You sure? How do you feel?
Choosing to sidestep Grey’s inquiry, not wanting to encourage their fussing, even though I still feel shitty, I send a quick, decisive reply.
Sorry. Have a nice day.
Misha
:(
Fuck.That hurt my heart.
Stuffing my phone into my jeans, I try to stifle the tiny bloom of sadness that Oliver hadn’t chimed in. He’s probably just as eager as I am to return to normalcy, not wanting to blur the lines between professional and personalfurther.
Sure, you so don’t want that, Amelia.
As I’m about to head out of my apartment, Jamie asks, “Stepping out, Amelia?”
“Yes, off to work,” I reply, adjusting my smartwatch, which also doubles as my door key.
“Would you like a weather update before you go?”
I chuckle at his eagerness, even though I can see through the window that it’s sunny outside. “Sure, what’s the forecast, Jamie?”
“Sunny with a slight chance of needing sunglasses,” he quips, and I can almost hear the smirk in his voice.
“Very funny. Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” I say in farewell, grinning all the way down the elevator and out of the building.
I walk the few feet over to the other side of the street and Elysium. The lobby is buzzing with the soft hum of colleagues in their morning rush. It’s familiar and, in a way, reassuringly predictable.
But I feel more eyes on me than usual and even hear my name whispered. I can’t help feeling out of place, as if I’ve stepped out of one world and into another where I don’t belong, either.
Hendricks is waiting for me by the elevator with a lifted eyebrow and a head tilt that reads more like a diagnosis than a greeting. Concern is etched deep in his features.
“Good morning,” I greet, attempting a smile as we catch an elevator up to our floor. The ride up feels slower today, or maybe it’s just my heartbeat filling the silence between us.
He’s always quiet.Why does it feel strange today?
“You all right?” Hendricks’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I nod, more out of reflex than honesty. His question confirms that my ordeal is public knowledge by now.
Fuck.
Hendricks always eats lunch at his desk to avoid socializing. So if he knows…
Everyoneknows.
Perfect, just perfect.
We step out of the elevator and head toward our shared office. Inside,I let my backpack thump next to my desk chair and sink into it with a sigh. The familiar startup sounds of my computer are oddly comforting.
This is fine, Amelia. Just drown in work and forget the whispers.
But only about thirty minutes later, I get pulled out of my coding when Dr. Cockwomble himself strides in. Keeping my eyes on the screen, I hope he’s here to talk with Hendricks, but he comes to a stand next to me, and I can feel his gaze on the side of my face.
Ugh.
I should have stayed at home.
I could have been lounging on the couch with three genius, good-looking men around me, but no, I chose to be here—withhim.
