Chapter 76

"Alex, we're late!" Ryan woke her when their alarm didn't go off. He jumped out of bed and headed towards the bathroom to get in the shower. Alex groaned in response but was still not moving. Once she heard the shower running she checked her phone and realized if they don't leave the house within the next fifteen minutes they'll be in trouble. If it's not enough that both of them stayed home the previous day being late the next wouldn't help.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She asked as she made her way to the bathroom. "I did you didn't even bother getting up" Ryan said as he got out of the shower leaving it running so she can just hop in. In record time she washed and got Phoebe's things ready while Ryan was making coffee, the only thing they'll have time for as breakfast on their way to work.

They dropped Phoebe off and Marci could see the rush the parents were in since she and Alex didn't have their usual morning conversation when she'd drop Phoebe off. And as if being late already wasn't bad enough they were stuck in traffic.

"Well this day is going great." Ryan mumbled taking a sip of coffee as they are stuck in traffic The road they usually drive on has been closed due to an accident and there is no way they can turn around and take a detour. "Maybe it's a sign that we should've stayed home today as well." Alex said looking out the window to try and see what happened at the front.

"Do you think I can get fired? For like staying out yesterday and for being late today?" She asked looking at him with big eyes. "On what grounds would that be?" Ryan asked grateful that they've started moving slowly but surely. "I don't know, maybe for being incompetent or being absent for too long." She answered starting to panic. "Can you stop being paranoid. You're not getting fired." Ryan laughed looking over to her, clearly not amused by his actions. "Babe, trust me, you'll know when you're about to get fired. They'll call a meeting and there will be a bunch of people in suits sitting around the table waiting to tell you you're done." He explained briefly and hoping that that piece of information would be enough to calm her.

"Not showing up at all yesterday. And the day she shows her face she's half an hour late." Nimah said when Alex rushed into the office. "Oh hush you." Alex dismissed taking a seat at her desk and switching on her computer.

"You know if you and Ryan want to get freaky in the morning you need to make it quick." Natalie smiled trying hard to keep a straight face. "The alarm didn't go off and we were stuck in traffic." Alex explained what happened. "If you say so." Shelby chimed seeing the smiles on her friend's faces. "You guys are terrible, leave me alone." Alex laughed trying to focus on getting work done.

They all received emails from Maranda saying all of them have to get up to date on paperwork they've been putting off. Once that is done they'll start working on new cases, since the ones they have right now doesn't require all of them to go out into the field and that she and Liam can handle it on their own. And it should be emailed to Ryan together with a hard copy of the email at the end of the day.

"Noooooooooo." Natalie whined hating the paperwork that came with the job. "What am I going to do with myself the whole day? It's far from 5PM." She continued and her friends gave her weird looks. "You're going to fill out these documents until 5PM." Nimah laughed since non of them were in the mood to do it, but it had to be done.

"I haven't had anything to eat yet, I'll be back." Alex said getting up walking the cafeteria, but stopping at the reception desk. "Hey Alex." Roxanne greeted friendly. "Hey Roxanne, do you have some of those files Maranda emailed us about?" Alex asked smiling at the blonde. "Yeah she gave me most of them, the rest is in the safe." She answered turning around, unlocking the cupboard behind her and putting a stack of yellow folders on the desk. "I'm sorry, but there's more." The blonde apologized seeing the look on Alex's face. "I hate this part. I'm heading the cafeteria quickly when I get back I'll take these with me." Alex told her and smiled friendly.

"No, it's fine you go ahead, I'll bring this into the office." Roxanne offered. "Thank you." Alex smiled walking away. She ordered four chicken salads and an extra coffee. She walked back to the office once her things were done and put the coffee on Roxanne's desk with a thank you note she scribbled on a post it since she wasn't at her desk, and saw through the glass everyone got up and grabbed a file from the two piles.

"Salad?" Shelby asked when Alex handed each of them one. "What happened to the usual muffin and coffee?"

"Last time I checked you were the pregnant one so for your sake we're eating healthy. Starting now." Alex answered seeing how Shelby poked at the salad with the plastic fork. "You welcome." Natalie said in Shelby's direction and she stuck her tongue out at her. "By the way, why are you at work shouldn't you still be at home?" Nimah asked when she realized her friend wasn't supposed to be at work until Monday. "But I got bored of doing nothing so here I am, not doing any strenuous activity, eating chicken salad." She smiled as if her friends agrees with her choices but she's here now. Nothing they can do about it.

"Ooohhh Zayne, or Zaidee." Nimah said out of the blue and no one knew what she was talking about. "Huh?" Natalie asked trying to make sense of what was going out. "Shelby's baby. I'm searching baby names and I like those two. You with me Shelby?" Nimah asked and the blonde shook her head. "We don't even know what it is yet and you guys are looking for names." She answered shaking her head at how weird her friends was but she loved them.

They worked on it and emailed Ryan the files they finished, everyone piling a hard copy on Alex's desk since they assumed she'll be the one to take it up to him. She didn't argue and said it's okay she'll have to wait for him to get done before going home anyway so she might as well do it.

Ryan's been refreshing his emails for the past ten minutes and it seems like the team made it through most of the work as he looked over some of the emails, working through it one by one to check that everything is in order before they close it definitely and would only take it out if they're getting some sort of inspection from the top dogs. A knock on the door caused him to lose focus as he told whoever was on the other side to come in.

"Sorry to bother Ryan, some of the files that were locked in the safe. Maranda told me to hand these over to you." Roxanne said as she put the files on his desk. "Oh yeah right, I totally forgot about those." Ryan said as he paged through them. The blonde turned around with her back towards Ryan unbuttoning her blouse revealing a black lace bra. Ryan back at work thinking she'll see herself out.

"Ryan I need to tell you something that's been on my mind for a long time." She stated turning around to face him. His eyes left the computer screen when she stared talking and he looked at her waiting for her to speak. "Roxanne, what the hell?" Ryan asked shocked when she turned around. He got up from behind his desk walking over to the other side. "I made it clear a few weeks ago that I'm married. What you're doing is really inappropriate. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." Ryan said firmly but she wouldn't have it.

"Your wife doesn't have to know about this, come on stop being such a spoil sport." She walked closer to him but he walked past her on his way to open the door as a signal for him to leave but she caught his wrist. "Ryan I won't tell if you won't." She whispered walking closer to him. "Roxanne I said no. Please leav…"

"Last files you asked for…" Alex said as she stood in the door looking at the picture in front of her. Roxanne's white blouse open revealing a black lace bra her hand on Ryan's wrist. Alex threw the files on the couch and walked out without saying a word.

"Alex wait. It's not what you think." Ryan ran after her and it didn't look like she was about to stop and listen to him. "Alex just listen to me." Ryan grabbed her hand when he caught up with her. "If you want to try and convince me that what I saw in there was not what I think it was, then don't bother." She told him and walked back.

Ryan didn't want to go back to the office so he walked through the back door and sat down on the cold concrete steps. That woman is something else, now she's taken it too far, he thought. He has to find a way to let his wife know nothing happened and he knew what it must've looked like but he'd never cheat on Alex.

Alex got a cab and went to get Phoebe and then went home. She didn't want to see Ryan right now. She put Phoebe down and got out her laptop, searching for furnished apartments she can rent. Lucky for her she found one in a security complex and took it, making an online payment with her card. Then heading upstairs to pack bags for her and Phoebe leaving them at the front door when it opened. She was hoping they'd be gone before Ryan gets back, but she doesn't have to talk to him, she tries to assure herself.

"Alex?" Ryan called as he entered the house when the bags caught his eye. "What is this? Where are you going?" He asked panic starting to grow. "Anywhere but here." She said not making eye contact as she took the bags out to her car, and came back to get Phoebe.

"Please don't do this just hear me out." He tried again trailing behind her. "I know what I saw Ryan." She answered heading for the door, whatever she forgot now will have to stay there she'll buy new ones. "Alex don't leave. Sweetheart I didn't do anything…" She backed out of the driveway and drove down the street. Every muscle in him told him to follow her but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He really didn't do anything wrong. If she would just listen to him.

He walked back into the house and closed the door behind him. Walking to the kitchen he opened the fridge and retrieved four beers that was left and started drinking it. He walked through the empty house and it felt familiar yet the cold. He switched on the TV not paying any mind to what was on the screen, finishing those four beers in record time. Then got a bottle of whiskey from one of the kitchen cabinets and started drinking it straight from the bottle. The golden brown liquid burning his throat but not soothing the ache in his heart.

A BIG THANK YOU TO PEYT FAN 4EVER who basically helped me write these next three chapters, with that awesome ideas. (I hope I did it justice). Hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think about this. Thank you for reading. Lovies-S.