AMORE MIO. j. peña

【eleven】

❝The biggest lie❞

She was back.

Elodie was back and Javier couldn't feel more relieved to have her here in Bogotá. He missed their little talks, those snarky comments and playful looks. He missed her.

So when she showed up at the agency that morning, he greeted her with the biggest smile he could muster. She did the same of course.

"Is it just me or you get more and more annoying every time I see you?" she approached him, wearing that ridiculous tight pencil skirt.

He chuckled.

"I missed you too, pretty girl. Now let's get to work. We have a lot of backlogs." he put his hand on her lower back, leading them to his office with a slight smirk under his moustache.

They were so immersed in their conversation that they didn't notice Murphy who had been watching them for several minutes. He had his arms crossed on his chest and that look in his eyes.

"Murph! Hi!" Elodie was first to notice him after some time. She walked up to Steve and put her arms around him, smiling when he closed her in a warm embrace.

"How's my best girl? Did you get some rest?"

She nodded, starting to tell briefly what Cartagena looked like and the hotel she was in. From what she said, everything was fine and it all had a chance to return to normal so Murphy had no reason to worry.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

"And Cody?"

Elodie frowned.

"Everything is good. We spent some time together, went to the beach and he even took me on a date to some fancy restaurant."

Javier wanted to believe that. Really. But something deep inside him was screaming that it wasn't good. That Elodie was still hiding something. He knew he shouldn't think like that because if she was happy, he should be happy too.

Everything was fine, right? 

"That sounds...not like him."

"Steve!"

"What?"

"Are you saying that I'm lying?"

"Never, it's just that ass- I mean he didn't pay attention to you for the last two months so I'm suprised that he managed to do all those things."

Hamilton rolled her eyes.

"You would've done the same to Connie. You love her, just like Cody loves me. End of the discussion."

Javier felt his stomach twist when she said that.

He quickly hid it by reaching for a cigarette from the pack and offering it to Murphy who sent him a confused look.

"Are you okay, Javi? You look...pale."

El quickly turned to see it on her very own eyes. Ineed his face was white, despite the tan he brought here from Texas.

"Peña?" her smooth voice reached his ears.

He blinked away, before he stood from his chair and left the office without a word.

* * *

During her break, Elodie decided to go to a nearby shop. She needed something to cool her body from the Colombian heat when suddenly she met a familiar figure standing in the aisle.