In Love With My Rival

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: not alone but lonely

The next day came faster than Ava expected. She was back in the office and the same thing yesterday happened. She felt lonely, though not alone. Nothing great happened last night, except that she ate dinner. But she was not happy because he did not even eat with her. She wished he could have waited for her so they could eat together.

You were acting like a baby.

I wasn’t. I am a strict baby.

Anyway, she went to sleep right after the dinner and left Zephyr downstairs after mouthing a thank you for the food he brought for her. After that, she fell asleep in her bed, trying to forget everything that happened during the day.

However, she felt the same as yesterday. Zephyr had been acting just so strange lately. She could not tell what he was really up to because the guy was so passive. So stoic that she could not have a bit idea about what he wanted.

At the moment, she was preparing for something big. A promotion for someone she dearly loved. She was preparing the cake she bought from a bakery. She stopped by to buy some cake on her way to the office. Yes, she did not let Zephyr drive her to the company. When she woke up in the morning, there was no sign of Zephyr so she figured out she could get to the office before he could reach her at her house.

“Stop thinking about him, i***t. Focus on this” Ava said to herself as she stared at the cake and the candle in the middle that was not lit yet.

Walking back to her desk, she picked up her phone and dialed the personal contact number of the person she wanted to give something very important. She just thought it was time to give him what he really deserved. While on call, she went to get the cake after lighting up the candle and walked to the door. She stood in front of it and waited.

“Wow so early. I just got off the elevator.” The person on the other line answered, sounding surprised for calling him so early.

“Great. Come straight to my office.”

“Sure. I’m just about to come in.”

She took a deep breath and the moment the door opened, she happily screamed, “Congratulations!”

Mason froze, wide-eyed, and utterly stunned at the scene unfolding before him. Ava could not help her laugh because of his reaction. That was what she was exactly expecting and it satisfied her to see him surprised.

“Come on. Blow the candle.” She eagerly demanded him.

“Is it my birthday?” Mason asked, confused. “As far as I know, my birthday is next year, June 9th.”

Ava rolled her eyes, but the smile was still dancing on the corners of her lips. “I know. This is something big and I did not say ‘Happy Birthday’, though.”

“Oh. Fine.” He shrugged and blew the candle anyway.

“Yay!” Ava screamed in happiness, turned around, and walked towards the lounge area. She settled the black forest cake with cherries on the top back on the coffee table and looked over Mason who was still standing there, confused as ever.

“Come here so I can tell you the great news,” Ava said, motioning him to come over.

“What is this all about?” Mason asked, sitting beside her on the couch.

“Guess what?”

“That’s why I’m asking.” Mason sighed.

Ava chuckled when she could hear the anxiety and excitement in Mason’s voice. Without even a warning, she screamed again, “You are promoted!”

“What?!”

“I promoted you as the new Human Resource Manager!”

“What?!”

“Mrs. Emmie Dawson just retired last week. She turned in her resignation to my father last Friday.”

“Oh.”

Ava frowned, seeing Mason’s unhappy reaction. “Aren’t you happy about it?” She could not help but asked. She really thought the promotion would make him so happy.

“I am. Of course, I am happy. It’s just that I won’t be with you most of the time now. I will miss you.”

“Jeez.” She shook her head at him. “Don’t be so dramatic now. We are still going to be in the same building, just different floors. We are still going to see each other if we have the time, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Can I give you a hug?” Mason asked.

Smiling, she opened her arms and Mason laughed as he pulled her in a warm embrace. Gratefulness and enthusiasm filled his heart as he sincerely told her, “Thank you so much.”

“You are very welcome, dude.” Ava softly said, rubbing his back comfortingly. That was when she realized she might be lonely without him near, especially that she was not on good terms with her stoic bodyguard. “I’d surely miss ordering you around too.” She joked, making him laugh.

“I’d surely miss that too and your frustrating unpredictable mood swings.”

They let go of each other, faces filled with sad smiles as if they were not ready to not be working together. Ava had gotten used to and comfortable with the routine of working together with Mason for two years. He was her only friend, but she also had to figure out how to be on her own at work.

“Stop that. Your office is ready. You can start packing you things up. I’ll ask the bodyguard to help you with moving your things to your new office.”

“The bodyguard? Wasn’t that supposed to be, I quote, my bodyguard?” Mason asked as he lifted his index and middle finger of both hands, making quotation marks with them. His eyes were squinted in a confused manner.

“He is still the bodyguard.” Ava scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Something happened between you two?”

“No. We are just being…” She trailed off, not really sure what to say.

“Being what?” Mason pushed, although he already had a guess that the two might be having a cool off or whatsoever.

“Professionals.” Ava finished, thinking that that would be the appropriate term to describe what was going between her and Zephyr.

“Oh, sure you are. Why don’t we invite him in?” Mason just felt like he had to suggest that.

“For what?” Ava asked and stood up to get back to her desk.

“Why do you sound so bitter about him?” Mason followed her and sat on the chair in front of her desk.

“I’m not. I just thought we should be professionals.”

You’ve been good at lying these days.

A voice in her head said, but she just ignored it casually to not make it obvious that she was actually just acting cool while lying.

“Oh, okay.”

“So, I’ll start packing now?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, bumping her fist with his. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Mason winked before he waved and turned around. “Let’s have lunch together?” He asked before he could completely walk out of the door.

“Nah. I have to be somewhere later.”

“Oh. My bad. Maybe next time then?”

“Next time.”

With that, they smiled one last time to each other before the door closed and Ava was left all alone again. The truth was she did not really have anywhere to go. It was just an alibi because she did not want to go anywhere else other than the comfort of her office. Besides, she had so many files review. To officially start her day, she picked her phone up and texted her bodyguard to help Mason with packing and moving his things. In just a minute or two, she already received a reply from Zephyr saying that Mason did not want him to leave her office.

Rolling her eyes, she put her aside and opened her laptop. She went straight to her email inbox and found one unread message. It did not have a subject and it was bizarre for her to received emails without subjects, especially to her business email. She did not waste time and opened it. Her eyes were staring at bold red letters, saying, “We are not yet done.”

After reading that one short statement, her heart paced. It sent chills, knowing that the message could be a threat. What the heck was going on? She thought as she closed the email and leaned back on her chair. She tried to calm herself down by quietly counting as she took deep breaths. Her chest heaved up and down, not so normal because of how fast her heart was beating.

Her eyes moved to the closed office door. Just outside the room was the person who promised to protect her with all his might. She was scared. There was no denying that because she did not have any idea who wanted to hurt her. She was not sure if she would let him know what she just received.

Not even a minute, she had decided she would just keep it to herself at the moment. She did not want to bring him into this and watch him get hurt. She would wait because she was sure there was going to be more of those messages.

“Relax. You’ll be safe.” She told herself, but deep inside, she knew there was no assurance of it. Things were getting darker, more mysterious, creepier, and more complicated. She was in danger while slowly falling for something more dangerous. It confused her a lot. She missed him. She missed laughing with him. She missed his annoying comebacks. Though annoying, he made her feel happy and she just wanted to get back to normal and be normal.

Closing her laptop, she stood up from her chair and walked to the file cabinet on the side. She pulled a drawer open and took out a very familiar white folder. She brought it to her desk and flipped it open. Once again, she was staring and reading Zephyr Hernandez’s resume. She realized she had missed a few more details about him when he first walked into her office with these very files in front of her. She did not get to read the hobbies indicated on his résumé. It said that he loved fishing, mountain climbing, and cycling.

He’s really sporty.

She came across with his brother’s name and suddenly, she missed Xavier. The boy was so charming and really down to earth.

In that short time of spending time with both of the brothers in their home, she felt a sense of belonging and family. It was so comforting. That was why it was not that hard to be wanting to be closer to them. She wished she could spend more time on her life with them.

Just when she thought about it, the door suddenly opened and walked in two men. The first one was no other than her father, Adam O’Kelly, and behind was Zephyr Hernandez himself. His father was so walking fast that Zephyr was trying to catch up with the man. She was so quick to stand up from her chair, stood in front of her father, and then bowed curtly in respect

“Let’s talk.”

The cold voice of her father echoed around the four walls of her office. Let’s talk. Other people would say ‘I need to talk to you’ but her father was just different. Letting out a deep shaky breath, she waited for her father to speak again.

“Not with your bodyguard here.” Adam finished.

Ava’s eyes moved to Zephyr who was looking anywhere, but her. As if he had sensed she was looking at him, he locked with eyes with her. It was just a very short moment. That caused a pang in her chest. She just watched him bowed curtly before turning around and then left the office.

When she looked at her father again, she saw him with an impatient look on his face.

“Steel wanted to withdraw from the contract. He was so willing to breach it. What the hell happened, Lauren? He was a huge investor.”

“Let him,” Ava replied.

“What did you say?”

“Let him.” She repeated, with more emphasis and strength this time.

“What has gotten into your mind?!” Adam boomed.

Ava almost flinched but she was doing her best to compose herself. It was enough. “The guy was something else. I knew him. We went to the same school and I knew he was just using those papers to get to me.”

“Are you insane?! You have lost your damn mind, Lauren!”

“Maybe?” Her eyes widened, realizing what she just said.

Adam mirrored her expression, nostrils flared, steam almost coming out of his ears and then his right hand raised. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact but it never came. Breathing harshly, she slowly opened her eyes and she felt like crying at that very moment when the man in front of her dangerously told her father,

“Don’t ever lay a hand on her.”

She was not looking at his father but she knew it made him angrier. She was staring at the man she had been thinking about all the damn time. Tears started to blur her vision. His words melted her heart. Before she even knew it, her father walked away and angrily left the office.

Silence filled the room until Zephyr turned around to face her and worriedly asked, “Are you okay?”

That was it took for her to break down and hugged him tightly, finding comfort in his arms once more.