4 #2
She winced as she continued. “So now half the internet thinks your article exposed a real issue, and the other half thinks your dad’s showing favouritism because he’s too emotionally invested in one of his star players.
And now, people want both of them to be reviewed…
you know, along with the PTs that already work the tours. ”
Suddenly, I was thankful my hands were full, because the urge to cover my face while hoping for the floor beneath me to open up and swallow me whole was almost unbearable.
A humourless laugh escaped me. “Well, at least his anger seems justified now.”
“And?” She asked, obviously picking up on my trail of thoughts.
I sighed, forcing my feet to move and leave the store. “…And why he just handed me a promotion to come and fix this mess.”
Her eyes turned into saucers. “He what?”
“Yep,” I gritted through my teeth. “Officially part of the England Lions come next Monday.”
For a second, Samyra just stared at me through the screen like her brain had temporarily stopped processing information correctly.
“Maeve,” she said slowly, “that is not a promotion. That is a public execution.”
“I’m aware. And clearly, I deserve it.”
“Okay, yes, you made a mistake—but how the media is reacting is not on you.”
“It kind of is.” I shrugged, more exhausted than I’d been ten minutes ago. Sighing immediately after, I rubbed at my forehead. “I just cannot believe I have to work with Rihaan now.”
Her expression softened again as the automatic doors opened with a hiss. Adjusting my grip on my things, I shook my head as the cold air hit my face. “I’m going to eat my feelings in my car, get some energy, and then drive back.”
I barely made it two steps out of the shop before walking straight into someone.
The impact hit hard enough to send me stumbling backwards, the items in my hand slipping from my grasp entirely.
“Oh my God, shit—”
The crisps bag hit the pavement with a low thud, my drink rolling sideways while the box of cheese dunkers skidded embarrassingly close to the car parked on one of the pump. My phone nearly followed after them as I windmilled awkwardly to catch my balance.
“Sorry,” The guy said at the exact same time I did, both of us bending instinctively to grab the fallen items.
Then his hand paused over the toothpaste.
My stomach dropped before I’d even looked up.
The tattoos look familiar.
Raising my head carefully felt a bit like voluntarily approaching my own execution.
“Maeve?” Samyra’s voice echoed as a current passed through me, just as the guy’s head snapped in my direction. “What’s going on?”
Rihaan stared back at me, his brows drawn together in surprise.
Oh, this is just great.
Then Rihaan’s gaze flicked from my face to the scattered contents on the pavement. His expression shifted almost imperceptibly.
Concern.
Which somehow felt worse than if he’d looked angry.
I blinked, frozen, waiting for his features to harden once he properly registered who I was and what I’d done to him.
Only…it never came.
Unless…
No. That wasn’t possible, right?
My frown deepened as I stared at him.
Unless he forgot about you.
“Are you okay?” he asked carefully when I continued watching him silently. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking.”
Yep, the guy I’d been holding a grudge against seems to have forgotten I even existed.
Unfortunately for me, Samyra chose that exact moment to screech through the speaker, “MAEVE LYNNE KNOX! GIVE ME A SIGN YOU’RE OKAY.”
The embarrassment was enough to snap me out of the unjustifiable hurt that had spread through me, and I quickly grabbed my phone that had landed upside down, along with the rest of my stuff.
“Finally!” Samyra continued at full volume, as I moved to where my car parked and the gaze on me turned molten. “I honest to god thought you’d been mugged or something.”
“Hey. What’s wrong?” Samyra asked, finally catching a glimpse of my face. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
The burn between my shoulder blades dared me to look back, and I made the stupid mistake of listening to it.
This time, when I met Rihaan’s brown eyes, the concern from earlier had vanished completely, replaced by the anger I’d expected from the start. His jaw was clenched tight as he stood there watching me, utterly still.
He might not have recognised me at first.
But now, I was certain he knew exactly who I was.
I swallowed hard before wrenching my gaze away and unlocked my car, every moment feeling painfully aware of the fact that Rihaan was still standing behind me. Watching me.
The cold air bit at my face as I yanked the door open and practically fell into the driver’s seat, tossing my stuff onto the passenger side.
For a second, I just sat there gripping the steering wheel, trying to remember how breathing worked.
“Maeve?” Samyra’s voice cut through the haze. “Who did you see?”
I let my forehead fall lightly against the steering wheel.
“You’re never going to believe this,” I muttered.
“Considering that the last twenty-four hours of your life pretty much sound like a reality TV show, try me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Rihaan.”
Silence covered us as Samyra’s jaw dropped comically slowly.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I walked out of the shop and body-slammed him with my comfort snacks, and the drink I brought to convince myself I’d get at least some probiotics in me.”
Samyra made a noise somewhere between horror and delight. “No.”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God.”
“You want to know the worst part?”
She blinked. “Him bumping into you wasn’t the worst part?”
“Well, considering he didn’t recognise me until you blasted my full name through the speaker, I’d say no.”
Her brown eyes widened into complete saucers. It would’ve been funny if my heart wasn’t currently behaving like it was about to explode.
Before she could interrogate me further, the sound of our sharp doorbell rang through her side of the call.
Samyra frowned, pausing for a beat. “Hang on.”
I watched her as she moved quickly, my frown matching hers in curiosity. The only time someone rang our bell was when we were expecting someone as our packages and letters were usually slid in the assigned locker downstairs.
“Maeve.” Alarm rang through Samyra’s voice as she looked at the mini video feed our ringer had attached to it.
“What?”
“Roland is here.” She whispered-yelled, her frown deepening. “Did you invite him?”
“What? No.” I replied quickly, matching the level of alarm that was rising in my body. “I haven’t spoken to him since we broke up.”
She ran a hand through her hair, tugging at a few strands in frustration. If I disliked my ex-boyfriend, Samyra outright despised him.
According to her, I’d never managed to reach the same level because the man had been known to give me the occasional mind-numbing orgasm which usually ended any argument before it properly began.
All I’d ever said was that, unlike some men in my life, Roland at least understood female anatomy, and with my dissertation deadline approaching, it had been helpful.
Unfortunately, that appeared to be where his talents started and ended.
The longer we’d dated, the more his micro-aggressive comments had started slipping through the cracks.
Little things at first. Condescending remarks disguised as jokes.
Strange possessiveness dressed up as concern.
The kind of behaviour that sat quietly in the back of my mind, slowly collecting weight until I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
So at the first real warning sign, I’d shown him the door.
It wasn’t like we’d been in love. At least, I hadn’t been.
We’d only dated for a few months, and after the breakup, we’d mostly drifted out of each other’s lives without much drama. Which was exactly why Samyra now looked ready to commit a felony over him appearing uninvited at our flat.
“Just ignore him.” I told her, biting the inside of my cheek.
“And what if he doesn’t go away?” She snapped, full aware that he’d done that before after a particularly bad argument, and the cold January air was not enough to deter him.
“Well, unless you want to invite him upstairs until I come home—which now that I know he’s there—won’t be before later this evening, I’d recommend you to take that risk.”
“Ugh. Fine.” She groaned, as she moved, presumably in the direction of her room. “But I expect a sweet treat from Tales & Lattes with my name on it when you get home.”
I nodded, smiling at how well my best friend knew me. Because after how my day was shaping to be? There was only one place I could unwind.