Good afternoon! :) I know it's been like forever, I think my last update was two years ago and I feel a little bit ashamed. I've been really busy, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm also really lazy, so if you add those two qualities together this happens. However, I received a review a few weeks ago and I have to admit I had forgotten that I didn't really give this story a proper ending. In fact, I had to re-read everything from the first chapter because I had no clue what it was really about. Yeah, I admit that I'm a fucking disaster. xD I would understand if you had no interest anymore. So, I've been writing the few free moments I had for the past two days and this is the result. Depending on the interest, I will make the story longer or shorter, but I want to give an ending after all the time I invested in this project and because you deserve it too. Anyway, here it goes.
Thank you so much for taking your time. ;)
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
: Chapter 39 – Workmates:
I can't help but smile when I see the beautiful woman in front of me, even if she's looking away to avoid eye contact. When Hanna told me we were meant to be together I thought that was a way of speaking, but now that this happened I think her theory is becoming a reality and I am loving every aspect of it. Of all the possible architects in this huge city they ended up hiring her to work with the project we have in our hands. The project was interesting enough, but due to this recent event I'm going to invest more energy in it. This must be the universe trying to tell me something, and after the conversation I had with Hanna regarding why our relationship got so deteriorated because my fault I am going to do everything in my power to win her back. I know it won't be easy at all, but I have to give it a try. I'm really happy I will be seeing her every day, even if it will be work related I will have the pleasure of seeing those beautiful eyes and smile and that thought makes me smile like a child with a lollypop. It will be just like in the past, I will be working closely with her on a project that I already liked but now that she is involved I like it even more. For a brief moment I think about those afternoons we spent at the office, even after the hour we were supposed to be at home, enjoying our company and brainstorming about possible improvements to make the project more affordable while maintaining the same material qualities. I know it was work, but it didn't feel like that when she was sitting next to me and we were talking about topics that we both loved. It was an odd but satisfying feeling, in addition to a little bit geeky. That's why when she left the company, I felt a void inside me, not just because she was my life partner, but because she was the main reason why going to work made me feel happy and fulfilled. Sharing those moments with her made coming to the office feel like it wasn't an obligation. That's the reason why when she was not here anymore, my dad and the company lost more than a very valuable employee. It affected me more than I really thought it would. Her absence made me a walking zombie. I came to work, I mean I was physically present sitting on my desk, but I lost every inspiration and everything that in the past didn't cause me any problem suddenly seemed hard to achieve. It's really impressive how a person could affect your life so much. I stopped having those innovative ideas that the both of us used to have and my energy fade away. I felt like I lost any joy that came with the boost of energy that any new project involves. My father also noticed that Emily not being here was affecting more than anything. I know my cheerful attitude disappeared the same day she left to Africa. Maybe he didn't expect it would affect my work so much, so it was like he lost the dream team that we ended up becoming and instead had a silent person occupying the same desk. I mean, it wasn't like I didn't work, but the flow was lacking. I still remember that day my dad told me to go to his office because he wanted to talk about some details the clients wanted to change about the façade of the building we were designing. When I entered his office and saw his face I knew this was more than about the blueprints he told me that needed some change. There was not anger in his face, like I had expected when I received his phone call. I saw pity in his eyes, and in that moment that made me feel even worse. When she mentioned that he understood what I was feeling and how it affected my mood when Emily left I felt powerless. I knew if he wasn't my dad I would probably be fired because of my lack of productivity. It was a little bit annoying that after a month she was everything I could think about. I thought that feeling would be normal the first few days, but I realized that every day it passed nothing changed and I was starting to feel even worse. Things weren't improving at all and I was taking the wrong path. I couldn't waste my life just because one person had disappeared from it, that made me a really weak person, and I was never like that. I had to change that in order to be the previous Paige, the one that didn't depend so much on one person. The conversation with my dad kind of made me open my eyes. I needed some major changes in my life.
Every day since she left I had the same routine. I went to work, then go home, have a shower, eat dinner and go to bed. I didn't socialize, when I arrived home I felt safe, because I didn't have to talk to anyone. My brother and even Hanna tried to make me go out, they insisted on it for a few weeks with no luck. They didn't give up though. They kept insisting until that afternoon after the conversation with my dad I left the office and decided to call Caleb. When I told him if he wanted to go have coffee he was really surprised and happy at the same time. I guess he figured out I was really trying to move on even though it was going to be difficult. After that first time I invited him to do something that involved talking, everything was smoother. I even started going out with Emily's friends. I mean, I knew Hanna liked me, and considering that she was dating my brother I knew she was going to be willing to spend time with me even though she was Emily's friend. What I didn't expect was that Spencer was going to call me to see how I was doing and we ended having a really close friendship. That woman always ended up surprising me. They didn't know the real story behind our break up, but they treated me really well afterwards, and we ended up being really good friends. Their support helped me bear my bad personal moment and I really appreciate them for that considering they could have shut me out just because I was the main reason their good friend left the country. Instead, they supported me and I will never forget that. Within days my mood was changing and although I was still thinking about her for the most part of the day, things were getting better. One afternoon, without expecting it, I received a text that I thought was not going to happen. Alison wanted to have a coffee with me. Since Emily had left she hadn't tried to contact me, so had come to the conclusion that she finally had forgotten about me. I thought for about fifteen minutes before answering, not really knowing what to do. There was nothing wrong about catching up with an old friend, and now that Emily wasn't going to be jealous about me seeing her, there was no reason to not seeing her. Actually, I always had loved talking to her so I ended up meeting her. What started like a casual encounter, it became in an everyday thing. I always met Alison after leaving the office. She made me laugh and for a brief moment I stopped thinking about Emily, so I enjoyed spending time with her. Everything changed one afternoon that we planned to go to the movies. Before entering the movie theatre we decided to have coffee and she asked me about Emily and what had happened between us. I was speechless, I didn't expect Alison to ask about that and I didn't know what to say. Actually, I hadn't talked about that with anybody. When she saw that I wasn't comfortable talking about this matter with her she held my hand and smiled at me. That was her way of telling me I didn't need to say anything. Her touch felt really good. I guess I missed that intimacy, someone touching me, even if she only lightly caressed my hand. I smiled shyly at her and she said 'It's okay', this time touching my arm. I don't know if picking a horror movie was a good choice when I get scared very easily. The first scary scene I jumped of fright and she started laughing. She held my hand again but this time didn't let it go. I won't lie, it felt really good. When I looked at her, even if it was really dark, I could see lust in her eyes. She kept staring at my lips, like she was trying to get a permit to taste my lips. She kept closing the gap between our faces and finally kissed me. Tasting someone again felt really good. What started with a kiss evolved in a relationship. I was happy, not feeling alone was the main part of my happiness after a brief time with no physical contact at all. Besides, I loved spending time with her and it made everything easier. I was not in love with her, I knew that for sure, but it felt good, so I didn't have second thoughts about it. It was really comfortable to have someone like that in my life. It didn't mean I had forgotten about Emily. I knew she was the love of my life, but now that she was gone this had to do it.
"Hey, Emily!" I shout while I run towards her. She enters the elevator and stares at me while the door is closing. I try to reach her with no luck. I keep pressing the elevator button but it doesn't open, so I decide to take the stairs, jumping three steps at the same time like my life depends on it. I reach the ground floor breathless. I was lucky I didn't sprain my ankle or break my leg. I look around and I don't see her. I go outside and I see her figure right in front of me. I run towards her, panting and shouting at the same time. It feels like I am running a marathon. She turns around to look at me, but she continues ignoring me. "Wait, please!" I insist, barely out of breath. She finally stops and stares at me with anger. I don't understand that look, I didn't do anything wrong this time, did I?
"What do you need?" she yells harshly. I go silent, I didn't expect this reaction. I mean, I know we are not friends, but this was rude. "Did you know anything about this?" I shake my head, confirming that I didn't know our partners were hiring her. "If you had something to do..." she starts saying, before I interrupt her.
"How can you think that? That's surreal," I abruptly answer.
"Is it?" She raises her eyebrows, like she is trying to make me understand it's feasible.
I sigh. "I just wanted to tell you I'm happy, that's all." I can't believe that's the nicest thing that comes to my mind after everything.
"Why?" She crosses her arms and looks me in the eye like she is doubting the reason behind my interest. Is it possible she thinks I don't care about her anymore? If she really does she couldn't be more mistaken.
"Why?" I huff. "I miss you." This time I prefer to be brief but effective.
"Unbelievable." She is angry.
"I know you hate me, and you have every reason to do that. I just wanted to tell you that now that we have to work together I'd prefer if we could have an amicable relationship." She averts her gaze and I miss the eye contact, that's how much I have missed her.
"We are not friends." She is not going to give in.
"I know that. But we are going to be workmates and I like to be a good professional, so I'm asking you a favor." I try to be reasonable. I know she won't be nice to me, she just needs time.
"A favor..." She shakes her head. "You have no right to ask any favor after everything that you..." Her voice is trembling and I see she's discreetly trying to wipe a tear.
I get closer to her and try to reach her hand, but she takes a step further. "We are workmates, you don't try to touch a workmate. Now leave, I've had enough, please." She is barely crying. I hate seeing her like that and even more knowing that I'm the reason why she's so upset.
"Em, please, don't cry." I take a step closer and she doesn't move. "Even if you don't believe me, I care a lot about you. I know you're hurt, but I love you too much to leave you alone if you're like this." I point at her and she raises her head to look me in the eye.
"Don't say..." I stop her before she ends up saying something I don't want to hear.
"Now I'm going to drive you home like a good workmate would do, okay?" I smile shyly, but I don't get a smile back, only a frown. However, she follows me and enters the car, so that's a huge step. I turn on the engine and push the accelerator. We don't say a word, silence filling the awkwardness that I can feel inside the vehicle. A call interrupts the silence. I look at the front screen and get nervous, she realized Alison was calling. I look at her and she doesn't say a word. I push the red button. Now it's not a good moment.
"You could have answered that. I'm only your workmate." She emphasizes on the word workmate and it feels like a stab wound.
"You're way more than that and you know it." I feel she turns her head to look at me, but I don't avert my gaze from the road in front of me. I smile on the inside. Step by step.
To be continued…
Stay tuned! ;)
