The Billionaire and His Intern (A Christian Romance)

Chapter 14: Unexpected

Arielle sat on her bed quietly while the growing silence filled her room. Even the critters outside were shockingly quiet, only a few sweeping through the sky. Arielle wondered if her mother could see it in her eyes. Could she see the conflict begin to bloom in her? Was it as apparent in appearance as it was in feeling because to Arielle it felt as though she were drowning.

There was a war being waged within and it was taking more than she had given. The emotions were growing rapidly once she recognized them. Each one tugged at her heart.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she stood from the solace given by her blanket and reached for the small mug atop her dresser. She wondered if she should have said more. Would it have made a difference? It was difficult to comprehend how she felt about his presence and his perseverance, yet he began to grow on her. Her eyes fell back onto the large gift basket that he had brought for her. It was large and filled with considerate items, including a small teddy bear. One so small and quaint that she found herself hoping that it had been hand-picked for her.

"I can't think of this right now," she mumbled quietly to herself. She darted out of her bedroom, preparing to grab a cool drink, and that was when she heard it. They didn't see her nor did they hear her when she entered the kitchen earlier. She heard him and the words he spoke with certainty. He didn't plan to return.

The cool glass in her hand could have shattered and it wouldn't have pulled her from the depths of her stupefaction. Rushing back into her bedroom, the yearning for refreshment gone, she paced back and forth, rubbing her face as she went, she couldn't place why this bothered her so. Her sickness, now a memory. It felt as though it melted away with the news. And her heart began to hum a tune that she wasn't quite prepared for.

Pray.

A small aching could be felt and that's when the realization hit. He would soon be gone and she would possibly miss him. Pulling the hair from her face, into a neatened ponytail, deciding that a warm shower and some basic self-care would help distract her. The cold was practically gone it seemed, but she still had crust by her eye and her hair had become extremely dry.

Arielle reached for the beige towel and a new product when her phone rang. She paused for a moment. What if it was him? She wondered. Glancing over at her bed, the bright screen lit up with his name and for a moment, she wondered what to do.

What if he forgot something?

"I shouldn't be rude..." she mumbled to herself. "Lord please help me. I don't know how I feel."

"Hello?" She answered. A moment of silence ensued as she heard his breath stop abruptly and then continue again.

"Hi." He replied.

"Is everything okay? Did you leave something here?" She asked. Arielle placed down on her shower items and walked toward her bedroom door, peering out to see if she could spot anything noticeably out of place. Yet everything she saw was as it had always been.

"No, no. Everything's okay. I've left nothing there, well nothing I can freely take with me." He spoke the ending quietly to himself.

Arielle's brows furrowed. "Nothing you can freely take with you?"

"Never mind that. I wanted to apologize for my stoicism. If I may confess, some things aren't okay." Emitting a shaky breath, Alexander sat up straighter, loosening his grip on the wheel. His silence was palpable, but she remained calm, refusing any overactive thoughts and casting each one down.

"You're not driving right now, are you?" She asked glancing out her window. She glanced up the street, yet not far enough to see him at the top of it.

"No no, I've parked." He replied quietly.