His Brooding Stare.

part eight, I don't belong in your world.

I open the glass doors that lead onto the third floor where a lot of my coworkers are currently sitting at their desks with their heads down hard at work. As I'm walking down the aisle towards my own desk, slowly one by one each person's attention is on me and whispers start to fill the air. I walk with silent rage stirring inside me as I sit down and look towards the individuals I had just passed. My eyes roll in the process as their heads immediately went back to their work once they saw me staring. I sigh heavily putting my hands on my face trying to hold it all together.

I peer up and notice Mia standing beside me, she has the tabloid magazine in her hand with her arms crossed, she hesitantly asked with concern etched in her voice,

"Lena..I, are you okay?"

I look into her eyes and I can see her heart just breaks for me. I choke out through a rough whisper, on the edge of crying,

"I never asked for this Mia.."

She leans down to me, kneeling beside me and envelopes my body into a tight hug. She whispers to me,

"I know sweetheart"

I mumble into her hair, holding onto her tightly, fighting the urge to scream at the top of my lungs out of frustration,

"I just..I don't know what to do"

She pulls away slightly, her hands still resting on my shoulders,

"Is he worth all of this Lena? Be honest"

I sit there silently, my head and my heart beginning to fight one another. My head says no guy is worth this trouble, while my heart is begging me to hold onto Cal.

I shrug my shoulders,

"I don't know Mia. I think I just need to think some things through."

She smiles softly towards me, and leaves me be.

I drown myself in my work, trying to distract my thoughts for the time being, but I'm failing miserably. Thoughts come rushing to the surface,

"I barely know him" "...but he makes me feel so different" "I love his company, its so comforting" "I feel safe around him" "I'm not comfortable with this kind of attention" "I don't belong in his world"

I snap out of my thoughts as my phone buzzes on my desk. I look and see a text from Tyler. I finish up the submission I'm currently working on and check my phone,

"Hey Lena, hope you're having a good day. I was wondering if you wanted to catch up some more over lunch today? I can meet you at Panini's around 11."

I smile and type up a reply, needing the distraction,

"Hi Ty, I'm having an alright day, could be better. But I'd enjoy meeting up for lunch, see you soon."

I gather my things, tell Mia where I'm going and head towards Panini's. I get outside and put my hood over my head from my jacket and start walking. I open the door into Panini's and find Tyler at a near by table. He stands up and greets me with a hug. I smile at him and sit. I take off my jacket and place it on the back of my chair. Something flashes across Ty's face and he looks over at me concerned, totally seeing through my forced smile,

"Is everything alright Lena?"

I laugh heartedly towards Ty and say while looking down at my lap,

"You could always see right through me. Nothing passes you."

Ty reaches towards me and rubs the side of my left arm,

"You can talk to me about anything Lena, you know that right?"