Page 134 of Scream
Lily has been my assistant since I was an intern working for my father. The last time Parker was not in the office with me was when Rory had her cochlear surgery, and he stayed with her. "Both are fine. Parker and Maksim are at PresCorp Tower with Mr. Winters this morning, doing" I fist my hands and put them on my hips, pouting, and with a stern voice I say, "Very Important Men Things & Meetings."
Lily huffs out a laugh that causes the fiery curls resting on her shoulders to shake. "Well, I'm glad Rory's okay. But my offer still stands. I'm picking up my lunch from the bistro and coming right back. I have to finish looking through the fine print for the Declan prenup."
Before I can get onto her for working through her lunch, she adds, "And finish a few chapters of that Verity Huntington book you got me. I just can't read that in public. I'm blushing and gasping every fifteen minutes."
This time it's my turn to laugh. "Raven has me hooked on Miss Huntington. Apparently, she’s a patient of Damon’s-“ Lily’s mouth drops open “and he brought her home some of Miss Verity’s books. But you didn’t hearthat from me."
Lily nods, giving me a wink. A ping that comes through on her smartwatch and she only looks down to check it. "Oh! Okay, yes. My food is ready. Would you like a macchiato?"
"Yes. That sounds delicious, and I do need the pick-me-up. Take Jonas with you, will you? He’s making me nervous with all of his pacing. The poor thing gets severe separation anxiety when he’s away from Raven for over two minutes.”
Laughing again, Lily makes a motion with her hand like a salute and closes the door to my office. I watch as she approaches Jonas, and his head goes side to side – looking at me through the window of my office, then back at Lily. I wave my hand to let him know it’s alright. I’m not going anywhere. I can see when he huffs out an exaggerated breath before leaving me to go back to the documents still waiting for me to go over and sign. I take a seat and shuffle the papers, trying to find where I was again. I've been slacking here at work.
Although my name is on the door and my surname is on the building, the work is no longer fulfilling. I do not feel… satisfied here anymore. I no longer see my office and feel content. I feel forced to be here – as though it's nothing more than an obligation to my father. To Charlie. I put the documents away and pull out a different folder I’ve been postponing.
The papers I hold in one hand are all of my school transcripts – all the credits I could transfer to go back to school for pre-med. Behind them is a mock application for Harvard Medical School.
In my other hand, is a mock application for a lease to a bakery in Brooklyn – one that is super close to the mansion where we've stayed since my very tiny, itty bitty,slightmeltdown. Another piece of homework Damon gave me the last time I was in his office.
“Fill them out.”He said.“See how you feel.”
Torn.
That's how I feel.
Because they both make me happy.
The door to my office opens, and I grin without looking up, glitter pen still in hand. “Forget your purse again?”
“Seeing as I carry my wallet inside my jacket pocket, no.”
I freeze, only letting my eyes travel from what I've scrawled on the paperwork to the edge of my desk – and very gently – up to Kane's lips. “What… are you doing here?”
“Your husband may have just jeopardized my entire future. He's busy with Jaxson Prescott, your father, and your lap dog. Thought I should come and say hello.”
I do not dare meet his gaze. “You've said it. You can leave now.”
“C'mon Sabrina.” He sits in the client chairs before me – the ones I specifically chose that are not leather and are comfortable in case one of my clients ends up crying. “Listen, we both said a few things we didn't mean.”
“Oh, I meant every word I said, Kane. Please leave.”
He doesn’t. Instead I watch as he places an ankle over his knee, making himself more comfortable. I no longer like my chairs. I’m beginning to rethink my set-up. “I brought you a gift.”
My eyes finally snap to his. “Believe it or not, I do not want your gift. You can take it with you.” I look out of my office window to see that mostly everyone is gone – like Lily. Because it’s lunch time. And I’m the only idiot here.
His nostrils flare, and he smirks for a second before letting it drop. His glare hardens when I don’t return his smile. He does not deserve my politeness. “You’ll want this one.” He nods curtly before reaching into his inner jacket pocket and pulling out…
I gasp, tears welling into my eyes. “How do you have that?”
He leans over just as I reach out, depositing Charlie’s seashell necklace – the one I got him when we were children after his very first scuba diving session off the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. He was thirteen, and I was twelve. I bought it for him from a little vendor by the beach. The only reason I know it’s his is because the little gold C in the center is still there. He always wore it while doing anything that had to do with the ocean. It cost me nothing, and to him it meant everything. “It hasn’t tarnished.”
“I’ve kept it safe for you all these years.”
I clasp Charlie’s necklace in my fist and hold it to my chest, blinking back the tears that viciously want to fall. “How do you have this, Kane?”
His smile falls flat, hazel eyes glittering with a cold malice I’ve never seen directed at me before – and my stomach drops. “I was there that day, Sabrina. You know this. He’d left it behind with his clothes. Didn’t want to risk losing it. I didn’t mean to hold onto it for so long. I actually forgot I had it until I was packing up to move here.”
“Movehere?”
