Chapter 24
My mind is a jigsaw puzzle of fragmented memories that aren’t quite fitting correctly when I wake up the next day.
“God, my head is throbbing,” I groan, feeling an awful sense of déjà vu. “Who parties in the middle of the working week?”
The haze of sleep still lingers and there’s a pressure inside my skull, the events of the past 24 hours catching up to my conscience as I wake up.
“Welcome to the world of fashion.”
I turn towards Gigi to find her already sitting down in the living room and wearing sunglasses indoors with her laptop in front of her.
“How are you feeling?” She asks me.
“Not great,” I answer honestly. “But surprisingly better than last night.”
My eyes scan the clock on the wall, finding it difficult to concentrate.
11:38 AM.
“Oh shit!” I scramble up immediately. “I’m late for work.”
The movement causes me to sway and I nearly tumble out of bed.
“Take it easy, Hals.” Gigi is beside me almost instantly. “You might still be on a comedown. August told me for you to take the day off.”
“He did?”
“He was here all night,” She nods. “Hero left when I got back from the after-party but August stayed until about an hour ago when his phone started blowing up.”
I wince at the thought of August staying behind to watch over a highly strung-out, drugged-up liability when he undoubtedly has more pressing obligations.
“He was awake when I woke up this morning but you were still out of it,” Gigi continues.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I ask with a wince.
“August told me not to,” She replies. “He said to leave you to rest and to take the day off. I think he was waiting for you to wake up.”
We’ll talk in the morning.
I slap my forehead with my hand.
“I don’t think he slept, you know.” Gigi adds.
My stomach knots.
“This is a nightmare,” I groan.
“Do you remember what happened last night?” She asks.
“It’s all a blur in my head,” I reply. “But I know I was drugged, somehow.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, massaging the space between my eyes gently as my head begins to throb again.
“I need to go to the studio,” I sigh.
The intermittent bursts of raised voices and sharp, heated exchanges can be heard as soon as the lift doors open to the fourth floor. Clipped arguments echo down the corridor as I approach August’s office.
“Stop jumping to conclusions, August.” Sebastian’s voice reaches my ears. “I didn’t touch your precious intern.”
I pause, eyebrows furrowing at the topic of conversation.
“What is your fucking problem?” It’s August’s voice this time.
“You are my problem, you prick.” Sebastian seethes. “You fucking punched my face in after accusing me of drugging someone. I was trying to help her.”
“Help her what? Get into your fucking trousers?”
“Jesus.” A loud, derisive laugh echoes inside. “Never thought I’d see the day the August Vante gets jealous of something under my name.”
A threatening tone tinges August’s voice. “She isn’t yours.”
“Who knew you could be so protective, playboy.” Sebastian scoffs. “This is new. Are you changing your roster of playthings? Thought that a nice, little romp in the sheets with an intern was a lovely change in scenery, did you?”
August’s voice drops dangerously low. “Leave her alone.”
“Oh, but she’s such a doll! An absolute gem, if you ask me,” Sebastian taunts. “Fancy breaking her in together? You know, for old time’s sake.”
There’s a momentary pause before a thunderous crash resounds in the room. Startled by the sudden noise, I rush inside without a second thought and I blink at the sight of August and Sebastian squared up against each other, the former with a firm grip on the blazer lapels of the latter.
“Hallie!”
Sebastian’s posture changes completely as he sees me, August immediately releasing him as he notices me stumble inside his office. The blinds in the room, usually drawn in, are pulled wide open casting an unsettling brightness in the area. It’s a little disconcerting to see his workspace in broad daylight, given my familiarity with its typically dim environment.
“I heard about last night,” Sebastian begins, straightening his blazer. “How are you doing?”
He walks over to me and my mouth hangs open in shock at his marred-up face.
“I’m fine,” I reply, trying to stay impassive as I take in his bruised eye and split lip. “Are you?”
“Oh, this?” He points to his face before waving a hand dismissively. “Nothing to worry about, doll. Just a little tiff between old friends.”
The tension between August and Sebastian is almost tangible, the air prickling with an energy that feels like imaginary pins piercing my skin.
August, normally stoic, doesn’t hide his disdain as his eyes pore over Sebastian.
“I’ll see myself out.” Sebastian nods towards me, completely ignoring August. “Lovely to see you as always, Hallie.”
Sebastian exits without another word, leaving August and I in his office. My eyes linger momentarily at the door before I turn towards August, gasping as I take in his facial features. There’s a gash on his cheekbone, early signs of a bruise forming on the right side of his face.
“August,” I swallow.
His normally steely eyes are molten silver as they stare at me with concern.
“How are you feeling?” He asks quietly. “I told Gigi to tell you to take the day off.”
An ache forms in my chest as he walks towards me.
“I’m feeling well enough,” I say. “What happened?”
My fingers twitch as it reaches up to touch his face and his eyes flicker to my palm. The uncertainty in his gaze prompts me to force my left hand back down to my side.
Instead of answering my question, he counters it with one of his.
“Can you remember anything last night?”
“Fragments,” I answer. “It’s a bit of a blur.”
My memory recollects moments in between, playing snippets that distort themselves, like an overexposed film negative— too dark in the shadows, too dense in the highlights.
“How’s your ankle?” He inquires.
His tone takes on the same softness from the night before and it tugs on my heart.
“It’s fine,” I reply quietly. “Just a slight swelling but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m wearing flats today so—”
Unexpectedly, August crouches down to inspect my ankle. The gesture catches me off guard and I shuffle nervously as his fingertips brush against my poor attempt at bandaging my ankle with a compression wrap.
“You fell quite hard,” He says, his touch gentle on the bruise. “Are you sure you don’t want the rest of the day off? Get your ankle checked at the hospital?”
His voice somehow manages to be even softer as he looks up at me, his gaze all too intimate.
I nod wordlessly, feeling the room warming up all of a sudden.
“Let me redo the bandage at least,” He says gently.
“I-I’m okay,” I stutter. “Thank you though, I appreciate it.”
He doesn’t say anything else as he slowly shifts into a standing position. The familiar scent of sandalwood and bergamot overwhelms me and the mental fog in my brain clouds over even more at his closeness.
“Do you need anything?” I look up at him. “An ice pack? Some painkillers? I can go out and get it for you.”
“I should be asking you that.”
August moves back to his desk, reaching for a remote that begins drawing up the blinds of the room, the lighting dimming with it.
“Well done on everything you’ve done for fashion week, by the way.” He says.
“Just doing my job,” I reply.
“You’ll be happy to know you’re being assigned back to Design.” He nods towards me. “There’s some paperwork that needs completing but it should come as no problem for you. You’re back in the studio on Monday.”
“Thanks, August.” I say.
He gives me an aloof nod, a signal to take my leave but I linger a little longer.
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” I ask. “I can, um, fetch you pomegranate wine? It won’t be the exact one from that Mediterranean island but it’ll still be fermented pomegranate juice?”
The corner of his mouth twitches ever so slightly.
“I’ll be fine,” He nods. “Just… Please look after yourself.”
Something flashes in his grey eyes and he appears torn, almost sad. My mind clears suddenly, a different lurching in my gut as I remember something.
“I’ll explain everything to Valentina,” I say. “I’m sure she was wondering where you were last night. Gigi told me Hero was already gone when she got back to the flat but you stayed with me until you had to leave for work.”
August turns to me, eyebrows furrowing.
“I’ll talk to her and let her know she has nothing to worry about,” I continue. “You can tell her it was a drunken mistake on my part. I got intoxicated, which I did. And that it was my fault, which it was.”
I wring my hands nervously behind my back.
“It didn’t…” I hesitate for a moment.
It didn’t mean anything.
The statement gets lodged in my throat. Nothing has ever tasted more sour in my mouth and I turn my gaze away from him.
“Val and I aren’t together.”
My head jerks up, horrified.
I can almost see the headlines now.
HOMEWRECKER HARTT!!Fresh-Faced Fashion Designer Destroys Relationship on the Runway
“Oh God. Let me explain to her,” I plead. “I’m sure she’ll take you back if she finds out the truth. I’ll tell her everything, she’ll—”
“Mahalia.”
“I can fix it, I promise.” I swallow. “If you let me talk to her, I can-”
“Will you please let me finish?” August shakes his head, somewhat amused. “Nothing is going on between Valentina and I.”
I frown. “What?”
“Valentina has never been my girlfriend,” August says. “Nor is she interested in ever being one. Sakura teases me about it all the time because she knows it will never happen. You and her have more of a chance with Valentina than I do.”
I blink at that.
“Whatever’s going in that tinkering talented head of yours, get rid of it. You’re not a home wrecker, you haven’t destroyed anyone’s relationship.”
“I still want to apologise,” I say. “About the club. I don’t want to be trouble for HR or PR or anything like that. I don’t want you to—”
“File a complaint for harassment?” He asks. “What makes you think I haven’t already?”
My eyes widen and I turn to August, panicked.
“I’m kidding,” He quickly backtracks, clearing his throat. “I won’t be reporting any issues. Besides, I kissed you back, remember?”
My brain short-circuits as I feel a blush travel up my neck.
“Oh…” I nod awkwardly. “Yes, you did. Thanks.”
I pause. And then, a realisation.
“Wait, I meant—”
“You’re welcome.” The corner of his mouth quirks up slightly. “I’ll try not to take offence at the fact you ended up vomiting in the bathroom straight after.”
My mouth drops in mortification at the memory.
“That was not your fault.” I shake my head. “I mixed one too many drinks and—”
August releases a breath, similar to a quiet chuckle.
“Would you have kissed me, a third time, if you didn’t?”
“In a heartbeat!” I answer automatically before the question fully registers in my head.
His grey eyes twinkle in amusement, the corner of his lips twitching into a small smile.
“Wait, I mean–”
“Relax, Tinker-Talent.” His voice is gentle, the nickname slipping effortlessly from his lips. “If you’re not taking the day off, at least work from my office. Hero will kill me if he finds out I didn’t keep an eye on you.”
His tone, this time, leaves no room for argument and I nod, making my way to the small seating area.
“Do you want the blinds drawn or?” He asks me.
I look up to find him standing by the window and I shake my head, aware of his preference for working in low-lit environments.
“I’m okay with working in the dark,” I answer. “I still have a headache from last night.”
A strange stirring materialises in my chest, the feeling of something untangling as I watch August walk back to his desk.
There’s a newfound softness to him as he works behind the computer in the dim lighting of his office, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He glances in my direction and the unwinding intensifies. I quickly look away, tamping the feeling down before I can put a name to it.