FROSTBOUND

One

Five years later

My alarm clock keeps buzzing and no matter how many times I shift and turn and cover my ears with the pillow, it just won't stop. I stretch my arm to reach for it, eyes still closed. I feel it in my fingers and just when I'm about to punch it off I miss and I feel as my whole body slumps on the floor with a thud followed by the duvet.

I yelp in pain and finally open my eyes. I hate waking up. I'm not a morning person. Never have, never will.

But I have to wake up because if I don't, I will lose my job and if I lose my job I'll have nothing that keeps me busy and I won't he able to pay my bills. So yea, I hate this life, but I just have to live it.

I get the duvet cover off me and stretch yawning as I get off the floor switching off the alarm clock. It's around six thirty in the morning and I'm supposed to be in the office by nine in the morning. I think I have enough time to prepare.

I make my bed hurriedly and head to the bathroom.

I normally have a morning routine that I've been following for the past couple of years since I started this new job and it's been working in helping me have a healthy and productive day in the office.

I wake up at six thirty, make my bed, sometimes I work out, a day or two in a week, or I do yoga during the weekend. Health experts say it helps keep the body healthy. I take a shower and dress up. Have breakfast, do some reading then head for the office, which normally takes me thirty to forty five minutes to get there. The routine always works.

I do it, not because I like it but because it makes me feel normal and perfects my life. That's good enough for me.

After the warm shower, I'm standing before the mirror applying my lotion on as I stare at my naked body on the mirror.

My arm goes over my left arm and I slowly close my eyes as I feel the scar. Then the same to my thigh.

Everytime I touch those scars my heart skips. These scars are a reminder of a past that I've been fighting so hard to leave behind.

Five years later and I managed to fight my past and get over it. But these scars, they will always remind me.

I put on my long sleeved chiffon light pink top and pull on my charcoal grey bandage midi skirt. I take a moment to stare at how perfect it hugs my features and smile. I did grow up on my hip area, not like I was back then. I heard it comes with the age.

Nonetheless, I like the new me better.

I do a little make up on my face and tie my hair into a pony tail. I no longer do the afro full hair, instead I normally straighten it and style it accordingly. It looks more official and serious.

About an hour later after I'm done with everything I get to the office fifteen minutes to nine. Most of my colleagues are already in. I'm actually one of those that doesn't normally come early to work.

I guess it comes with the position. Being a project manager kind of gives me some powers to get to do what I want to.

"Good morning Miss Luna?" Judy my intern greets as I walk into the office. She takes my bag and the files in my hands and places them perfectly on my desk.

I have been working with her for three months now, and of all the interns I've worked with, she is my favorite. She is so competent and hardworking. I know her period is almost over but I'll have a chat with the HR to have her extended for another three months, because she is just this sweet little girl with a big dream and a high devotion to see it come true.

I adore her.

"Morning Judy, do you have anything for me today?"

I take off my coat and place it on my swivel chair.

"Nothing much, just that the boss was here, he said he wanted to see you, once you get in."

I nod and slump on my chair.

I don't normally meet eye to eye with our boss because I don't see any reason. So if he's asked to see me I must bet it is very important.

"Coffee ma'am?"

"Yes please, you know how I like it." She nods and makes to walk out of the office, but I call her back.

"Judy?"

"Yes ma'am."

With the name again.

"It's been three months, you can drop the ma'am, just call me Cassidy, I'd appreciate that." She nods and walks out.

Judy is twenty one years old, in her final year at the university. Every time I look at her it reminds me of a my younger self. The person that I was before life's drama. I wish that I had so much focus like her then. I did have focus but it was in the wrong mission. I realized it too late and that's why I wouldn't want her to ever dream of something that's not meant for her.

At twenty one all I wanted was to find gangs and kill them. I was filled with revenge and pain and if someone would tell me I would be here in some organization as a project manager I would have laughed it off on their faces. But here I am, and I surprisingly prefer this life. I'm not sure if it's what I wanted, but it gives me peace.

She always takes a while to make my coffee so I decide to check on my boss instead.

I knock on his door and I can hear his voice as he lets me in.

"Miss Luna?"

"Good morning Sir?"

"Morning, please." He waves his hand for me to sit on the seat across to his desk.

My boss is probably in his late fifties or so. He is one of the most humbled bosses I've ever met. Given my former boss was an ass, and a murderer, this one is something else.

He is always friendly and very understanding and he is the only boss that I know who doesn't have a personal assistant or a secretary and he is so fine with it.

"You asked for me."

"Yes."

I give him the go ahead look, waiting for him to say whatever it is. He leans back in his chair and takes off his glasses. I look at how weird his eyes look without the glasses on and I fight back a grin. I'm so never using those things in my entire life.

"I noticed that you have been reporting to the office late, unlike the scheduled reporting time."

I look at him with creased brows.

I know the scheduled reporting time is nine, so I have no idea what he means by that.

"My scheduled time is nine, Sir."

"That was your scheduled time when you joined the organization, that changed, reporting time is eight."

Really?

"Since when?"

"It's been for a while now, let this be the last time you report to work late, take it as a final warning."

Something in me tells me to argue, but I don't want to lose my job. I have been doing it for a while now. I guess I'll just have to wake up an hour earlier.

Besides, my boss has never been mean towards me, so being rude won't be a good thing.

"Okay Sir." I stand up before he calls my name again.

"And Miss Luna?"

"Yes sir."

"No more leaving at three thirty as you normally do, you leave at five like the rest of the guys."

"What? But before I started this job I told you guys I have another job, you all agreed to me leaving at three thirty."

Especially him. He was so excited that I was joining his organization that he would literally agree to everything I was telling him, I don't know what just changed.

"I'm sorry but you no longer get the special treatments, you're being paid to work full time, you'll have to choose between this job or the other one."

I don't even argue anymore. I walk out of his office, feeling crappy. He just had to ruin my whole day.

I don't know what will happen at my other job, but there's no way in hell I'd be dropping that. I guess I'll just have to talk to Coffey and I hope he is more understanding than my current boss.

As I walk out, I bump into Dennis our Human Resources Manager. He is not my favorite person but I make it a mission to stand him everyday.

"Cassidy, Good morning?"

"Dennis." I nod my head acknowledging him.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"I'm not really in the mood."

"It will just take a second." I turn around rolling my eyes.

"Fine, what is it?"

"You had told me earlier you wanted us to extend Judy's contract, right?"

"Yea, I love working with her." I remember I had told him how she was my best intern so far and it would be great if he considered it.

"I can see to that, but..." I roll my eyes, I should have expected he would want something in return.

He is just that kind of jerk.

"But what?" I ask him in a more serious tone with a frown on my face.

"Only if you go out with me."

There, I knew he was going to say that. I don't know why he doesn't normally get the hint, no matter how hard I try to tell him no. I'm not interested at all. Dennis is not that bad looking I guess, he's  tall, light skinned, good looking and probably in his early thirties, but he's just a no for me.

"I'm not going out with you, give her the contract or not, your problem." I want to walk away but I feel him holding my hand. I close my eyes to fight back the anger. I feel like twisting his arm but I stay calm.

"Why wouldn't you Cassidy, you've been single and I'm like the only man who has the courage to approach you." I fake a smile, my eyes moving to the ring on his finger.

"You're married Dennis, I don't date married men, besides, you aren't my type, now I would kindly ask you to take your arm off me or else..."

"Or else what?" He asks boldly.

"I'll break it." I say with a smirk.

He laughs sarcastically.

"You're a woman, you can't do anything." I nod and snatch my arm away. I lean closer to his ear and whisper.

"You should probably ask the other men why they never approach me, let's try and keep everything professional here." I walk away swaying my hips as the heels click behind me. I'm certain he's watching.

***

After a very long day at the office, I'm finally back in my house. The whole working up to five thing isn't going to work so well for me because my whole body feels like it's been drained off.

Adding to the fact that I got stuck in traffic for almost an hour. Coffey didn't call to ask why I was late but Cory called and so did Kira, they said he was surprisingly calm but they asked me to approach him with care.

I still have no idea how I'm going to be doing that.

I reach for my car keys to unlock my door and when I turn the lock I realize it's not locked. My heart does a jump.

I know I left it locked when I left in the morning. Someone must have broken in. I reach for my bag and pull out my pepper spray.

This is like literally the only defensive tool I carry with me, I think I need to carry something more deadly. I take off my heels so that they don't make any noise.

I unlock the door and slowly tip toe in. My heart is pounding out of my chest right now. No one has ever broken into my house before, not since I bought it and moved in. And that's been years ago.

Just when I take a few steps in, I hear the sound of glass breaking in the kitchen and I can hear footsteps.

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