Sea Salt (Forbidden Love) (Editing)

Chapter Eight- It's Okay...

{Chapter Eight}

I turn the key in the lock and enter the house with a tired sigh. I pull my aching feet out of my heels and start walking in the direction to my bedroom. I want to do nothing but sleep. 

"How was work, dear?"

My body jerks in surprise as I lift a shaking hand to my racing heart. I slowly turn my head towards Granny who sits in the mahogany settee, siping a cup of hot tea. She never could sleep soundly without piping hot, chamomile tea in her system.

Granny chuckles,"The girl jumps at everything, I swear."

"I wonder who I got that from," I raise an eyebrow, a smile pulling at my lips. It almost feels foreign after wearing a somber face all day.

"Oh, caught me." She replies, her hand that's not holding the mug up in surrender. I shake my head, laughing as I toss my bag in the opposite chair and take a seat beside her as she motioned.  I swiftly pull off my jacket and unbutton the first few buttons of my dress top.

"Seems like you had a rough day, child.  Work life not treating you well?" Granny watches my face intently.

"Work is good and orientation is going smoothly," I say barely above a whisper, looking at my lap.

I hear her rest the mug on the coffee table before she gently holds my hand in hers causing me to look up at her warm eyes. "Then what's got your nickers in a twist?"

"I saw the eyes from my dreams and memories today." I feel my chest tightening again as the scene replays in my mind.

"Oh?" Granny's eyes widen a little.

"My CEO, Mr. O, has the same eyes."

"When did you see this man?" She leans forward a little.  Granny must be onto something.

"I was told to go to the top floor and that happened to be his office.  He welcomed me to the firm..." I search her eyes as I look for the answers behind them.

"Summer, do new employees usually get greeted by their bosses in such large firms where people are probably getting hired regularly?"

"No..." I drawl, pondering on her statement. "The Human Resources department usually deals with that."

"So what makes you special?"

"Nothing..." I say breathlessly as a realization hits me. I was so focused on the fact that he had the eyes from my dreams that I didn't think about it before. "His name is Mr. O and the person who wrote the letter has the initial O. Could it really be Lover Boy?"

"There's only one way-" Granny starts.

"-to find out." I finish her sentence as I hug her. "Thanks, Granny."

"No problem, dear." She gently pats my back.

~~~~~~~~~~

I gently glide my finger across my mother's face as my watery eyes taking in the picture of us that I brought with me, the moonlight from window being my only light. I have been so focused on Lover Boy that my thoughts never crossed the true love of my life, my mother.

A tear slowly drops from my eye and rolls down my cheek as I remember the times when I would be stressed out with schoolwork or drama at school. She would lay down with me and gently rub my back in soothing circles, not even saying word. However, her touch always had the right amount of comfort that I needed at that moment.

At this moment.

If she was here, I know that her touch would have the strength to settle my confused mind and rid of the squeezing of my heart. It would make me forget all the things that induced the distress I feel for the night and allow me wake up with an open and fresh mind in the morning.

Finally, I feel myself breakdown. I feel all the events of today rain down on me. I hear his words like a broken record, repeating over and over causing my heart to feel like it wants to burst.

"I'm not sure who you are talking about."

The look in his eyes at that time also begins to haunt me, the emotion that lays beneath them mocking my ignorance. I grip the layer of my shirt that is over my heart, as my body rack with sobs. I don't understand why those simple words hurt so much. It is like my heart knows something that my mind and I don't know.

I lay my body on my bed and clutch the picture frame to my chest. I let the tears continue to fall as I close my eyes and hope for sleep to drive away my swimming thoughts. I feel my body start to relax and my tears stop falling, my mind preparing to enter dreamland.

Just then, a light, feather-like touch strokes my cheek. It's so tender and conscious that I almost missed it. My heavy eyes slowly open and are greeted by the black shirt of a lean body. My eyes suddenly lose all of the sleep in them and my mouth prepares to scream before a familiar scent sweeps past my nose. The crisp, fresh, sweet scent of the boy from my memories. The scent of sea water. The scent of sea salt.

My heart pounds against my chest as I begin to raise my head in order to see his face. However, something stops me mid-way. The feeling that if I lift my head any further he would disappear.

Instead, I lower my head back down and bring my body closer to his. I gently wrap my arm around his waist, pulling myself into his chest. I maybe never get the chance again, the chance to have him this close. His arms instantly pulls me even closer as a hand gently strokes my hair.

Even though, he says nothing, his touch says it all.

It's okay...

It's okay...