Encounters With Abigail

Chapter Ten

   When my phone alarm starts blaring, I instantly silence it, giving Abi a tight squeeze around the waist and dropping a kiss onto her head before shuffling out of the bed. When I turn back she is sitting upright worry etched into her face.

   I try to smile but not sure what it translates to on my face. "I have to go to work sorry" my voice is hoarse, she just stares at me like I'm insane.

"What the fuck! No! we need to talk about last night" She is beyond pissed with me.

"It was just a nightmare don't worry" I stroke her soft shoulder "But if I don't go to work my demon HR manager is going to murder me in my sleep." I laugh, it sounds fake. Placing a light kiss on her the cheek I pull away but she grabs my hand enraged.

"I don't fucking buy it Alex. Please talk to me. Trust me. I want to help you." She looks like she might cry and my heart sinks to my stomach. I am the worst. 

  Knowing that Abi is also haunted and still making her deal with my shit too is disgraceful. It's not fair to her, I close my eyes and take in as much air as I can praying that she doesn't call my bluff."Fine, I will tell you my nightmares if you tell me yours?" 

  Abigail's lips press into a hard line and her eyes go wide. It's obvious she won't be divulging anything today, so I lean back in and kiss her softly on the lips. "I will text you later." 

  I kiss Abi again wishing with everything in me that I could just spend a few more hours in her arms, before turning to the radiator grabbing my shorts and hoodie slipping them on while she analyses me with hurt filled eyes, the guilt is soul destroying.

  Running home and throwing on my suit knowing full well that I have no hope of being on time but I'm utterly amazed when I stumble into the office only ten minutes late. Edward is by my desk as I run in gasping for air.

"I'm so sorry sir. I got caught in traffic" Edward's face softens and it looks like he believes me but he is still frowning.

"Are you doing well Alexander?" his tone is soft like when coddling a child. I hate it.

"Yeah, I am fine. Why wouldn't I be?" before he can answer I continue "I did what you suggested and as a result I have met a fantastic woman, so thank you Sir, you really inspired me" A smile stretches the width of his face and I know I've bullshitted my way out of this. I feel like garbage again but better this than the alternative.

  Edward quickly shuffles off exposing the state of my desk. How the fuck is one person supposed to deal with all this shit. Did no one work at all when I was gone? I sigh and drop into my seat. I sneeze and sigh again, I honestly don't have the energy to get sick right now but when the familiar pounding behind my eyes starts, it's a struggle to hold myself together. Instead, I take my thankfully refilled painkillers and attempt to push through.

  By the time it hits twelve I'm starving and my head has been rhythmically throbbing for hours, I decide to give up on my paper mountain for lunch hoping some fresh air helps with my ever-escalating migraine. Standing up just as Matthew stomps toward my desk his constantly present scowl firmly in place, his hands are filled with a stack of folders- they better not be for me-.

  Matthew looks like he wants to stab me and its honestly quite grim to think that someone can have such a visceral reaction to you without due cause. We have hardly spoke but I get the feeling he made his mind up about me the first day we met and it would be a complete waste of time for me to attempt any form of camaraderie with him now.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Matthew" mimicking Abigail's flat tone

"Edward told me to give you these" and he drops the folders to my desk knocking over a pile of paperwork I had already finished, sending it careening into the many piles of untouched files littering my desk. My teeth grind together, as I fight the temptation to throw them back at him.