Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
GAbrIEL
I catch up with Leah at the end of the street but hold back. Hoping no one is watching and thinks I’m a stalker. Her body language clearly shows that whatever happened is taking its toll. She enters our office building, barely acknowledging the night security before making her way to the bank of elevators. I watch through the window as she frantically calls the lift, her shoulders sagging in relief as it arrives. When she disappears, I allow myself to enter.
“Evening, Mr Frazer.” I jump as a voice breaks my focus.
“Evening, James,” I say, acknowledging the man behind the desk. I keep moving, following Leah, not wanting to get caught up in pleasantries.
James takes the hint, instead hitting the button, allowing me through the security gate.
“Thanks,” I call, pressing forward.
I arrive on the office floor. The overnight emergency lights are dim, the cleaners have left a while ago.
I notice Leah’s office light on and make my way forward, unsure of what I’m going to find. I draw up short at the pain- filled sobs escaping the semi-opened door. Indecision wars in my gut, but Caleb’s words echo in my mind.
Let me know how she is.
Leah’s legs are visible, and I know she’s sitting on the sofa in the corner of her office. Stepping up to the door, I rap my knuckles against the wood.
“Leah?”
“Gabriel.”
A soft gasp comes from within, followed by rustling. I step around the door and into the room. Leah sits hunched over, black makeup runs, cutting tracks down her cheeks. Her hand comes up and swipes at the lines, smearing them sidewards. I walk over to her desk and grab the box of tissues she always has there, handing them over.
“Thanks,” she says, pulling one out. She wipes her face, making little difference to the disaster that is her makeup. I watch as she wrings the poor tissue in her hands, twisting and pulling.
“What are you doing back?” she asks, trying her best to put on her most professional tone, deliberately ignoring the elephant in the room.
“I was at Tristan’s,” I admit.
Leah’s head drops, her face crumpling. She draws in a shuddering breath. “Oh.”
An awkward silence descends.
After a moment, she looks up, offering me a wan smile. “That’s embarrassing. But I’m fine, honestly.”
I drop into the chair opposite Leah’s desk, swivelling it to face her. “When my sisters say they’re fine, it usually means they’re anything but. After what I’ve just seen, I’d say you fall into that category.”
Leah gives a little snort.
“And if I want to be alone?” Leah asks, raising her puffy, bloodshot eyes to mine .
“I’ll grant your wish. But if you need to talk, I’m a surprisingly good listener.” I stand up. “I’m going to make us both a drink. Tea or coffee?”
“Tea. If I drink your coffee at this time of night, I’ll never sleep.”
Leah’s lips twitch. It’s true, I do like my coffee strong.
“Tea it is,” I say, leaving her alone.
I take my time making our drinks. By the time I return to Leah’s office, she’s washed her face and changed back into her work clothes. Her hair once again scraped up.
I place her drink on the table.
“Thanks,” she says, picking it up and cradling it in her hands.
I return to my seat and wait.
Leah pauses.
“Vince and I broke up just over two months ago. As you can probably guess, he met someone else.”
Her voice is monotone, and my stomach clenches. I think back over the past two months for any signs of this traumatic event. I knew something was wrong. But this—a broken engagement? How could I miss something this big in one of my employee’s lives, especially Leah’s? We work together side by side every day.
As if sensing my unspoken question. “Don’t look so horrified. The fact you haven’t picked up on it. I’m glad. This is my sanctuary. Work is work. My private life is for home.”
I baulk at the words I’ve used many times over the years. The fact that I used the office to escape my heartbreak does not mean I expect everyone else to adhere to my screwed-up ways.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Yes, I did,” she says, her smile hollow. “It meant I got through it.”
I understand her logic .
“What happened tonight?”
Leah pauses, uncertainty clouding her features. Her shoulders drop. “Vince’s new girlfriend announced they’re moving into the apartment he and I lived in, and that...” Leah’s face contorts as she wrestles with her emotions. “Announced that... announced that... they’re pregnant.”
The last words come out in a whoosh. Leah drags her trembling bottom lip between her teeth, her gaze returning to a spot on the floor.
We sit in silence as I let her words sink in.
“Where’s he living now?”
Leah takes a deep breath and sits up tall, shaking herself off. “He’s living with her, but apparently, her lease is up for renewal, and they want to move back into Vince’s apartment. He’s put it on the market... that’s why there’s been no rush for me to move out.”
Leah must notice my confusion as she shrugs. “The apartment is Vince’s. I’m his lodger.” She’s unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. “I’m lucky he let me stay while I find somewhere to live.”
The words, his and lodger , make my blood boil. They were engaged, and not just for five minutes. Five years! Together ten! But somehow, nothing surprises me. I never liked Vincent Lamont. I’ve met him multiple times over the years. We may both be in financial markets, but he’s brash and loud. A pretentious prick. The type of trader depicted in the movies. I’ve never understood what Leah saw in him, but then they say opposites attract. I only have to look at my family members and their partners to know how unlikely couples fall in and out of love.
Leah gets up, placing her cup on the table. Moving around the room, she gathers her belongings.
“Have you found somewhere?” I ask.
She stops what she’s doing and gives me a tight-lipped smile. “The girls and I are looking tomorrow. I’ve got about eight apartments lined up.” Her chin falls to her chest, before her head comes up, her eyes locking with mine. “Then I can move out and put all this behind me.”
“If you need any time off,” I say.
She fiercely shakes her head. “Thank you, but No. What I need is for the office to be my sanctuary.” Her eyes pleading as she looks at me. “Please.”
“Okay, but if anything changes.”
She nods, but her eyes don’t meet mine.
I stand up and move to the door. “When you’re ready to leave, give me a shout. I’ll be getting my things together. I’ll drop you home.”
Leah freezes. “You don’t have to do that,” she says.
“I know, but you’re on the way. Don’t argue. Just accept it,” I say, turning and leaving before she argues further.