VICIOUS

61.

I finish stitching the wound and get rid of the mess on Brandon's desk. After that, I get up and straighten my clothes. The pair of jeans feel tight around the stitched wound, but it's better than before. 

In silence, Brandon and I make our way to his penthouse on the roof of the building. The moment him and I enter his living room, it gives me major flashbacks. From the door that leads to his bedroom, to the couch where we made out. 

''I'll get you a towel,'' He quickly says. His footsteps can be heard on the floor as he walks away. 

The tension between us only grows stronger. Not because of the fact that I'm about to shower in his house, but because of what happened between us in this place. We both don't comment on it, but I'm sure he's also thinking about it. 

''There are clothes and a towel in the bathroom,'' He tells me when he walks back into the living room. ''Take as long as you want. I won't be in my office, but once you're done, you can go there and then we'll talk.''

I start walking towards the bathroom, but suddenly stop in my tracks. I look over my shoulder. ''Thank you,'' I say before leaving him alone. 

And I actually mean it. He's actually trying to help me. I lock the door behind me and begin to undress myself. It's a pretty big bathroom. Just like the rest of the house, it's a mixture of silver, black and white. 

On the counter lies a pair of neatly folded clothes. My hands touch the soft fabric before turning on the shower. I assume these are his clothes. 

The hot water feels good on my skin. It makes me feel numb. I let out a deep breath. I try to relax my muscles and not think about work too much. I finally have some time for myself, something that I really need. 

An hour later, I turn off the water and get out of the shower. I feel a lot better. I'm clean, I shaved, I washed my hair and I feel more relaxed. After I dried myself off with the towel, I change myself into the clothes that lay on the counter. A pair of light grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt. I'm happy that the clothes fit and start combing my hair.

I sigh and walk into the living room. The space is empty, but that feels nice. I take my phone out of my jacket and see if I have any new messages or missed calls. 

I wonder how Thomas and the others are doing. They're probably just hanging around, eating food and watching a movie. 

The sky has turned black and a couple of stars are visible when I look out of the window. I look at the time and see that it's 6 PM. 

''You arrived here late,'' someone says. 

My head shoots to the side and I see that Brandon has walked in. 

''That's why it's already dark outside,'' He explains. With his head, he nods to the window. ''We took care of your injuries, you showered. But it's okay. We'll reason with each other tomorrow. For now..'' 

He pauses and walks into his kitchen. From one of the many cabinets, he takes out two glasses and a bottle of champagne. 

''Let's act like we're friends.'' 

..............................................................................................................................................

*Brandon pov*

I can hear the shower run when I get out of my house, back to work. I hurry through the corridors, trying to be on time for the scheduled meeting. 

A couple of minutes later, I open the door to the conference room. A man and a woman are the only ones sitting in the large room. 

''Took you long enough, Phiago,'' The bald one says.