Show me love.

Twenty Five

I have never seen him like this before. His cool and collected composure was slipping as he furiously pulled the neatly organised drawers in his office, apart. I hover at his door with a hammering heart and bated breath. My teeth hurt from being clenched so tightly and I flinch as he slams the drawers shut.

“I told you to go to bed, Frankie.” He demands with a very monotone voice. I hated the way it left chills down my spine. I hated how tense his posture was. I hated how I was afraid to comfort him. “Go.”

“Can’t you come too?” I ask timidly.

“Doesn’t it look like I can?” He snaps, unintentionally harsh. I squirm, hugging my robe closer to my body.

We had only landed from France two hours ago and from the second I opened my eyes and found myself lying alone while Jason paces the floor and Graham desperately tries to calm him, I knew something was wrong. I confusingly questioned him about the sudden change in demour and was snapped at rudely with no follow-up apology. He was silent on the way home, deeply involved in his phone, and leaves me with Freddy and Graham before he locks himself away in the office. I clean myself up shakily in the bathroom, my heart pounding about being alone, and wrap myself in clean pjs before stalking here.

I bite my lip. “Can’t it wait until morning?”

He shakes his head and laughs mockingly. “My business has just lost one million pound, and counting for that matter. How the fuck can something like that wait until morning?”

I didn’t speak. Instead, I swallowed my words and nod silently. He doesn’t lift his eyes from the stack of papers so I turn myself on my heels and slowly wobbly down the hallway to the kitchen. I fill a coffee and grab a chocolate muffin, placing it on the plate and wandering back along the hallway. His position hadn’t moved, he was still frantically scanning and typing on his laptop to notice my presence. Quietly, I leave the coffee and plate on his desk and notice how he stills. He returns in a second.

“Good night.” I murmur. I hover a minute longer, hoping for his call to ask me to wait for him but it didn’t come. I retort to bed, the large empty space making me curl up with a heavy weight in my chest.

I needed to tell him.

…

By morning, I woke up just like how I went to bed. Alone and cuddling Jason’s pillow like it was him. I knew he hadn’t been to bed as the glass of water he regularly brought, wasn’t on the bedside table and the television remotes were still on my side. I sighed, slowly lifting myself upright and grabbing the painkillers from the side table. I skip the morning shower and make my way downstairs to scout Jason.

“Morning, Frankie.” Freddy greets from the kitchen. I raise my brow at his early arrival. “I stayed the night, ma’am.”

“What did I tell you about calling me ma’am.” I joke lightly, tightening the belt of my robe. “Where’s Jason?”

He gave a lopsided smile filled with sympathy. “He already left.”

“Has he even slept?”

“I can’t say. I didn’t see him leave the office until he walked out with Graham a few hours ago.” He replied, sliding across a glass of orange juice. “Must admit, he didn’t look the best. Though, I wouldn’t either if I just lost over a million dollars.”

“Over a million?” I gasp.

He hums. “Last thing Graham told me was that they were sitting around one-point-six. Up six hundred from yesterday.” He shakes his head. “Whoever this is, is really out for them to declare bankruptcy.”