were busy, but she won't listen to me." I have been shouting all day every day for five days. Biancahas taken the brunt of most of it, but she knows how to give it back too. She is the only one who has helped me and kept me going.
The door flies open, but thankfully maintenance has installed the door stopper so it doesn't crash against the wall. "What do you want, mother? I'm not in the mood."
"I can see that, and I want to cheer you up. So, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Just me and your father. No one else. No women to set you up with. Just the family." I know she's up to something, but I also know that it will probably be the one thing that can take my mind off Emily.
"Okay."
"Okay? That was quick." She looks at me confused.
"I said okay. I'll be there at eight. Now I have a lot of work to do today, Mother." She smiles, and I'm sure she feels triumphant, but she doesn't realize that I am only going as a distraction.
"See you then, Alexander." Just hearing her call me Alexander makes me want to hear Em call me Alex one more time. That was such a turn-on when she called me that during sex. It was all amazing, and I am still so fucking confused. Bianca comes in to close the door and then moves over to my desk and sits on the chair opposite me.
"Mr. Hartfield, you need to forget about Emily. Whatever happened between you is affecting your business. I've had to cancel more meetings than I've canceled in ten years. You've lost your focus."
"Bianca, I don't need you to tell me that, I know that myself. I just need to find my girl and make it right. I just don't know what I did or where she has gone."
"Do you want to tell me what happened so that I can give you my insight?"
"I'm not sure I do, but I just don't understand the complexity of women." I look at her, and I know that she is trying to help me.
