Fifty Shades of Larry (On Hold)

FORTY-TWO

"You can't go to the office, Larry. What's wrong with you?" Lena complained.

Larry shook his head, shoving his hands into his pajamas pockets. He looked up at Lena who was standing in the way, between he and his closet.

"You have to rest."

"I have to work. It's my company, no one will look after it for me."

The lady rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. "Your company isn't more important than your health."

"It is," Larry uttered without even thinking.

Lena gaped at Larry, not knowing that was how he had felt before. "Larry-" He placed his company's importance before himself? "Laurent!"

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Laurent to listen to the rubbish you're saying."

"Don't bother Laurent."

Lena ignored him. "Laurent! Laurent!"

Larry frowned irritably. "Lena, stop being a fool."

"If caring for your wellbeing makes me a fool then so be it, Larry. I don't care if you think I'm foolish or stupid but I won't let you go to work when you just got discharged from the hospital this morning."

"I haven't been to work in 2 days. Do you have any idea what that will cost me?"

"I don't care what it will cost you financially. I don't give a flying fuck!"

Larry nodded. "Of course, you don't. But you waste no time in spending the financial outcome of the company, don't you?"

Lena glared at him in anger. She turned around and stomped her feet against the door to the closet so hard it's noise reverberated throughout the room. "Yes, you idiot! I spend your money! I do because you gave me permission to spend it! You asked me not to work that you didn't want me to stress myself! That you wanted me to recover fully from my cancer! You told me to travel the world and live happily without a care in the world, that you would shoulder my problems!"

"Lena-"

"I know I was just a pity case to you. After all, you were using me to atone your sins! I guess now you can finally live with yourself and your ducking inflated ego, you don't feel so much pity anymore. Which is good, I hate pity anyways!"

Lena gestured vaguely towards the closet. "Go wherever you want. I don't fucking care anymore." She stormed past him but Larry quickly caught her hand.

"Lena."

Her shoulders shook with sobs.

He hugged around her waist from behind and pulled her into his embrace. "Why are you suddenly acting like this?"

"I'm suddenly acting like this because you push people that care about you away. Once you realize someone has open their heart to you and is starting to worry about you, you distance yourself from them." She sniffled.

Larry shut his eyes.

"You did that with Felix. With me. With Laurent, even your mother. You haven't seen that woman in over a year, Larry." Lena shook her head. "Why don't you want anyone to love you?"

He stayed quiet. Lena turned to face him, searching his sad, confused eyes. "Larry."

"What do you want me to say?"

"But do you realize it?" She didn't wait for his response. "I know you love your company but it's time to stop using it as an excuse to run. No one is chasing you. Very soon, even Laurent, will stop pursing you. You have to meet people half way. Not everyone has that patience two wait forever."