Chapter 11 #2
I am excited about work today. Excited because it is a Friday, and I get to see Sam this afternoon.
And I am happy about not having to see Cyrus or Eli over the weekend, assuming they won’t call.
Today is a good day. After they stayed for dinner last night, I still feel a little nervous about them bringing up the idea of moving me; I am hoping by the end of the month, they will have found a replacement in Soya City, leaving me here.
Getting to the office, I turn everything on and start up the coffee machine.
Nothing can bring my mood down today. Switching my computer on, I wait for it to boot.
Making the coffees, I set them on the table, ready for when they’ll come in.
Like clockwork, the elevator doors open, and out step the insufferable pricks.
Though they are nice to look at, personality-wise, they are right pricks.
“You seem in a good mood today,” Eli remarks as I hand him his coffee.
“Yep, tomorrow is the weekend, and I won’t have to suffer the day with you two,” I tell them, not even caring if I’ve hurt their wee hearts.
“So, you think we won’t call you in? Damn, might just find something for you to do now since you love our company so much,” says Cyrus.
“I will switch my phone off,” I tell him.
“And I will rock up to your house,” he retorts.
I fold my arms across my chest. So much for my good mood.
“I am joking, Addie.”
“Very funny,” I tell him.
“Or maybe I am not. We’ll have to see,” he says, walking into his office.
Eli smiles, a devious look in his eye before walking into his office.
I sit at my desk, rummaging through a mountain of files. I need to get these done, so they won’t use it as an excuse to keep me back. I’m supposed to be meeting Sam at eight o’clock.
My job consists of mostly filing and taking calls and messages.
I also have to book a few appointments, so to be a smartass, I book them all for 9AM Monday, back-to-back till lunchtime.
They are going to be pissed. But because it is Friday and by the time they get messages about the meeting, it will be too late to cancel them.
I snicker to myself at my plan of not having to deal with them on Monday for half the day.
Turns out they actually make me work back. The one time they don’t tell me to leave early is the day I am meeting Sam. They literally make me wait till dead-on 7PM before dismissing me. I curse their names all the way to my car, racing home to shower and get changed.
“You’re home. Sam has called three times to see if you’re still coming and said he couldn’t get you on your mobile,” my mother says as I race upstairs.
I grab my clothes, heading for the bathroom.
“What did you tell him?” I call out.
“That, of course, you were meeting him.”
That’s my Momma. She knows me well.
I reckon I could break the record for the fastest shower and make-up job in history.
“Have fun,” my mother says, smacking my ass as I try to slip my shoes on.
Rushing to my car, I hop in before heading back toward my workplace, as Morgan’s Diner is directly opposite it. I park out the front and see Sam waiting already in the window. A silly grin creeps on my face as I step out of the car. He notices me, walking out to meet me.
I lock my car only to turn around, and Sam kisses me, grabbing my ass and pulling me against him.
“I missed you,” he says against my lips.
“Missed you too,” I tell him, wondering what’s come over him. He usually isn’t so handsy and most definitely not so affectionate.
I step back, looking at him. He has on his black leather jacket and jeans with a tight-fitting black shirt underneath, revealing his muscular chest, and I can just make out the line of his abs.
“You look good. I can’t believe you’re back. I thought for sure you were going to ditch me here,” I tell him.
“Yeah, I have been thinking a lot. I missed home, have decided I am staying home from now on,” he says, grabbing my hand in his large one. He leads me inside, and we sit at the booth near the back.
The waitress comes over to take our orders.
“So, what has been happening with you?” he asks.
“Nothing, really. Still working across the street at a different level now. I work for the owners directly, but other than that, not much. My sister did another runner,” I tell him.
“Again? I thought she was doing good at this one,” he replies, and I nod.
“She lasted an entire month before she skipped out. Haven’t seen or heard from her for nearly four months now.”
“She will come back. She always does,” he says, grabbing my hand.
Sam is probably the only person I actually tell anything. Not even Bella knowns about my sister.
“What about you?” I ask as our food comes out. I take a bite of my burger before looking up at him.
“Nothing, really. Fucking freezing over there. Rains all the time. Was driving me nuts.”
“So, what brought you back?”
“Mom. Dad died while I was over there. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave her here alone,” he says, and I nod in understanding.
“How are you, though?”
“Fine, I never got along with dad. You know that I just worry for mom. They have been together since they were teens,” he says with a sigh.
We eat in comfortable silence. One thing I like about Sam is that we don’t feel the need to fill the silence. It’s never awkward. When we finish, we order another coffee each.
“My house or yours?”
“You really have to ask?”
He chuckles. “Just checking,” he says, his hazel eyes sparkling under the dim lights as he smiles.
Sam suddenly grips my chin, pulling me forward before kissing me, his tongue slipping into my mouth. He breaks the kiss when the waitress clears her throat before placing our coffee down. She leaves, and I turn to look at him. My eyebrows furrow.
“You okay? You’re acting strange,” I tell him.
“Yep, fine. What, I can’t kiss you now?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, it’s not that I don’t care. You’re just being… I don’t know, more affectionate.”
“Yeah, I have been meaning to talk…” He doesn’t finish, instead looking up as someone approaches.
I drop my head. This cannot be happening right now.
Eli sits next to me, sliding along the booth seat. Sam looks from Eli to me, and I try to hide my face as I look out the window, embarrassed.
“Hi, can I help you?” Sam asks, a little perplexed.
“Adeline!” Sam exclaims, making me look at him as he looks between Eli and me. I press my lips in a line when Eli places his hand on my thigh.
“Hi, I am Eli. Addie’s boss,” Eli says politely, yet from the look on his face and the trembling of his hand on my leg, he looks like he wants to kill him.
“Okay, Adeline, what’s going on?” Sam asks.
“I am so sorry about this. We will just go,” I tell Sam, about to hop up when Eli’s grip on my legs tightens.
“Sit down, Addie,” Eli says, and the venom in his words makes me do as I am told.
I look up and notice Cyrus standing next to Sam, his jaw tight. Like, what was their problem to humiliate me like this? And to confront Sam over our non-relationship?
“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on here, but Adeline, call me when you figure it out,” Sam says, hopping up and stepping past Cyrus awkwardly. Sam glances warily at him before sending me one last glance and rushing out.
“I can’t believe you just did that. What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yell a little too loud.
“Tone, we are in a public setting,” Cyrus says.
“Fuck this! Move, Eli!” I yell at him.
“Sit down, Adeline. Now.”
“No, you just humiliated me. All because you have it stuck in your head that I am in some sort of weird fucking relationship with you. You had no right to do that. Now, move, or I will scream and cause a fucking scene,” I warn them.
Eli’s grip tightens on my wrist before he lets go, letting me out of the booth.
I drop cash on the table before walking out.
Eli and Cyrus are hot on my heels. I head straight for my car, noticing Sam’s is gone now.
Clicking the button, my car unlocks, and I go to hop in when Eli snatches the keys from my hand, relocking it.
He grabs my arm, pulling me away from my car.
“Give me my fucking keys and let go,” I tell him, but he just pulls me along while I struggle against his impossibly tight grip.
“Adeline!” Cyrus snaps.
I realize they are trying to take me to their car across the street. Eli turns to yell at me, but instead, I slap him. The sound resonates loudly as my hand comes in contact with his face.
He stops frozen, glaring at me, a growl escaping his lips.
Wait, he can growl? The noise sounds menacing, like a predator stalking its prey.
He grips my arms before tossing me over his shoulder and unlocking his car.
I see the waitress look out the window nervously at me.
He dumps me in the back seat, climbing in with me.
Cyrus climbs in the front seat, starting the car.
“What are you doing?” I scream.
“What I should have done from the fucking start,” he growls, and I freeze, paralyzed by intense fear.
His eyes are bleeding black, and his teeth are elongating right before my eyes.
A growl escapes his lips, and I scream before he rips my head to the side, his teeth sinking into my neck, pain radiating down my shoulder and neck.
My screams die out as my vision becomes tunneled, darkness creeping over me before I pass out. The last thing I remember is the face of a monster.